🐻 Grizzly bear vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The grizzly bear is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. They are about the same. The grizzly bear weighs about 4 times as much as the spotted hyena.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐻 Grizzly bear | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The grizzly bear is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. | 5 to 7 ft1.5 to 2.1 m1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed They are about the same. | 35 mph56 km/h3 | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The grizzly bear weighs about 4 times as much as the spotted hyena. | 243 to 661 lb110 to 300 kg4 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives The grizzly bear lives a bit longer than the spotted hyena. | 25 years25 years4 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats The grizzly bear eats plants and animals; the spotted hyena eats meat. | roots, berries, grasses, nuts, fish, insects and meat | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | the mountains and forests of western North America, from Alaska to Wyoming | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Grizzly bear or spotted hyena
🏁 Who would win the race?
The spotted hyena gets to the tree first. Over a short dash it is about the same as fast as the grizzly bear.
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.
11 things to know about Grizzly bear vs Spotted hyena
- The grizzly bear: A big brown bear with a shoulder hump, strong enough to dig.
- The spotted hyena: A strong African animal with a spotted coat and a sloping back.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The grizzly bear is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
- The grizzly bear weighs about 4 times as much as the spotted hyena. That is 4 for the grizzly bear and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- They are about the same. Top speeds: 3 for the grizzly bear and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The grizzly bear lives a bit longer than the spotted hyena. Usual lifespans: 4 for the grizzly bear and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The grizzly bear eats roots, berries, grasses, nuts, fish, insects and meat. The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The grizzly bear lives in the mountains and forests of western North America, from Alaska to Wyoming. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The grizzly bear: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 5
- The spotted hyena: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 6
Wow facts
🐻 Grizzly bear
- The hump on its back is a big shoulder muscle for digging.
- Its cubs are born tiny, in the middle of winter.
- Many grizzlies eat more plants than meat.
🐾 Spotted hyena
- A spotted hyena can run fast over a long way.
- It lives in savanna, semi-desert and mountain forest.
- It also cleans up what other animals leave.
Questions kids ask about Grizzly bear and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, grizzly bear or spotted hyena?
The grizzly bear is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, grizzly bear or spotted hyena?
The grizzly bear weighs about 4 times as much as the spotted hyena. That is 4 for the grizzly bear and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which is faster, grizzly bear or spotted hyena?
They are about the same. Top speeds: 3 for the grizzly bear and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, grizzly bear or spotted hyena?
The grizzly bear lives a bit longer than the spotted hyena. Usual lifespans: 4 for the grizzly bear and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do grizzly bear and spotted hyena eat?
The grizzly bear eats roots, berries, grasses, nuts, fish, insects and meat. The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do grizzly bear and spotted hyena live?
The grizzly bear lives in the mountains and forests of western North America, from Alaska to Wyoming. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, grizzly bear or spotted hyena?
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/grizzly-bear-vs-spotted-hyena
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Bears (brown bears), checked 30 October 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena), checked 10 November 2026.
- National Park Service, Glacier, checked 30 October 2026.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service (grizzly bear species profile), checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.