Difference Between Grizzly Bear and Brown Bear

Grizzly bear and Brown bear are large species of bear, which have originated from eastern hemisphere countries such as North America, Europa, and Asia. Furthermore, Grizzly bears and Brown bears are gigantic, aggressive, large, and dark in color. Brown bears are found in coastal areas of Alaska and are dark brown. Grizzly bears range from light beige to dark brown or black.

Grizzly Bear vs Brown Bear

The main difference between Grizzly Bear and Brown Bear is that the Grizzly Bear is usually found in lands especially in dense forests, alpine meadows, and mountain valleys, whereas, on the other hand, Brown Bear is found in the coastal areas. Nevertheless, Grizzly bears are a subspecies of Brown bears namely Ursus Arctos Horribilis.

Grizzly Bears more or less look like Brown bears, but due to their smaller size and light color, they are referred to as Grizzly in several interior areas. Plus, these mammals are omnivores, which means they live off eating animals and plants that are found in the lands they dwell in. 

Brown bears fall under the most fundamental class of bear species, that is, Ursus Arctors. Also, there are two types of brown bears, namely, grizzly bears in North America, and Kodiak bears in Alaska. These easily identifiable brown-colored bears are mostly found in the coastal regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. 

Comparison Table Between Grizzly Bear and Brown Bear

Parameters of ComparisonGrizzly BearBrown Bear
Meaning Grizzly Bears are also known as silvertip or subspecies of brown bears are found in North America.  Brown Bear is one of the largest bear populations in the eastern hemisphere. 
OriginGrizzly Bears were originated predominantly from North America Brown bears originated in coastal regions of Asia and migrated to North America and Europe.
Appearance They grow to be up to eight feet tall, rounded ears, large shoulders & weigh 400 to 600 pounds. They are large and have a hump above their shoulders, 4-9 feet tall & weigh around 150-350 kg. 
Color A variety of colors associated with Grizzly Bears, from beige to dark brown or blackBrown bears are dark brown. 
Claws Grizzly Bear’s claws are large with 4-6 inches in length A brown bear’s claws are curved and straight with a length of 3-5 inches.

What is Grizzly Bear?

Grizzly Bear is also known as North America Brown Bear or Silvertip Bear. It is the subspecies of Brown Bears, popularly recognized as Ursus Arctos Horribilis. In the abstract, they are large in size, and a usual male grizzly bear can grow up to eight feet tall, and weigh around 400 to 600 pounds. 

Speaking of their coat colors, it depends on the region they inhabit; ranging from light beige to dark brown or black. Moreover, because of white-tipped hair along their shoulders and back, they look grizzlier than any normal near. These bears have a large, round face, with short, rounded ears, and a large shoulder hump. 

And this hump and very long and curved claws are what assist them in digging. On the whole, dense boreal forests, alpine tundra areas, and river valleys are preferred habitats for grizzly bears. Their ways of communication include smelling, moving, and making sounds. 

In the wild, a grizzly bear can live up to thirty years, while twenty to twenty-five years is their average age.  Grizzly bears are widely considered endangered in part of Canada and threatened in the United States. A number of threats affect these animals, including hunting and habitat encroachment.

What is Brown Bear?

On the other hand, a Brown Bear is a large bear species that are often found in Europe, Asia, and North America. Originally, brown bears originated from the coastal regions in Asia during the Middle Pleistocene period and subsequently spread to North America and Europe. Speaking of their appearances, they are larger in size and dark brown in color. 

In the same way, brown bears have a hump above their shoulders, to pitch in while digging. However, due to their homes in the coastal areas, they are not used to climbing. Brown bears are omnivores, as they eat berries, roots, fungi, grasses, fish, mammals, and insects. They have an excellent skill of catching fish at the drop of a hat and while digging out insects from decaying logs or out of burrows, it often uses its long claws.

Over and above, the brown bears are often described as nocturnal, since most of the encounters have been reported during the nighttime. A normal adult brown bear weighs around 150 to 350 kg and can grow up to 7-15 centimeters tall depending on age, gender, and season. Surprisingly, they are the largest predators in Europe and North America, which still exist. 

Main Differences Between Grizzly Bear and Brown Bear

  • A grizzly bear is one of the bear species that looks like a brown bear and originated from North America. On the other hand, a Brown bear is a large number of bear species denoted origin from Eurasia and North America.
  • Grizzly Bears are also known as Silvertips, North America Brown Bears, Boars, and Brown Bear subspecies, such as Ursus Arctos Horribilis. Meanwhile, Brown Bears are called Ursus arctos and traditionally named Grizzly bears. 
  • Speaking of life span, a grizzly bear can live for 20-25 years but for a brown bear, it is computed to be 20-30 years. 
  • Grizzly bears are 8 feet tall and their face is round, their ears are short, their shoulders are humped, beige, or light to dark brown, and weigh around 400-600 pounds. On the contrary, Brown bears are dark brown, 9 feet tall, have long guard hairs on their humped shoulders, and weigh around 150-350 kg. 
  • Grizzly bear’s have claws 4-6 inches in length, whereas a brown bear’s claws are 3-5 inches in length.
  • Conclusion

    Grizzly bears and Brown bears belong to the same kingdom Animalia as well as from species U. Arcros. But, they differ in behavior, appearances, and colors. Whereby, Grizzly bears have predominantly come from North America and look similar to subspecies of brown bears- Ursus Arctos Horribilis. 

    Besides, Grizzly bears are gigantic in appearance with 2-6 inches of claws, 400-600 pounds weight, round face, and ears with humped shoulders. A brown bear is known as Kodiak Brown Bear which is largely found in eastern hemisphere countries. 

    Moreover, Brown bears are aggressive, dark brown, around 9 feet tall with 150-350 kg. Brown bear’s claws are curved and straight in yellow color with 3-5 inches in length. 

    References

  • https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2307/1940382
  • https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1998.96457.x
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