Polar bear vs Richardson’s Willow

Ursus maritimus compared with Salix richardsonii

Key Differences

Polar bear is Vulnerable while Richardson’s Willow is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polar bear	Richardson’s Willow
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Salicaceae
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Salix
Species	Ursus maritimus	Salix richardsonii

Conservation Status

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Richardson’s Willow

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polar bear	Richardson’s Willow
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	25 years	—
Average Length	2.4 m	—
Average Weight	450.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Polar bear

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Richardson’s Willow

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada and Norway.

Polar bear

The largest land carnivore on Earth, polar bears can exceed 700 kg and are found across Arctic sea ice from Canada to Russia. Highly specialized marine mammals that rely on sea ice to hunt ringed and bearded seals. Excellent swimmers capable of covering vast distances in open water. Listed as Vulnerable, with populations under severe pressure from rapid Arctic sea ice loss due to climate change.