Polar bear, great white northern bear found throughout the Arctic region. The polar bear is the largest and most powerful carnivore on land, a title it shares with a subspecies of brown bear called the Kodiak bear. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are closely related to brown bears but have adapted to life in the snow and ice and live in the coldest environments in the nation. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivore by body mass, with adult males weighing 300–800 kg (660–1,760 lb). The species is sexually dimorphic, as adult females are much smaller. The polar bear is white or yellowish-furred with black skin and a thick layer of fat. Polar bears live along shores and on sea ice in the icy cold Arctic. When sea ice forms over the ocean in cold weather, many polar bears, except pregnant females, head out onto the ice to. Find out how these polar predators rule the Arctic. Get under their skin for a closer look at what keeps polar bears warm. Protect their future and our own. Polar Bears International is the only organization dedicated solely to protecting the future of polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. Polar bears are one of the largest land carnivores on Earth and a top predator of the Arctic ecosystem. They are built for extreme cold, evolving from a range of adaptations that allow them to thrive where few can survive. Their thick white coat and a layer of fat keep them warm and camouflaged in their harsh Arctic environment. Polar bears are classified as vulnerable. There are between 22,000 to 31,000 polar bears left in the wild, but climate change is making life tough for these impressive, powerful predators. The polar bear's Latin name, Ursus maritimus, means sea bear. It's an apt name for this majestic species, which spends much of its life in, around, or on the ocean–predominantly on or near the sea ice. However, they are still bears. The polar bear evolved one to three million years ago from the brown bear, which still ekes out a marginal life along the northern shore of the Arctic oceans.