What is the difference between a grizzly and a black bear?
The black bear is a different, smaller species of bear, and it is more common in forested habitats than the grizzly. Black bears are found in 32 states, much of Canada and parts of Mexico. In Montana black bears and grizzly bears live in similar habitats, but the black bear is less commonly found above timberline. Black bears and grizzly bears both range in color from very light blond to cinnamon-like to black, therefore color is not a good way to tell the two species apart. Young grizzlies are no larger than black bears, so size is not a good indicator. Diagnostic features of a grizzly are long, curved front claws, a concave-shaped nose in profile, and a muscular hump at the shoulders.
