🐻 American black bear vs Polar bear 🐻❄️
The American black bear and the polar bear are about the same size. The polar bear weighs about twice as much as the American black bear.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐻 American black bear | 🐻❄️ Polar bear |
|---|---|---|
| Size They are about the same size. | 3.9 to 6.6 ft1.2 to 2 m1 | 4.9 ft1.5 m2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The polar bear weighs about twice as much as the American black bear. | 86 to 902 lb39 to 409 kg1 | 399 to 1,450 lb181 to 658 kg2 |
| Lives The polar bear usually lives about 3 times as long as the American black bear. | 10 years10 years1 | 25 years25 years2 |
| Eats The American black bear eats plants and animals; the polar bear eats meat. | grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died | mostly seals, caught at holes in the sea ice |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food | the Arctic, on the sea ice around the North Pole |
Which one? American black bear or polar bear
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the American black bear or the polar bear 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 Polar bear
- The American black bear: A common bear of North American forests that eats mostly plants.
- The polar bear: The biggest bear, at home on the frozen Arctic sea ice.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The American black bear and the polar bear are about the same size: 1 against 2.
- The polar bear weighs about twice as much as the American black bear. That is 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the polar bear.
- The polar bear usually lives about 3 times as long as the American black bear. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the polar bear.
- The American black bear eats grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died. The polar bear eats mostly seals, caught at holes in the sea ice.
- The American black bear lives in forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food. The polar bear lives in the Arctic, on the sea ice around the North Pole. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The American black bear: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The polar bear: needs help (Vulnerable 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.
🐻❄️ Polar bear
- Under its white-looking fur, a polar bear's skin is black.
- Each hair is clear and hollow, not white.
- Its huge paws work like paddles and snowshoes.
Questions kids ask about American black bear and Polar bear
Which is bigger, American black bear or polar bear?
The American black bear and the polar bear are about the same size: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, American black bear or polar bear?
The polar bear weighs about twice as much as the American black bear. That is 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the polar bear.
Which lives longer, American black bear or polar bear?
The polar bear usually lives about 3 times as long as the American black bear. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the polar bear.
What do American black bear and polar bear eat?
The American black bear eats grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died. The polar bear eats mostly seals, caught at holes in the sea ice.
Where do American black bear and polar bear live?
The American black bear lives in forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food. The polar bear lives in the Arctic, on the sea ice around the North Pole. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, American black bear or polar bear?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. 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-polar-bear
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Ursus americanus (American black bear), checked 10 November 2026.
- National Park Service, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.