The two biggest bear species in the world are polar bears and grizzlies. Even though both species are regularly seen in Alaska and some parts of Canada, their distribution and environments vary slightly.
When two such animals meet one another they both may fight over the available resources. But who would win in actual fighting?
The size and relative mass of polar bears are more than exact double compared to the size and relative mass of grizzly bears. Even if their Candent teeth are shorter, they have stronger jaws and so have a PSI that exceeds 1000. Also, polar bears have a larger paws and their attack forces. Though the bears feed on several types of food, the grizzlies are almost purely meat eaters. Still, for grizzly bears the odds of triumph are virtually guaranteed.
A brief summary of the differences between polar bear vs grizzly bear is provided in the table below:
| Characteristic | Polar Bear | Grizzly Bear |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Ursus maritimus | Ursus arctos |
| Geographical scope | All across the Arctic | Western North America |
| Habitat | Pack ice of the Arctic Ocean | Woodlands, forests, prairies, alpine meadows |
| Body size | 6 to 10 feet long | 5 to 8 feet long |
| Weight | 330 to 1,700 pounds | 200 to 720 pounds |
| Teeth size | 2 inches | 3 inches |
| Bite force | 1,235 PSI | 975 PSI |
| Speed | 35 mph | 35 mph |
| Strike force | 11,500 to 59,500 lb.-ft./s | 7,000 to 25,200 lb.-ft./s |
| Paw size | Approx. 12 x 12 inches | Approx. 5 x 7 inches |
| Behavior | Aggressive | Aggressive |
| Diet | Carnivore | Omnivore |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Least concern |
The information in the above table of polar bear vs grizzly bear came from official sources, scientific journals, and research papers.
Strike forces were estimated as the product of a value of 35 times top speed in m.p.h. and the weight in kg of the heaviest and lightest fishing gears for the species included in the table.
13 Similarities and Dissimilarities of Polar Bear Vs Grizzly Bear
sea also: Gorilla Vs Grizzly Bear(13 Best Differences & Strength Facts)
1. Species
The Ursus genus and Ursidae family are the scientific names for polar and grizzly bears, respectively. Those are good pictures of them, but they are in fact different species.
Literally translating the scientific name Ursus maritimus for marine mammals associated with ice they are officially classified as marine mammals. They are good swimmers; they feed on the animals on land and water and can traverse large extensive tracts of ice in the Arctic region.
The brown bear is another name for the grizzly bear subspecies found in North America (Ursus arctos horribilis). Other hazard species include animals with sensible scientific names like the Ursus arctos horribilis and many more are nearer that one can name among the animals found in the wild.
Grizzly bear is also good swimmer though they have been observed foraging near the water but they do not hunt for their prey in water.
2. Geographic Range
Both species are spread across the Northern Hemisphere, though they can occasionally be found within the same range.
Polar bears are, therefore, found in Arctic areas which give them this name. They can be found in Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Russia, and Norwegian islands, and they are primarily found north of the Arctic Circle to the North Pole.
In the past, grizzly bears were found all over North America, from Alaska to Mexico. They now only exist in western North America, which includes Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and western Canada.
3. Habitat
The fact of the complete dependence on ice has become entrenched as a stereotype regarding polar bears. Although these animals are predominantly known to be land animals, in the natural world, the Arctic Ocean pack ice is the only environment that has prevailed in the past.
Grizzly bear lives in various setting, ranging from woods and woodlands, alpine meadows, and even plains. Some of them are the region proximity to the arctic circle.
polar bear vs grizzly bear must not occur in the same geographic location as the two animals have different habitat necessities. In any case, occasional instances have been recorded whereby polar bears will move from the normal hunting grounds in view of a contiguous frozen terrain yet, Climate change has caused the habitat to move inland.
Coastal brown bears or grizzly bears have been sighted together though they do not inhabit the same areas most of the time.
4. Body Size
While the polar bears are the biggest land carnivores, they are very big animals and can be up to 10ft long; there have been cases of even bigger polar bears, measuring up to 12ft.
They also have average shoulder heights of 3.5-5 feet as one would consider this creatures to be small.
Grizzly bears are enormous creatures, although being smaller than polar bears. When standing on all fours, the two species are about the same height, although grizzlies are only 8 feet long.
5. Weight
In addition to being larger than grizzlies, polar bears also weigh far more.
Males range in weight from 250 to 770 kg, or 550 to 1,700 lbs. Female body weight ranges from 330 to 650 pounds, and they are slightly less massive than male counterparts.
Still, the largest known grizzlies stand at around 200- 700 pounds, which is much like the weight of female polar bears. Record largeness in male grizzlies is about 750 pounds for large individual grizzlies but some can be slightly larger.
6. Teeth Size
The grizzly bear’s canine teeth are longer than the polar bear’s, despite their smaller size.
At five months of age, the cubs develop outstandingly sharp canines measuring about 0.5 inches. The fangs reach the full span of up to three inches by the time the mole rats turn adults.
