The Difference Between Brown Bears and Grizzly Bears.
A Deep Dive Into the Fundamental Differences of These "Two" Animal Species
Isn’t it frustrating when you’re at a national park with your family, spot a bear and a debate breaks out about what species it is? Is it a brown bear? No that’s definitely a grizzly! I thought brown bears were Kodiak bears?! What’s the difference? Worry no more. All of this will be explained thoroughly. Enjoy.
WHAT IS A BEAR?
To be considered a member of the bear family, an animal must have the following:
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Today, there are eight main species of bear left on the planet; polar bears, brown bears, American black bears, Asiatic black bears, Andean (spectacled) bears, panda bears, sloth bears, and sun bears. More often than not, subspecies of species are discovered. Taxonomically, the category “subspecies” falls below the category “species.”
BROWN BEARS AND GRIZZLY BEARS
Brown bears are the most widely distributed bear species on Earth. All grizzly bears are brown bears. However, all brown bears are not grizzly bears. What I mean by this is that there are many subspecies of brown bears, and grizzly bears are one of those subspecies. Here are all the subspecies of brown bear that I know of:
Kodiak Bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi)
Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horribilis)
Alaska Peninsula Brown Bears (Ursus arctos gyas)
Eurasian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos arctos)
Syrian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos syriacus)
California Grizzly Bear (Ursus californicus)
The species listed above are all brown bears. They are subspecies of the “umbrella” species, brown bear. Just as businesses often have parent companies, the brown bear species, in this case, is the parent company. If someone calls a grizzly bear a brown bear, they are not wrong. However, this is a broad way to identify a grizzly bear. Grizzly bears are different from the other subspecies of brown bears.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF GRIZZLY BEARS
For the sake of comparison, I will use Kodiak bears, another subspecies of brown bear. Grizzly bears and Kodiak bears are different in many ways. Their behavior, anatomy, diets, and habitats are not the same, as you will soon find out.
Behavior
Grizzly bears have adapted to life away from the shore. They are an inland subspecies of brown bear that have to work hard to find food. This is part of the reason why they are much more aggressive than Kodiak bears. Grizzly bears are very territorial and are often in a bad mood due to being hungry. The last thing you would want to run into on a hike is a hangry grizzly bear! Kodiak bears, on the other hand, are much less aggressive than their grizzly cousins due to the abundance of food in their habitats. Kodiak bears are a subspecies of brown bear that have adapted to life in coastal areas. The islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in Alaska are home to most, if not all, of the Kodiak bears alive today. Kodiak bears have access to marine food, such as salmon. They are able to gorge themselves for a large portion of the year. Kodiak bears do not have to work nearly as hard for food as grizzly bears, which is why their demeanor is usually calmer. They are usually lazy and content creatures. Do not ever think it is okay to approach or get near Kodiak bears for this reason.
Anatomy
Due to having easy access to food sources rich in protein and fat in their environment for thousands of years, Kodiak bears have become much larger than grizzly bears. Grizzly bears are almost constantly searching for food within their inland habitats.
Approximate weight of an adult male grizzly bear: 500-700 lbs.
Approximate weight of an adult male Kodiak bear: 600-1,800 lbs.
Approximate standing height of an adult male grizzly bear: 7-8 ft.
Approximate standing height of an adult male Kodiak bear: 9-11 ft.
Grizzly bears also usually have hairs that are lighter at the tip and darker at the base, giving their coats a more “grizzled” appearance than the other brown bear subspecies. Color, however, is not a good way to identify what species a bear belongs to, as their fur colors differ from individual to individual. A grizzly bear’s coat can be light brown (or “blonde”), brown or dark brown. Their anatomical differences are what should be observed when identifying their species.
Diet and Habitat
In the past, grizzly bears roamed much of North America but are now limited to Alaska, Western Canada, and portions of the Lower 48, such as Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. This always changes as populations fluctuate and bears migrate. The overall trend, however, is a rapid decline in their range.
Kodiak bears, on the other hand, reside in the Kodiak Archipelago, a group of islands in southwest Alaska. They have lived here for the past 12,000 years, undisturbed for the most part. These islands have beautiful old-growth forests, rocky terrain, beaches, and lush meadows. The Kodiak bears thrive in this environment. It’s a bear heaven!
The geographic differences between grizzly bears and Kodiak bears have contributed to the differences in their diets. Grizzly bears live in forests, meadows, and prairies far from large bodies of water. They have adapted to be able to find enough food from the land. Grizzly bears forage for fleshy roots, berries, wildflowers, and even grass. Very few “carnivores” are true carnivores. Grizzly bears are highly omnivorous. They also love meat! They will tear open decaying logs in search of insects and small mammals. Grizzly bears love to consume carrion (dead animals) and often target young or weakened animals, and have even been known to kill and consume small or weakened black bears and wolves. They sit at the top of the food chain.
Kodiak bears have a very similar diet to grizzly bears. However, meat (particularly from fish) is a much larger portion of their diet. They will also consume plants, berries, and grass. Fish is plentiful in their habitat, and they do not have to put much effort into acquiring it.
I hope you learned enough to understand what the difference between calling a bear a “brown bear” and a “grizzly bear” is after having read this. I loved writing this and wish to post content similar to this in the near future.
During my stay in Bozeman, I took this video of a two-year-old Kodiak bear at a wildlife rescue place known as the Montana Grizzly Encounter. This bear is not fully grown and is projected to nearly double in weight within a few years. At two years of age, it was already around 600 lbs. See for yourself:
The young bear in the video above cannot be released back into the wild for many reasons. He was found orphaned in Alaska and has been raised in human care since he was a cub. He has associated feelings of trust with humans, and if he were to encounter humans in the wild, he would probably approach them. This would almost immediately lead to his death, as people would try to shoot him or kill him
Here is an image of a young grizzly bear I saw at a wildlife park known as Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg, ID:
I was told this young grizzly was 400 lbs. He would cap off at around 600-700 lbs. In this image, he is searching for food and treats his caretakers have hidden around his exhibit. This is to stimulate natural behavior, such as using their incredibly powerful sense of smell to search for food.
I hope you enjoyed this piece! Please feel free to leave comments! And remember, keep it wild. ;)
