There are only eight different bear species in the world, with polar bears considered the largest and sun bears as the smallest.
What most people don't realize is that within most species of bear, there are subspecies.
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Some of these subspecies are massive, with one even rivaling the polar bear in size.
We've compiled a list of the six largest types of bears in the world.
The reigning champion of the bears is the polar bear. Ranging from 8 to 10 feet long and 600 to 1,500 pounds on average, the polar bear is the biggest of the bear species in most people's eyes.
Polar bears are closely related to brown bears, despite such different appearances. These white-furred bears are native to the circumpolar Arctic, but their range depends on the amount of sea ice available, according to the International Association for Bear Research and Management.
The Kodiak bear is a subspecies of brown bear. Some people consider the Kodiak bear to be even larger than the polar bear, as the largest bear in the world, but the polar bear is still widely considered the largest.
Kodiak bears are native to the Kodiak Archipelago, and can be up to 10 feet tall when standing upright, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Male Kodiak bears can weigh up to 1,400 pounds.
Another subspecies of brown bear, the Kamchatka bear, is reportedly the largest brown bear in Eurasia, mostly found in the Kamchatka region of Russia and nearby islands.
Its size is reported to rival a Kodiak bear, weighing up to 1,400 pounds.
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The grizzly bear is the other subspecies of brown bear found in North America.
Grizzly bears can weigh upwards of 700 pounds and range in color from very light tan to dark brown.
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These bears are listed as threatened on the endangered species list.
This subspecies of brown bear is only found in Eurasia, primarily in Eastern Russia and China.
Ussuri brown bears can weigh up to 1,300 pounds on average, and are similar to the Kamchatka brown bear.
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Eurasian brown bears can also be found in Eurasia, as their name suggests, but this subspecies is a bit smaller than the Kamchatka and Ussuri brown bears.
These brown bears have a much wider range, stretching from Russia all the way up into Scandinavia, with populations in Sweden, Austria and Slovenia.
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