brown bear vs Cheetah

Ursus arctos compared with Acinonyx jubatus

Key Differences

• brown bear is Extinct while Cheetah is Vulnerable.
• brown bear is omnivore while Cheetah is carnivore.
• brown bear is 6.0x heavier than Cheetah.
• brown bear lives longer (25 years vs 12 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown bear	Cheetah
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)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Acinonyx (Cheetahs)
Species	Ursus arctos	Acinonyx jubatus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

Cheetah

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~6.7K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown bear	Cheetah
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	25 years	12 years
Average Length	2.0 m	1.5 m
Average Weight	300.0 kg	50.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Cheetah

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Cheetah

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching speeds of 112 km/h over short distances across African and Iranian grasslands. Slender build with a deep chest, long legs, and distinctive black tear-stripe markings. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs vocalize with chirps and purrs. Vulnerable, with only ~7,000 remaining due to habitat fragmentation and competition with larger predators.