Grizzly bear vs Black bear - the differences

Grizzly bear vs Black bear - the differences

Grizzly bears are larger than black bears. An adult male Grizzly bear can weigh up to 600 lbs, sometimes even more.

Adult male American black bears weigh between 120–550 lbs.

Grizzly bears have a shoulder hump. American Black bears have flat shoulders.

Shoulder Hump

Grizzly bears - Concave Black bears - Straight

Face Profile

Brush Stroke

Grizzly bears have smaller rounded furry ears. Black bears have long prominent ears.

Ears

Brush Stroke

The front claws of Grizzly bears are longer.

Grizzly bears are found only in Canada and 5 states of the US - Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, and Idaho. Black bears have a larger range both in the US and Canada. 

range

Typically, Grizzly bears have brown fur and black bears have black fur but, the color can vary. Some Grizzly bears can have blackish fur. Some black bears can have brown fur.

Color

The Grizzly bear is a SUBSPECIES of brown bear. Scientific name - Ursus arctos horribilis The American Black bear is a bear SPECIES with many subspecies. Scientific name - Ursus americanus

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