Silverback Gorillas vs Grizzly Bears: Which Powerful Animal Is Superior?

Can you picture a fight between a Silverback Gorilla vs a Grizzly Bear? Before we begin, let’s clarify which animals we are actually talking about.

Though many people know them or refer to them as “Silverback Gorillas,” the term “Silverback” is actually exclusive to the adult males of the species properly known as the Mountain Gorilla ( Gorilla beringei beringei ). They are called Silverbacks because of the silvery sheen that develops over the hair on their backs once they reach adulthood. Because of this, it may be assumed that all references to “Silverback Gorillas” are regarding the adult males of each species.

If there were ever to be a fight between a Grizzly Bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) and a Silverback Gorilla , there would likely be a clear winner, but let’s get back to that in a moment.

While silverbacks and grizzlies may share a few similarities, the silverback gorilla and the grizzly bear are very different animals, who live in vastly different habitats, eat quite different diets, and grow to vastly different sizes from one another.

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Although a silverback gorilla is very fast, quite strong , and has a longer arm span, it is unlikely that a silverback could defeat the much larger and faster grizzly bear in a fair fight. The one advantage that a Silverback might have is the enormous strength of its muscles. While grizzlies are immensely strong, gorillas, chimps, and monkeys have much greater muscle strength than other animals of a similar size. This added strength coupled with their long-arm reach could even the playing field in a battle between a grizzly and a silverback.

Comparing Silverback Gorillas and Grizzly Bears

In general, Silverbacks are considered peaceful creatures. They do not attack humans except in very rare circumstances. However, they will defend themselves and their families. Grizzlies, on the other hand, can be quite aggressive.

Grizzlies mostly avoid humans when they can, but sometimes they will stumble into a campsite, or an errant hiker will get between a mother and her cubs. In such cases, these bears are a grave danger to humans , and our larger primate cousins would probably not fare much better. The grizzly’s claws alone, which can be as long as four inches, would give it a significant advantage in an altercation with a silverback. Let’s really compare the grizzly bear and the silverback gorilla to see just how big an advantage the grizzly has over the silverback.

Silverbacks and grizzlies have a few things in common, such as their strength and their ability to walk either upright or on all fours, but really, that is where the similarities end. They are both classified as omnivores , but the silverback does not eat any animals aside from insects, while the grizzly eats a lot of fish and other small animals.

Some of the starkest differences between these two animals include:

The 5 Key Differences Between Silverback Gorillas vs Grizzly Bears

1. Silverback Gorilla vs Grizzly Bear: Head and face

A Grizzly Bear has a large round head with an almost canine nose. Silverback gorillas have flatter noses, with prints as unique as human fingerprints, and pointier heads.

2. Silverback Gorilla vs Grizzly Bear: Ears

Silverback Gorilla ears are hard to distinguish from human ears and have a similar head placement. Grizzly Bears have small, round, furry ears, high on their heads.

3. Silverback Gorilla vs Grizzly Bear: Hair

Grizzly Bears have thick dark brown fur. Silverback Gorillas are covered in soft, springy hair, except on their palms, chest, faces, and the bottoms of their feet.

4. Silverback Gorilla vs Grizzly Bear: Size (Height & Weight)

On average, Silverback Gorillas are about two feet shorter than Grizzly Bears when they both stand on their hind feet. Silverback Gorillas can reach up to nearly 500lbs, which is about half the weight of the largest Grizzly Bears .

A bear’s strength without aggression is 2-5 times stronger than the average human. A gorilla, however, is 4-9 times stronger than a human. When standing, a silver back can be around 5 foot 11 inches whereas a grizzly can reach about 10 feet tall. A gorilla’s biteforce is 1300 Psi and a grizzly bear’s is 1250 Psi.

5. Silverback Gorilla vs Grizzly Bear: Claws

Grizzly Bears have 20 claws, several inches in length, one on each toe of their four feet. Silverback Gorillas have nails on their fingers and toes like humans.

Silverback Gorilla vs. Grizzly Bear: Habitat

Gorilla Habitat

Silverback gorillas are primarily found in the lowland rainforests of central and western Africa , including countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, and Gabon. They inhabit a range of habitats, from montane forests to swamps and grasslands near rivers. Silverbacks live in small social groups led by a dominant male known as an alpha silverback. These groups typically contain between 5-30 individuals with one adult male, several females, and their offspring. The alpha silverback is responsible for leading his group to sources of food and protection from predators like leopards or other rival males.

Grizzly Bear Habitat

Grizzly bears primarily inhabit the temperate forests, mountains, and meadows of western North America. They can be found in Canada from Alaska to Manitoba, as well as parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho in the United States. However, they have become increasingly rare due to human activity such as logging and development. Grizzly bears are also found in some areas of Western Europe, such as Norway and Spain. They prefer habitats with plenty of food sources like berries or salmon streams, which allow them to fatten up for their hibernation during winter months.

What Animals Could Beat a Silverback Gorilla?

The gorilla’s biggest enemies are humans, namely poachers, who are the biggest threat to the gorilla’s survival as a species. If you take humans out of the equation for a moment, however, and focus on wild animals, the gorilla has one formidable predator–the leopard.

People in gorilla habitats have come upon remains of gorillas after they’d been killed by leopards on more than one occasion. When a group of gorillas is threatened, male silverbacks will make particular sounds and emit an intense odor, which rallies the others to gather around. Male silverbacks are tasked with being protectors against predators, and will actually put themselves between the leopard or other predator and the group they are defending. The males will simultaneously drive their group backwards away from the threat, while also attacking.

Though leopards are their biggest threat, they don’t target gorillas on a regular basis. The only other animal that can also be a threat to a gorilla is an alligator or crocodile , and on rare occasions, anaconda snakes.

Summary

• Grizzlies have size, weight, and aggression on their side.
• Silverbacks have muscle strength and reach on their side.
• While a grizzly would likely win in a battle between these powerful opponents, don’t discount the strength and determination of a Silverback defending itself.

Fortunately, these two titans are unlikely to ever face each other as they live in vastly different habitats with the world between them.

Up Next:

• The Top 10 Deadliest Animals in Canada
• Rare Close Up View of a Bitter Battle Between Two Grizzlies Captured
• The 9 Best Books About Bears — Safety Tips and Species Insights Reviewed

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