Polar bear vs soft shield-fern

Ursus maritimus compared with Polystichum setiferum

Key Differences

Polar bear is Vulnerable while soft shield-fern is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Polar bear	soft shield-fern
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Dryopteridaceae
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Polystichum
Species	Ursus maritimus	Polystichum setiferum

Conservation Status

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

soft shield-fern

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Polar bear	soft shield-fern
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.

soft shield-fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.