Despite their large and sharp teeth, polar bears only have two inches in length. This is beneficial to grizzly bears, and here’s why. The excluded military technology is powerful, dangerous, highly efficient, and deadly. The restriction of the military technology means that it is not allowed to be used on the grizzly bears. The use of force is fraught with several dangers, all of which are not allowed to be inflicted on grizzly bears.
7. Bite Force
The only thing that grizzlies have in common is their longer fangs. Polar bears again obtain the upper hand when it comes to actual bite force. A study found that polar bears bite the hardest of all bears.
They can actually bite with force up to 1,235 PSI because of their powerful jaws. Grizzly bears have strong jaws as well, however they only bite with about 975 PSI of force.
The fact that polar bears are the only bears in the world who eat almost completely carnivorous food may be due to their increased biting force.
8. Speed
As already discussed, the speed of both bears is almost the same, but the grizzly bear sometimes surpasses the polar bear.
Currently, they might dash 30 to 35 mph for some 100 meters; however, the normal operating speed of polar bears is roughly 25 mph. They can also swim properly and can dive at a speed of six mph in freezing water.
Long-distance grizzly bears can achieve an average speed of about 45 kilometers per hour, which is slightly faster than polar bears, and can accelerate over 56 kilometers per hour within short distances.
9. Strike Force
We can determine a bear’s impact force even if there are no studies specifically examining the strike force of polar bear vs grizzly bear.
For the sake of this article, we took into account each species’ heaviest weight and its maximum speed of 35 mph. Mass multiplied by speed is the formula for momentum.
These calculations indicate that polar bears have the capacity to generate a strike force of up to 59,500 lb.-ft./s. They are therefore more than twice as strong as grizzly bears, which have a maximum strike force of 25,200 lb.-ft./s.
10. Paw Size
One of the differences between the polar bear vs grizzly bear species is the size of the paws.
Polar bears are a little bit taller and heavier than grizzlies, but do not look obviously bigger. Their paws, however, stand about two times bigger than those of Grizzly Bear YLONZ.
For instance, the pads of a polar bear are about 12 inches long and 12 inches wide. Grizzlies have paws that are nearly about 5 inches wide by 7 inches long.
This difference may be most likely due to the way polar bears have adapted to their environment: both their larger feet and the nature of the snow make it easier for them to both walk and swim.
11. Behavior
In most circumstances, females with cubs or during the mating period are the only parts of both the polar and the grizzly bear assembling in groups.
Male grizzly bears are territorial, and the females are nomadic, while the polar bears are nomadic. This is the only peculiar behavioral variation between the two species.
Although some can have home ranges larger than 1,000 square miles, grizzlies typically have ranges between 28 and 160 square miles. In harsher climates where food supply is more significant than territory, polar bears thrive.
In pursuit of food, these animals cover great distances, and it is possible for two or more polar bears to be in the same area at the same time.
Smaller bears usually retreat and give the larger bear the prey (or carcass) while they are vying for resources. The only exceptions are cub-carrying females, who frequently attack big males to defend their offspring.
12. Diet
While both the polar bear vs grizzly bear belong to the omnivore category because of their nearly all meat diet, polar bears are largely referred to as the carnivores.
These mammals are found in polar areas where the water freezes for most of the year. In these areas, seals and most other marine creatures become the main diets during these periods since plants are seriously wanting.
However, in summer, when there is no ice, the polar bears feed on berries, grass, marine algae, mosses, and even mushrooms.
Close to their natural diet as possible, grizzly bears are opportunistic omnivores who eat everything that has some nutritional value. They feed on the following plant and animal products depending on season:
That is not to mention that polar bears can threaten grizzly bears if the two species find themselves in the same habitat.
13. Conservation Status
Grizzly bears are not a threat to brown bears, despite being a subspecies of them. The general species are observed to be of least concern, and the population of the species remains unchanged.
Polar bears are at risk. Currently, around 20,000 gorillas are still present in the wildlife, although there is no information on the population trends, says WWF.
Sophisticated polar bears are living creatures that are constantly losing their habitat due to climatic change. Most populations of polar bears are not endangered now, but, according to predictions, they can die out by the end of the current century.
Who Would Win A Fight?
Polar bears seem to be in a better position because of their larger bodies and stronger bites. In addition to hunting more often, they are technically stronger than grizzlies. That being said, if a battle breaks out, grizzlies have a better chance of winning.
According to studies on polar bear vs grizzly bear interactions in Alaska, 71% of interactions between the two species are non-aggressive and end with the polar bears present at the feeding site responding submissively.
Additionally, it was noted that grizzlies were the ones who started all violent encounters, with the exception of polar bear females who charged grizzly males to protect their offspring. But in the presence of grizzlies, females with cubs usually stay away from feeding areas.
According to this study, Polar bears submit to grizzlies and leave the eating area before a brawl breaks out.