Polar bear vs Shaw Mayer’s Water Rat

Ursus maritimus compared with Baiyankamys shawmayeri

Key Differences

• Polar bear is Vulnerable while Shaw Mayer’s Water Rat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polar bear	Shaw Mayer’s Water Rat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Baiyankamys
Species	Ursus maritimus	Baiyankamys shawmayeri

Evolutionary Relationship

Polar bear and Shaw Mayer’s Water Rat share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Shaw Mayer’s Water Rat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polar bear	Shaw Mayer’s Water Rat
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.

Shaw Mayer’s Water Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.