Black bear or grizzly bear?
How to tell them apart
The black bear is smaller than the grizzly, and one of the most tree-loving bears.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous.
| Question | Black bear | Grizzly 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 | Grizzly bear |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | North America | North America |
| Habitat differs | Forest, Mountains, Wetland | Forest, Mountains, Grassland |
| Size differs | Large | Huge |
| Weight differs | 39–409 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
Grizzly bear
The North American brown bear, a population or subspecies of the brown bear. Some brown bears elsewhere, such as the Kodiak and Kamchatka bears, are sometimes also called grizzlies.
Everything on the grizzly 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.