Polar bear vs South African Shelduck

Ursus maritimus compared with Tadorna cana

Key Differences

• Polar bear is Vulnerable while South African Shelduck is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polar bear	South African Shelduck
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Anatidae
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Tadorna
Species	Ursus maritimus	Tadorna cana

Evolutionary Relationship

Polar bear and South African Shelduck share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

South African Shelduck

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polar bear	South African Shelduck
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.

South African Shelduck

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries).

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.

South African Shelduck

South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana) is classified as Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List. Not yet evaluated against IUCN Red List criteria. Conservation status remains to be determined.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway