Ursus maritimus

Phipps, 1774

Polar Bear

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Carnivora
Suborder : Caniformia
Infraorder : Arctoidea
Superfamily : Ursoidea
Family : Ursidae
Subfamily : Ursinae
Genus : Ursus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Phipps, C.J. 1774. A voyage towards the North Pole undertaken by his Majesty's command. W. Boyer and J. Nichols, London, 253 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15067062

Original name as described

Ursus maritimus

Other common names

White Bear · Nanook · Iceland

Type locality

Spitsbergen, (Svalbard) Norway.

Biogeographic realm

Nearctic · Palearctic

Country distribution

Canada · United States · Greenland · Norway · Russia · Iceland?

Subregion distribution

USA(AK)

IUCN Red List status

Vulnerable

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005936

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Known distribution is shown in green and predicted distribution is in yellow. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Ursus maritimus tyrannus

Kurtén, 1964

Family

Ursidae

Root name

tyrannus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:PV:OR 24361

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

9

Authority publication

Acta Zoologica Fennica

Thalassarctos maritimus groenlandicus

(Birula, 1932)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

groenlandicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ZIN O. 1442

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

111

Authority publication

Trav. Inst. Zool. Acad. Sci. Leningrad

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Thalarctos maritimus

(Lesson, 1842)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

maritimus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

74

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

  1. Lesson (1842:74) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
  2. Corbet & Hill (1980:94) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)

Thalassarctos polaris

(Fitzinger, 1855)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

polaris

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

374

Authority publication

Vienna

Name usages

Fitzinger (1855:374) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/65926)

Thalassarctos maritimus

(F. W. True, 1885)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

maritimus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

608

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306402

Authority publication

Proceedings of the United States National Museum

Name usages

True (1885:608, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306402) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35039)

Ursus maritimus

Phipps, 1774

Family

Ursidae

Root name

maritimus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

185

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15067062

Authority publication

London

Name usages

  1. Erxleben (1777:160, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15872957) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36060)
  2. Cuvier (1797:111, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11637193) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38531)
  3. Daudin (1802:154, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033403) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/64044)
  4. Illiger (1815:63, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11080919) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38688)
  5. Godman (1826:143, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49165435) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67289)
  6. Billberg (1827:15) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67228)
  7. Lesson (1827:133, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207601) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  8. Fischer (1829:145) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59856)
  9. Cuvier (1842:3, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44518526) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/60227)
  10. Smith (1842:244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67141)
  11. Blyth (1863:75, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534756) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37155)
  12. Ward (1910:511, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15016154) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39628)
  13. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:251, 252) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  14. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  15. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:476) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
  16. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:496) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)
  17. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #22823) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  18. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #22823) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  19. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005936) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  20. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22823/14871490) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Ursus albus

O. F. Müller, 1776

Family

Ursidae

Root name

albus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

3

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41499644

Authority publication

Copenhagen

Ursus marinus

Pallas, 1776

Family

Ursidae

Root name

marinus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

691

Authority publication

Saint Petersburg

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus polaris

G. K. Shaw, 1792

Family

Ursidae

Root name

polaris

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Authority page

7

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29568361

Authority publication

London

Name usages

  1. Fischer (1814:x, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130071) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Thalassarctos eogroenlandicus

(Knottnerus-Meyer, 1908)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

eogroenlandicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

182

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Thalassarctos jenaensis

(Knottnerus-Meyer, 1908)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

jenaensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

184

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Thalassarctos labradorensis

(Knottnerus-Meyer, 1908)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

labradorensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

183

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Thalassarctos spitzbergensis

(Knottnerus-Meyer, 1908)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

spitzbergensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

184

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

Thalassarctos maritimus var. ungavensis

(Knottnerus-Meyer, 1908)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

ungavensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

181

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

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