Marsican Brown Bear vs. Grizzly: What’s the Difference?

Brown bears , Ursus arctos, are some of the largest and fiercest mammals on the planet today. Yet, this species of bear has a few subspecies that are easy to confuse with one another. Two of them are grizzly bears and Marsican brown bears. After all, large mammals with brown fur and shoulder humps can look very similar. That’s why we’re going to compare the Mariscan brown bear and the grizzly bear .

We’ll show you several ways that these animals are different from one another, and why you’ll never mistake one for the other in the wild!

Comparing a Marsican Brown Bear and a Grizzly Bear

The 3 Key Differences Between a Marsican Brown Bear vs. Grizzly Bear

The biggest differences between a Mariscan brown bear and a grizzly bear may be found in their size, coloration, and location. Marsican brown bears are smaller than grizzly bears, weighing upwards of 480 pounds, measuring 6.6 feet long, and standing 3.5 feet at the shoulder. Grizzly bears weigh up to 790 pounds, stand up to 4.5 feet at the shoulder, and measure up to 10 feet long.

Marsican brown bears are often a dark brown color, but they may also be golden beige at times. Grizzly bears are usually light tan or brown, especially on the tips of their hair on their back and sides. However, their legs are usually a darker brown.

Grizzly bears only live in North America , especially in Alaska, western Canada, and the northwestern part of the United States. However, the Marsican brown bear only lives in the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park in Italy. Thus, these two animals live in two unique places.

Marsican Brown Bear vs. Grizzly Bear: Size

Grizzly bears are larger than Marsican brown bears. The average grizzly bear weighs between 400 and 790 pounds, grows between 3 and 4.5 feet tall at the shoulder, and measures between 7 and 10 feet long. When they stand on their hind legs, they are massive! Moreover, the largest grizzly bear weighed 1,200 pounds!

The Marsican brown bear weighs between 300 and 480 pounds, stands 3.5 feet at its max, and measures between 6.2 and 6.6 ft long. Clearly, grizzly bears are a larger breed.

Marsican Brown Bear vs. Grizzly Bear: Species

Both the Marsican brown bear and the grizzly bear are Eurasian brown bears. However, they are subspecies that have distinctions both in their morphology and names.

The Marsican brown bear’s scientific name is either Ursus arctos arctos or Ursus arctos marsicanus . Meanwhile, the grizzly bear’s scientific name is Ursus arctos horriblis, the latter name referencing its powerful, deadly nature. Thus, these creatures are distinct from a scientific perspective.

Marsican Brown Bear vs. Grizzly Bear: Morphology

The Marsican brown bear and the grizzly bear are very similar in their looks, but the grizzly bear has lighter fur and a more pronounced shoulder hump. Marsican brown bears have dark brown fur, but they can also have golden beige fur.

Grizzly bears have a light tan or brown color on their flanks and back, but their legs are usually a darker color. Also, grizzly bears tend to have longer claws than other bears to help them dig and turn over rocks to find food.

Marsican Brown Bear vs. Grizzly Bear: Diet

Grizzly bears and Marsican brown bears are omnivores, but they each eat different foods. The Marsican brown bear primarily subsists on plants, roots, fruits, and berries. They especially enjoy the buckthorn berry. They kill small domestic animals like sheep and turkeys, but not very often. Sometimes, they will scavenge other animals’ kills.

Grizzly bears certainly enjoy plants and fruits. However, they are also hunters that kill large mammals like elk, cattle, moose, and deer. They have the size and power needed to bring these animals down. Their propensity for catching fish and hunting large mammals makes them different from the Marsican brown bear.

Marsican Brown Bear vs. Grizzly Bear: Range

The Marsican brown bear only lives in Italy. Their range in that country is small and is basically only the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park. They live in high-altitude meadows and wooded mountain places.

Grizzly bears live in forests, wooded areas, meadows, and prairies in some of the coldest, most unforgiving places in North America. They can be found throughout Alaska and other northwestern states in the U.S. along with the western parts of Canada .

You would never see these two bears in the same country unless they were in a zoo.

Marsican Brown Bear vs Grizzly Bear: Hibernation

The Marsican brown bear hibernates differently than grizzly bears and other brown bears. Rather than hibernating through an entire winter, the Marsican brown bear wakes up several times. They undergo a partial hibernation rather than a true one.

Grizzly bears may undergo complete hibernation in places where food is scarce, and they may skip hibernation entirely if the climate is right and food is abundant. Thus, these two animals take completely different approaches to hibernating.

These two bears are very different from each other despite looking similar. However, their size, location, feeding habits, and other features are unique, and it helps us tell them apart. With the knowledge we presented you with in this article, you should be capable of differentiating these creatures.

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