🐻 American black bear vs Cougar 🐆
The cougar is a bit bigger than the American black bear. The American black bear weighs about 3 times as much as the cougar.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐻 American black bear | 🐆 Cougar |
|---|---|---|
| Size The cougar is a bit bigger than the American black bear. | 3.9 to 6.6 ft1.2 to 2 m1 | 4.9 to 8.2 ft1.5 to 2.5 m2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The American black bear weighs about 3 times as much as the cougar. | 86 to 902 lb39 to 409 kg1 | 64 to 265 lb29 to 120 kg2 |
| Lives The cougar usually lives about twice as long as the American black bear. | 10 years10 years1 | 18 to 20 years18 to 20 years2 |
| Eats The American black bear eats plants and animals; the cougar eats meat. | grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died | mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer, and smaller animals too |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food | mountains, forests, grassland and deserts across the Americas, mostly in wild, quiet places |
Which one? American black bear or cougar
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the American black bear or the cougar yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about American black bear vs Cougar
- The American black bear: A common bear of North American forests that eats mostly plants.
- The cougar: A big, plain-colored cat of the Americas, also called a mountain lion.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The cougar is a bit bigger than the American black bear: 2 against 1.
- The American black bear weighs about 3 times as much as the cougar. That is 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cougar.
- The cougar usually lives about twice as long as the American black bear. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cougar.
- The American black bear eats grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died. The cougar eats mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer, and smaller animals too.
- The American black bear lives in forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food. The cougar lives in mountains, forests, grassland and deserts across the Americas, mostly in wild, quiet places. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The American black bear: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The cougar: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐻 American black bear
- A black bear eats mostly plants.
- It lives in forests from Alaska to Mexico.
- In spring it eats grasses.
🐆 Cougar
- A cougar is also called a mountain lion.
- It once lived across more of the Americas than any other land mammal.
- It eats mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer.
Questions kids ask about American black bear and Cougar
Which is bigger, American black bear or cougar?
The cougar is a bit bigger than the American black bear: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, American black bear or cougar?
The American black bear weighs about 3 times as much as the cougar. That is 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cougar.
Which lives longer, American black bear or cougar?
The cougar usually lives about twice as long as the American black bear. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cougar.
What do American black bear and cougar eat?
The American black bear eats grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died. The cougar eats mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer, and smaller animals too.
Where do American black bear and cougar live?
The American black bear lives in forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food. The cougar lives in mountains, forests, grassland and deserts across the Americas, mostly in wild, quiet places. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do cougars eat American black bears?
The cougar eats mostly hoofed animals such as elk and deer, and smaller animals too. American black bears are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, American black bear or cougar?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They can share the same kind of place, and real animals mostly keep out of each other's way. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/black-bear-vs-cougar
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Ursus americanus (American black bear), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Puma concolor (cougar, mountain lion), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.