Bamboo bear vs Polar bear

Ailuropoda melanoleuca compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Bamboo bear is herbivore while Polar bear is carnivore.
• Polar bear is 4.5x heavier than Bamboo bear.
• Polar bear lives longer (25 years vs 20 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bamboo bear	Polar bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum same	Chordata (脊索動物)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class same	Mammalia (哺乳類)	Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order same	Carnivora (ネコ目)	Carnivora (ネコ目)
Family same	Ursidae (Bears)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Ailuropoda (Giant Pandas)	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Ailuropoda melanoleuca	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Bamboo bear and Polar bear share a common ancestor at the Family level: Ursidae. (Bears)

Conservation Status

Bamboo bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~1.9K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bamboo bear	Polar bear
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	20 years	25 years
Average Length	1.5 m	2.4 m
Average Weight	100.0 kg	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bamboo bear

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

Bamboo bear

ジャイアントパンダ（Ailuropoda melanoleuca）は中国中部の山岳竹林に生息し、体重最大125キログラムになるクマ科の動物で、食肉目に分類されながら食事の99%を竹が占める特異な食性を持つ。偽の親指（橈側種子骨）を使って竹の茎を把握し、1日14時間もの採食時間を費やす。2016年にIUCNレッドリストで絶滅危惧から危急（VU）へ改善されており、保護繁殖プログラムと自然保護区の設置が個体数回復に貢献している。

Polar bear

地球上で最大の陸上肉食動物であるホッキョクグマは700kgを超えることがあり、カナダからロシアまでの北極海氷域全体に分布する。ワモンアザラシとヒゲアザラシを狩るために海氷に依存する高度に特化した海洋哺乳類である。広大な距離を泳ぐことができる優れた泳者でもある。脆弱種に指定されており、気候変動による急激な北極海氷の消失で個体群が深刻な圧力を受けている。