brown bear vs jaguar

Ursus arctos compared with Panthera onca

Key Differences

• brown bear is Extinct while jaguar is Near Threatened.
• brown bear is omnivore while jaguar is carnivore.
• brown bear is 3.0x heavier than jaguar.
• brown bear lives longer (25 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown bear	jaguar
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)	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Ursus arctos	Panthera onca

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

jaguar

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~64.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown bear	jaguar
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	25 years	15 years
Average Length	2.0 m	1.9 m
Average Weight	300.0 kg	100.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

jaguar

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

jaguar

The largest cat in the Americas, reaching up to 100 kg with a stocky, muscular build and distinctive rosette-patterned coat. Found from Mexico through South America, with strongholds in the Amazon and Pantanal. Powerful swimmers and apex predators, jaguars play a critical role in regulating prey populations. Near Threatened, with range contracting due to deforestation.