{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "polar-bear",
  "name": "Polar Bear",
  "scientificName": "Ursus maritimus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The polar bear is the largest land carnivore, perfectly adapted to life on Arctic sea ice. It hunts seals from the ice, has black skin under white-looking translucent fur, and is classified as a marine mammal because it depends on the ocean. Polar bears live around 25 years and are threatened by melting sea ice.",
  "conservationStatus": "Vulnerable",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Carnivora",
    "family": "Ursidae",
    "genus": "Ursus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 700,
    "lengthM": 3,
    "topSpeedKmh": 40,
    "lifespanYears": 25
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Ursus maritimus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (mainly seals)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Arctic sea ice and coasts"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "~25 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "300–700 kg (660–1,540 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "40 km/h (25 mph) on land"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Vulnerable (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Across the Arctic — Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway (Svalbard), and Russia.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "Europe",
      "Asia"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "Wiig, Ø. et al. (2015). Ursus maritimus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22823/14871490"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Stirling, I. (1988). Polar Bears. University of Michigan Press.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Amstrup, S. C. (2003). Polar bear (Ursus maritimus). In Wild Mammals of North America. Johns Hopkins University Press.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group — Status Reports.",
      "url": "https://www.iucn-pbsg.org/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/polar-bear/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/polar-bear/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}