Polar bear vs Small Cow-Wheat

Ursus maritimus compared with Melampyrum sylvaticum

Key Differences

Polar bear is Vulnerable while Small Cow-Wheat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polar bear	Small Cow-Wheat
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Magnoliopsida (พืชใบเลี้ยงคู่)
Order	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)	Lamiales (อันดับกะเพรา)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Orobanchaceae
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Melampyrum
Species	Ursus maritimus	Melampyrum sylvaticum

Conservation Status

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Small Cow-Wheat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polar bear	Small Cow-Wheat
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.

Small Cow-Wheat

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

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.