---
title: "American bison vs grizzly bear — size, speed and bite force"
description: "American bison and grizzly bear compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encounte"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-bison-vs-grizzly-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# American bison vs grizzly bear

**American bison vs grizzly bear: American bison leads on 3 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The heaviest land animal in the Americas; commonly called a buffalo, though true buffalo live in Africa and Asia. The inland North American brown bear, smaller than coastal populations because it eats less salmon. On the measurements below, American bison leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | American bison | grizzly bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 320–1,270 kg | 130–360 kg |
| Length | 2.1–3.5 m | 1.7–2.4 m |
| Height | 1.5–2 m | 0.9–1.1 m |
| Top speed | 56 km/h | 56 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 975 psi |
| Lifespan | 15–25 yr | 20–35 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: American bison is 2.8× heavier.
- Length: American bison is 1.5× longer.
- Height: American bison is 1.8× taller.
- Top speed: near enough identical.
- Lifespan: grizzly bear is 1.3× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a American bison bigger than a grizzly bear?

American bison is heavier — 320–1,270 kg against 130–360 kg.

### Who would win, a American bison or a grizzly bear?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a American bison weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/american-bison/)
- [How much does a grizzly bear weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/grizzly-bear/)
- [cheetah vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [cougar vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [domestic cat vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [grizzly bear vs lion](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-lion/)
- [grizzly bear vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-tiger/)
- [grizzly bear vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-leopard/)
- [grizzly bear vs jaguar](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-jaguar/)
- [grizzly bear vs snow leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-snow-leopard/)
- [grizzly bear vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-polar-bear/)
- [grizzly bear vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-red-fox/)
- [grizzly bear vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [grizzly bear vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-honey-badger/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)