# Polar bear (*Ursus maritimus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/polar-bear  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a species in the family Ursidae, order Carnivora. Recorded adults weigh about 450 kg and live up to 50 years. It has been recorded in 12 countries, most often in Canada, United States and Greenland. Its IUCN Red List status is Vulnerable.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 450 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 50 years |
| Main food | Ringed Seal, Grey Seal, Harp Seal, beluga whale, walrus, carrion and 12 more |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 259 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Recorded in | 12 countries |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Ursidae
- genus: Ursus
- species: *Ursus maritimus* Phipps, 1774

Synonyms: *Thalarctos maritimus*, *Thalarctos polaris*, *Thalassarctos eogroenlandicus*, *Thalassarctos jenaensis*, *Thalassarctos labradorensis*, *Ursus marinus*, *Ursus polaris*

## Where it has been recorded

Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF (records in brackets). Recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

Canada (1945), United States (1363), Greenland (992), Norway (845), Russia (291), Svalbard & Jan Mayen (255), Germany (58), Denmark (10), Sweden (9), China (3), Japan (3), Netherlands (2)

## Common questions

### How big is the polar bear?

An adult polar bear weighs 450 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Where does the polar bear live?

The polar bear has openly licensed sighting records from 12 countries on GBIF. The most records come from Canada, United States, Greenland, Norway and Russia. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

### Is the polar bear endangered?

The polar bear is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.

### What does the polar bear eat?

Its recorded foods include Ringed Seal, Grey Seal, Harp Seal, beluga whale, walrus and carrion, among 18 on record.

### How long does the polar bear live?

The polar bear has a recorded lifespan of 50 years.

### How long is the polar bear pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 259 days.

### What kind of animal is the polar bear?

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) belongs to the family Ursidae in the order Carnivora.

## Sources

- [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0 1.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base.
- [GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only)](https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF.org occurrence search, country facet counts restricted to CC0 1.0 and CC BY 4.0 records.
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/), Per file, live API 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file.
- [English Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/), CC BY-SA 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Cite as: Polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/polar-bear