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Polar Bear

Ursus maritimus

Mammal · family Ursidae · order Carnivora

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G3: vulnerable[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Threatened[1]
NatureServe global rank
G3 Vulnerable[2]
Native in
1 state[3]
Longest recorded life
43.8 years[4]

The polar bear is a large mammal in the bear family, Ursidae[5]. In the United States it is native only to Alaska, and it is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act[3][1].

Conservation status

The US Endangered Species Act lists the polar bear as Threatened, a listing made on May 15, 2008, with Alaska named as the state in its listed range[1]. NatureServe rates it G3 (Vulnerable) worldwide and N3 (Vulnerable) in the United States[2][6]. The IUCN Red List also puts it in the Vulnerable group, and it sits on CITES Appendix II, which means trade across borders is controlled[7][8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Threatened, listed May 15, 2008
NatureServe global rank[2] G3 (Vulnerable)
NatureServe US rank[6] N3 (Vulnerable)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Vulnerable
CITES (international trade)[8] Appendix II
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] 10,000 to 100,000 individuals

Where Polar Bear lives

NatureServe records the polar bear as native to Alaska and to no other US state[3]. Alaska is also the only state in its listed range under the Endangered Species Act[1].

Alaska: native, state rank S2AKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (1 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlaskaS2Imperiled

Habitat

NatureServe lists tundra, ice, tidal flats and shores, and waters close to shore as polar bear habitat[11]. The bears depend on sea ice in the far north[12]. They favor ice that shifts and moves, for example where ice fixed to the coast meets floating pack ice, or near patches of open water inside the ice[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

Polar bears eat meat, and seals are their main food, mostly ringed seals but also bearded and harp seals[13][14]. They may also take bigger animals such as walruses and beluga whales, and eat fish, small mammals, bird eggs and sometimes plants when other food is scarce in summer[14]. One estimate puts their diet at 90% warm-blooded animals and 10% fish[15]. A typical adult is about 285 cm (112 in) long[16]. It weighs about 800 kg (1764 lb)[17]. A typical litter is 2 young[18]. Pregnancy lasts 65 days[19]. Females become able to breed at about 1,734 days old[20].

Trait Value
Typical length[16] 285 cm (112 in)
Typical adult weight[17] 800 kg (1764 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 43.8 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[18] 2
Gestation or incubation[19] 65 days
Female maturity[20] 1,734 days (about 4.7 years)
Food habits[13] Carnivore
Active[21] crepuscular, diurnal
Migration[22] long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[15]

  • 90% warm-blooded vertebrates
  • 10% fish

When to look for it

Polar bears are active by day and also at dawn and dusk, a pattern called crepuscular[21][23]. NatureServe notes that they can go into a long winter sleep[23]. Pregnant females may go without food for 8 months while in their dens[14]. They are long-distance travelers, though this can differ between groups[22]. In the US, people report the most sightings on GBIF in January, September and October, which shows when people look rather than how many bears there are[24].

January: 445 recordsJanFebruary: 80 recordsFebMarch: 154 recordsMarApril: 133 recordsAprMay: 88 recordsMayJune: 72 recordsJunJuly: 38 recordsJulAugust: 87 recordsAugSeptember: 349 recordsSepOctober: 370 recordsOctNovember: 77 recordsNovDecember: 63 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[24].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January445
February80
March154
April133
May88
June72
July38
August87
September349
October370
November77
December63

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Alaska, New Mexico, Michigan, Washington, California[25]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the polar bear endangered?
It is listed as Threatened, not Endangered, under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe and the IUCN Red List rate it as Vulnerable[2][7].
Where do polar bears live in the US?
NatureServe lists Alaska as the only US state where the polar bear is native[3]. There they use sea ice, tundra and shores[11][12].
What do polar bears eat?
Seals are their main food, especially ringed seals[14]. They also eat fish, small mammals, bird eggs and sometimes plants[14].
How big is a polar bear?
A typical adult is about 285 cm (112 in) long[16]. It weighs about 800 kg (1764 lb)[17].

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Polar bear has the status Threatened, listed May 15, 2008 (USFWS ECOS). States in the listed range: Alaska. USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Polar Bear: G3 (Vulnerable). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Polar Bear as native in 1 US state or territory: Alaska. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 43.8 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is a mammal in the family Ursidae, order Carnivora. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N3 (Vulnerable). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Vulnerable. NatureServe Explorer
  8. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix II (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 10,000 to 100,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Polar Bear (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for Polar Bear: Tundra, Ice, Tidal flat/shore, Near shore. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Polar Bear. NatureServe Explorer
  13. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on food for Polar Bear. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 90% warm-blooded vertebrates, 10% fish. EltonTraits 1.0
  16. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 285 cm (112 in). NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 800 kg (1764 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 2. AnAge
  19. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 65 days. AnAge
  20. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 1,734 days (about 4.7 years). AnAge
  21. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: crepuscular, diurnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  22. NatureServe migration category for Polar Bear: long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  23. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Hibernates/aestivates, Diurnal. NatureServe Explorer
  24. GBIF observation records of Polar Bear in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  25. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Polar Bear: Alaska, New Mexico, Michigan, Washington, California. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.