brown bear vs North American porcupine

Ursus arctos compared with Erethizon dorsatus

Key Differences

• brown bear is Extinct while North American porcupine is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown bear	North American porcupine
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Erethizontidae
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Erethizon
Species	Ursus arctos	Erethizon dorsatus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

North American porcupine

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown bear	North American porcupine
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).

North American porcupine

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States.

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.