Everyone is aware of the fact that bears are absolutely huge creatures
However, not many people know how much some bear species can weigh
There are many factors that determine a bear’s weight, but the average weight of most bears is between 250 and 500 pounds when the bear has reached maturity is pregnant or preparing for hibernation
However, some bears weigh much more or much less than this average
Some smaller species usually do not weigh more than 100 pounds, such as the sun bear
However, some larger species can easily exceed 1,000 pounds, such as the polar bear
Below, we’ve highlighted 10 types of bears and how much they weigh so you can get a better idea of the size of these creatures
10 examples of adult bear weights What determines a bear’s weight? Biggest bears ever recorded Heaviest black bear Heaviest grizzly bear Heaviest Kodiak bear Heaviest polar bear
10 examples of weights for adult bears
Kind of bear
Sun bear
Long bear
Panda bear
Asiatic black bear
Andean bear
American black bear
Brown Bear
Grizzly bear
Kodiak bear
Polar bear
What determines a bear’s weight?
Although it is possible to specify a wide range for the weight of a bear, it is not a range that is applicable to all types of bear throughout the year
There are several different factors that go into the weight of a bear, and all of them must be considered when determining how much a bear weighs or what its potential weight is
Species – The biggest determinant of a bear’s weight is the species of that bear
There is a good diversity in size between bear species, so this will have a big impact on the bear’s overall weight
Smaller species that don’t need to be big and strong usually weigh well under 300 pounds, but can even weigh less than 100 pounds in some cases
Larger species that either need extra size to hunt or extra skin and fat to stay warm can weigh over 500 pounds, with some species approaching or exceeding 1,000 pounds
Age -Age will of course determine how big a bear is
Most bear cubs are born around 1 pound, but quickly begin to grow and gain weight from there
Young bears still tend to weigh under 100 pounds and really start to gain weight as they approach maturity
As bears get older and can no longer hunt as successfully, they may begin to lose some weight; but usually nothing too drastic
Time of Year -A bear’s weight fluctuates throughout the year, largely due to hibernation
During the summer, bears will gobble up carbohydrate-rich berries and other foods to fill up and gain weight
Bears can put on as much as 30 pounds per week during their bulk period!
This can cause a bear to weigh several hundred kilograms more just before hibernation
Additionally, after mating season, female bears will gain several hundred pounds if they have become pregnant
Female polar bears can double in weight during pregnancy!
Largest bears ever recorded
While most bears will grow to be around the weights listed in the table above, there will be some outliers
Over the years, there have been some absolutely huge bears that have been recorded, weighing significantly more than the average weight for their species
The heaviest black bear
In 1976, a male American black bear was hunted in New Brunswick
It weighed 902 pounds after it was dressed, meaning its estimated live weight was roughly 1,100 pounds
Its length from tail to snout was 79 feet, which is quite a length for a black bear
The heaviest grizzly bear
The largest grizzly bear ever hunted was in 2014 in Lone Mountain, Alaska
This specimen stood approximately 9 feet tall and was estimated to weigh over 1,600 pounds
A larger skull was found much earlier in 1976, which could definitely have belonged to a bear that weighed more than the estimated 1,600 pounds of the Lone Mountain grizzly
The heaviest Kodiak bear
A captive Kodiak bear named Clyde who lived at the Dakota Zoo weighed 2,130 pounds when he died in 1987
The zoo manager estimated that Clyde actually weighed about 2,400 pounds a year earlier when he was healthier
Even in death, however, Clyde had a layer of fat that was 9 inches thick, resulting in him having a fairly high weight for his size
The heaviest polar bear
The largest polar bear ever recorded, and subsequently the largest bear ever recorded, was a 2,209-pound male hunted in 1960 at Kotzebue Sound, Alaska
This weight is double what polar bears usually weigh, making this an insane specimen
When standing on its hind legs, this bear could stand over 11 feet tall