Polar bear vs Saltwater Crocodile

Ursus maritimus compared with Crocodylus porosus

Key Differences

Polar bear is Vulnerable while Saltwater Crocodile is Least Concern.
Saltwater Crocodile is 2.2x heavier than Polar bear.
Saltwater Crocodile lives longer (70 years vs 25 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polar bear	Saltwater Crocodile
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Ursus maritimus	Crocodylus porosus

Evolutionary Relationship

Polar bear and Saltwater Crocodile share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Saltwater Crocodile

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polar bear	Saltwater Crocodile
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	25 years	70 years
Average Length	2.4 m	6.0 m
Average Weight	450.0 kg	1.0 t

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.

Saltwater Crocodile

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Distributed across Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines.

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.