Color of Bears

Not all black bears are black and not all grizzlies look “grizzled.”

Both species come in the same range of colors, from black, brown and cinnamon to blonde. While black bears can have black coats (sometimes with a white chest blaze), in western North America, many American black bears sport brown or cinnamon coats.

Since black bears live everywhere grizzly bears live, it’s easy to see why split-second identification might be difficult.

Size of Bears

The weight of an individual bear depends on many factors, including the bear’s sex, age, diet and time of year. Most bears weigh the least in the spring shortly after emerging from the den and the most in late fall just before hibernation.

Male bears of both species generally weigh 30% to 40% more than female bears, but it can be difficult to distinguish between a male bear and a female bear unless there are cubs present.

In the Western states where both species live, adult black bears can weigh between 150 to more than 500 pounds. South of the Canadian border, adult grizzly bears can weigh between 250 and more than 600 pounds. Both black bears and grizzly bears that have steady access to human-provided foods often weigh much more than bears eating a diet of natural foods.

Since the weight range for black bears and grizzly bears overlaps, size alone is never a reliable way to distinguish between species.

Shape of Bears

Grizzly bears have a distinct concave or dish-shaped facial profile, humped shoulders, long front claws (2 – 4 inches long) and small, rounded ears. Black bears have a straighter facial profile, more distinct (taller) ears, and shorter curved front claws (1½ – 2 inches long). Face shape, ears and claws are reliable means of telling the two species apart.

Black bears don’t have a shoulder hump, but in some postures can look as if they do. When a black bear stands with its head low and shoulders protruding or leans forward with its shoulder blades pushed back it can create the illusion it has a true shoulder hump.

Bear Tracks

A bear track left in the snow or mud clearly shows that the alignment of the toes and the distance between the toe pads and claws are distinctively different for black bears and grizzly bears.

If you draw a straight line just above the toe pad (see illustration above) and all the toes are above the line, it’s likely a grizzly bear. If one toe falls below the line, it’s probably a black bear.

Size of Home Ranges

Bears travel farthest when food is harder to find, especially in spring. An individual bear may travel between 20 and 40 miles in a single day.

Adult bears are usually solitary (except females with offspring), but they’re not territorial and their home ranges frequently overlap.

Male black bear have home ranges up to 300 square miles; female black bears only about 50 square miles. Grizzly bears need a lot of room in order to thrive: grizzly males roam from 200 to over 600 square miles; female grizzlies between 50 and 300 square miles.