American bison vs brown bear

Bison bison compared with Ursus arctos

Key Differences

• American bison is Not Evaluated while brown bear is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American bison	brown bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Bovidae (Bovids)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Bison	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Bison bison	Ursus arctos

Evolutionary Relationship

American bison and brown bear share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

American bison

NE — Not Evaluated

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American bison	brown bear
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.0 m
Average Weight	—	300.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

American bison

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

American bison

The American bison (Bison bison) is a species in the genus Bison. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

brown bear

The world's most widely distributed bear species, brown bears range from North America and Europe across Russia to Japan, occupying forests, tundra, and alpine meadows. Adults can weigh up to 700 kg in coastal Alaskan populations. Omnivores that consume berries, roots, fish, and carrion, brown bears are a keystone species that distribute nutrients across landscapes. Most populations are stable, though some subspecies are threatened.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden