Black bear faces slope downward gently into the muzzle. But the brown bear's snout contrasts sharply with the rest of the head. It looks like someone glued a snout to a huge ball. Brown bears also have longer claws and hair. Animals living along the coast of southern Alaska and on such nearby islands as Kodiak and Admiralty may weigh more than 1,500 pounds.
Brown bears are smaller where food is less plentiful or conditions harsher.
The grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park weigh from 200 to 700 pounds. Arctic grizzlies are smaller, and brown bears in parts of southern Europe weigh just 150 pounds. But their sense of smell is especially keen. They usually move at a slow walk, but can run extremely fast. A brown bear can easily catch a black bear.