Polar bear vs Richardson’s Willow

Ursus maritimus compared with Salix richardsonii

Key Differences

Polar bear is Vulnerable while Richardson’s Willow is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polar bear	Richardson’s Willow
Kingdom	Animalia (動物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索動物)	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳類)	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)
Order	Carnivora (ネコ目)	Malpighiales (キントラノオ目)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Salicaceae
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Salix
Species	Ursus maritimus	Salix richardsonii

Conservation Status

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Richardson’s Willow

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polar bear	Richardson’s Willow
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.

Richardson’s Willow

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada and Norway.

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。