Strongest Bear per-size

[brobear]

Which species of bear is physically the strongest per-size - meaning at parity according with head-and-body length measured from nose to rump. I will confidently claim the brown bear in this position. However, the debate is open. 

[theundertaker45]

At HB-length parity I'd also wager on the brown bear as of now but I'll read more data on it, maybe the picture gets morr clear then.

[King Kodiak]

Definitely a brown bear. All the morphological features point to that direction. Shoulder hump, more robust bones, etc, etc.

[brobear]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth_bear#Characteristics

Sloth bears are usually about the same size as an Asian black bear but are immediately distinctive for their shaggier coat, whitish claws, as well as their typically rangier build.

[King Kodiak]

Sloth bears are usually about the same size as an Asian black bear 

This is true. After all the general info we have on weights, the Asiatic black bear is the #4 largest species and i believe that the sloth bear is the #5 largest species.

[brobear]

Nov 9, 2020 15:24:12 GMT -5 King Kodiak said:

Sloth bears are usually about the same size as an Asian black bear 

This is true. After all the general info we have on weights, the Asiatic black bear is the #4 largest species and i believe that the sloth bear is the #5 largest species.

However; this topic is not about size.

[King Kodiak]

The question is, would a subadult grizzly bear be stronger than an adult black bear?

[brobear]

Nov 9, 2020 15:31:05 GMT -5 King Kodiak said:

The question is, would a subadult grizzly bear be stronger than an adult black bear?

Well; the outcome of such a contest would be rather meaningless. This is about which bear is the most robust bear in his physical build. In other words, we can compare the build of a polar bear with that of a sun bear. Full-grown male bears. 

[King Kodiak]

This is about which bear is the most robust bear in his physical build.

That is why we have this robusticity study brobear:


ML-diameters of all four major limb bones:


1. Sloth Bear - 42.42% 
2. Brown Bear - 40.97%
3. Asian Black Bear - 40.23% 
4. Polar Bear - 39.81% 
5. Sun Bear - 39.38% 
6. Giant Panda - 37.43% 
7. American Black Bear - 35.60% (should definitely be higher as the individuals used in the sample were rather small)
8. Spectacled Bear - 34.64% 

domainofthebears.proboards.com/post/26686/thread


The sloth bear has the more robust limbs of all species per size. #2 is the brown bear. It still does not mean the sloth bear is stronger at same size overall because we have to take into consideration other morphological upper body features.

[OldGreenGrolar]

We should also take in the square root cube law. A smaller animal that seems pound to pound stronger can look weaker if it was the same size as the larger animal.

The sloth bear is more robust than expected. Impressive.

Overall, in morphological terms, the brown bear would be pound to pound the strongest.

[King Kodiak]

Yes, because even though the sloth bear has more robust limbs at same size, the brown bear still has that shoulder hump, more powerful biceps muscles, and most likely a better developed deltoid crest. This all means the brown bear would have more upper body strength than the sloth bear at same size.

[OldGreenGrolar]

The polar bear is the best grappler of all bears. But I guess the kodiak bear’s morphological featured as pointed out still makes it the stronger one.

[brobear]

Reply #8 - good information. 
 
*What prompted this topic, someone ( not a fanboy ) said: "Sloth bear is the one with the great stats. Its robustness is off the charts. Literally." 
Well, this is just the opposite of what I have read elsewhere. And so; I am seeking the Truth. 

[King Kodiak]

"Sloth bear is the one with the great stats. Its robustness is off the charts. Literally." 

Well, as you can see by that limb robusticity study, it does have the most robust limbs for its size.

[brobear]

Both the sloth bear and the sun bear have strong limbs per-body-size, without any doubts. But in their torso region, they appear to be much "lankier" than other Ursinae bears.

[brobear]

*Which bear species, at equal head-and-body length, can push over the biggest rock?     
 
A- giant panda.
B- Andean bear.
C- sun bear.
D- sloth bear.
E- moon bear.
F- black bear.
G- brown bear.
H- polar bear. 

[theundertaker45]

Interesting observation of mine.

Yellowstone Grizzly (sexually mature males) - HB-Length of 196.5cm over the curves and 193.3kg; BMI of these values would be ~50.1.
Yellowstone Grizzly (sexually mature females) - HB-length of 177.8cm over the curves and 134.5kg; BMI of these values would be ~42.5.
Indian Sloth Bear (sexually mature males) - HB-Length of 185cm over the curves and 131.8kg; BMI of these values would be ~38.5.

So definitely yes, a grizzly bear is much bulkier than a sloth bear on average. Even a female grizzly (Yellowstone type) would in fact be bulkier. Note that comparisons over the curves are only possible between the same Family; I couldn't compare the length over the curves of a bear with a big cat as the bear's body is much more rounded and the difference between the length in a straight line and the length over the curves would be much more significant.

So all in all in terms of proportional bulk between these 3:

1. Yellowstone Grizzly Boar
2. Yellowstone Grizzly Sow
3. Indian Sloth Bear Boar

[OldGreenGrolar]

Reply 15. A brown bear.

[brobear]

Question: consider a brown bear and a sloth bear, both males, measuring six feet from nose to rump each. The brown bear is heavier. Is it possible that the sloth bear might have equal strength, regardless of less bulk?

[theundertaker45]

brobear

I don't think so; the brown bear will definitely be the stronger of the two as he'd also have quite a weight advantage then. Sloth bears excell at other areas compared to the brown bears, brute strength isn't part of that. Yes, they are still very strong but definitely not on a brown bear's level imo.