The largest of all the carnivores is the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Adult males typically weigh 400-600 kg (880-1,320 lb), and have a nose-to-tail length of 2.4-2.6 m (7 ft 10 in-8 ft 6 in). The male Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi), a subspecies of brown bear found on Kodiak Island and the adjacent Afognak and Shuyak islands, in the Gulf of Alaska, USA, is usually shorter in length than the polar bear but more robustly built.

The polar bear’s fur appears white because each shaft is actually clear and hollow, which reflects the sunlight.