Black bear or brown bear?
How to tell them apart
Go by shape, not colour: a brown bear has a muscular shoulder hump; a black bear has none.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous.
| Question | Black bear | Brown bear |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Omnivore | Omnivore |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | Yes |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? | Day & night | Day & night |
| Hibernates? | Yes | Yes |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | In places | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Black bear | Brown bear |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | North America | North America, Europe, Asia |
| Habitat differs | Forest, Mountains, Wetland | Forest, Mountains, Grassland |
| Size differs | Large | Huge |
| Length differs | – | 1–2.8 m |
| Weight differs | 39–409 kg | 80–600 kg |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives | Alone | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 20 years | 20–25 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Black bear
The smallest and most widespread bear in North America, mostly living in forests. There are about twice as many as all other bear species combined.
Everything on the black bear page
Brown bear
A huge, mostly plant-eating bear of northern forests, mountains and tundra, and one of the largest land carnivores alive. Grizzlies and Kodiak bears are brown bears too.
Everything on the brown bear page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.