Bastard Nodding Thistle vs Oso Polar

Carduus acanthoides compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

Bastard Nodding Thistle is Near Threatened while Oso Polar is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bastard Nodding Thistle	Oso Polar
Kingdom	Plantae (planta)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Carnivora (carnívoros)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Carduus	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Carduus acanthoides	Ursus maritimus

Conservation Status

Bastard Nodding Thistle

NT — Near Threatened

Oso Polar

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bastard Nodding Thistle	Oso Polar
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bastard Nodding Thistle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (4 countries), Europe (18 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Oso Polar

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.

Bastard Nodding Thistle

The Bastard Nodding Thistle (Carduus acanthoides) is a species in the genus Carduus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments.

Oso Polar

El mayor carnivoro terrestre de la Tierra, el oso polar puede superar los 700 kg y se encuentra en el hielo marino del Artico, desde Canada hasta Rusia. Es un mamifero marino altamente especializado que depende del hielo marino para cazar focas anilladas y barbadas. Excelente nadador capaz de cubrir grandes distancias en agua abierta. Clasificado como Vulnerable, sus poblaciones soportan una presion severa por la rapida perdida de hielo marino artico debida al cambio climatico.