brown bear vs gorilla

Ursus arctos compared with Gorilla gorilla

Key Differences

• brown bear is Extinct while gorilla is Critically Endangered.
• brown bear is omnivore while gorilla is herbivore.
• brown bear is 1.9x heavier than gorilla.
• gorilla lives longer (40 years vs 25 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown bear	gorilla
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Primates (Primates)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Hominidae (Great Apes)
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Gorilla (Gorillas)
Species	Ursus arctos	Gorilla gorilla

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

gorilla

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown bear	gorilla
Diet	Omnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	25 years	40 years
Average Length	2.0 m	1.7 m
Average Weight	300.0 kg	160.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

gorilla

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 4 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Cameroon, Congo (Republic), Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.

gorilla

The world's largest primate, western gorillas weigh up to 180 kg and inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa. Primarily herbivorous, living in family groups led by a silverback male who protects the troop and mediates social conflicts. Critically Endangered, with populations threatened by deforestation, poaching for bushmeat, and outbreaks of Ebola virus disease.