brown bear vs California sea lion

Ursus arctos compared with Zalophus californianus

Key Differences

• brown bear is Extinct while California sea lion is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown bear	California sea lion
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Otariidae
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Zalophus
Species	Ursus arctos	Zalophus californianus

Evolutionary Relationship

brown bear and California sea lion share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (Carnivorans)

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

California sea lion

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown bear	California sea lion
Diet	Omnivore	—
Average Lifespan	25 years	—
Average Length	2.0 m	—
Average Weight	300.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

California sea lion

Habitat

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.

California sea lion

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is a species in the genus Zalophus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.