How Tall Is A Grizzly Bear?

Grizzly bears are one of the most dangerous predators in the world as they are very intimidating and vicious.

They are often found in North America and are very distinctive from other animals as they have a large body that is covered in brown fur with a shoulder hump that sets them apart from other animals. 

If you do not know a lot about grizzly bears, you will likely know that they often stand up on their back legs.

This can be extremely scary to see as grizzly bears are already large animals, but standing up this way can make them a lot taller, but why do they do it? 

This article will explain how tall a grizzly bear is so that you can learn how large these creatures are. You can find out more below to learn more about grizzly bears and why they are so intimidating to their prey. 

How Tall Are Grizzly Bears When They Stand Up?

When they are standing on their back legs, grizzly bears can measure up to 10ft tall. Most of the time, the average grizzly bear reaches 8ft tall, but they can grow taller.

The tallest grizzly bear that has ever been recorded was measured at 10ft and 6 inches tall and weighed 1,200 pounds while the average grizzly bear weighs between 400 to 700 pounds. 

Why Do Grizzly Bears Stand Up?

There are a few reasons why a grizzly bear might decide to stand up.

The most common reasons are that they are reaching into trees for food, they are trying to climb the trees, or they are trying to show dominance.

They also stand on their back legs to get a better view of their surroundings so that they can find prey and get ready to attack. 

Are Grizzly Bears The Largest Bears In The World?

It may come as a surprise, but despite their large height, grizzly bears are not the largest bears in the world. Kodiak bears are the tallest bears as they can grow up to 11ft when standing on their back legs.

They also weigh much more than grizzly bears and are the biggest subspecies of brown bears in the world. 

Polar bears are also very large bears that can reach 10ft in height when on their back legs. They weigh between 770 and 1,500 pounds, whereas the average grizzly bear weighs 680 pounds. 

Are Grizzly Bears Taller Than Black Bears?

Grizzly bears are taller than black bears as black bears can reach 5 and a half feet (see also our article on converting 100 feet) when they are standing on their back legs.

They also weigh between 200 and 500 pounds, so they do not weigh as much as the average grizzly bear. When grizzly bears are on all fours, they are 3.35ft tall, whereas black bears are 2.5ft tall. 

How Tall Is A Grizzly Bear (1)

How Do You Tell The Difference Between A Grizzly Bear And A Black Bear?

Grizzly bears and black bears can often be mistaken for each other, but you can tell the difference between them by first looking at their size.

Grizzly bears are taller and weigh more, so you can try to distinguish between them from this. Black bears are smaller when they are on all fours, so this should also help you to differentiate. 

The color of the bears can help you to tell them apart, as just as their name suggests, black bears have primarily black fur.

Grizzly bears can be a variety of different colors, including brown, blonde, and even black, which is where it can get confusing.

However, they have white muzzles and chests that can help them stand out. 

If you are still struggling to figure out the differences between grizzly bears and black bears, the best way to tell is from the hump on their backs.

Black bears typically do not have a hump between their shoulder blades, whereas grizzly bears do. This will indicate to you whether or not the bear is a grizzly bear or a black bear. 

How Large Are Grizzly Bears Compared To Other Animals?

Compared to other bears, grizzly bears are very tall and large, but what about compared to other animals?

Animals like gorillas, hippos, and tigers are very large and intimidating, but how do they compare to grizzly bears?

The average weight of a hippo is 2,500 pounds, so compared with a grizzly bear, a hippo is a lot larger.

An African elephant weighs an average of 12,000 pounds, so a grizzly bear is less than half the size of its weight.

Although grizzly bears are very large animals, other animals are incredibly large too!

Gorillas are also large animals as the average silverback gorilla weighs up to 500 pounds. When gorillas stand on their back legs, they are 5.25ft tall.

Tigers are also not as tall as grizzly bears and weigh a lot less as the average tiger weighs between 350 and 420 pounds. 

Are Pandas Taller Than Grizzly Bears?

How tall a panda is can differ as there are different species.

A giant panda can reach over 6ft in height and can weigh up to 220 pounds, but a red panda is a lot smaller as they weigh 11 pounds and have a height of 18 inches.

Although giant pandas are large, grizzly bears are still taller than them. 

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Final Thoughts

To conclude, grizzly bears are very tall animals as the average grizzly bear can reach 8ft tall when standing on their back legs, but some can reach 10ft.

They are 3.35ft when they are on all fours, which makes them larger than black bears. Despite grizzly bears being so tall, Kodiak bears are larger as they can reach 11ft when standing on their hind legs. 

Many other large animals around the world can compete with grizzly bears in height and weight as hippos and elephants weigh a lot more.

Although silverback gorillas and tigers are large animals, they are not larger than grizzly bears in height or weight. This makes grizzly bears extremely intimidating creatures in the wild.

Nick Spieth