🐕 African wild dog vs Bobcat 🐆
The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the bobcat. The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the bobcat.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🐆 Bobcat |
|---|---|---|
| Size The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the bobcat. | 3.4 to 4.9 ft1.1 to 1.5 m1 | 30 in to 4.1 ft76 cm to 1.2 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the bobcat yet. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the bobcat. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | 8.8 to 33 lb4 to 15 kg2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 12 years12 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | rodents, rabbits, large ground birds and sometimes small deer or reptiles |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | forests, semi-deserts, mountains and brushland across North America |
Which one? African wild dog or bobcat
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the bobcat yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about African wild dog vs Bobcat
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The bobcat: A wild cat of North America with a short tail.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the bobcat: 1 against 2.
- The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the bobcat. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the bobcat.
- They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the bobcat.
- Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the bobcat eats rodents, rabbits, large ground birds and sometimes small deer or reptiles.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The bobcat lives in forests, semi-deserts, mountains and brushland across North America. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The African wild dog: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The bobcat: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐕 African wild dog
- An African wild dog can run fast in a chase.
- Its coat is a patchwork of colors.
- It lives on the savanna and in open woodland.
🐆 Bobcat
- A bobcat lives in forests, deserts and mountains.
- It is named for its short, bobbed tail.
- It eats mostly rodents and rabbits.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and Bobcat
Which is bigger, African wild dog or bobcat?
The African wild dog is a bit bigger than the bobcat: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or bobcat?
The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the bobcat. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the bobcat.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or bobcat?
They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the bobcat.
What do African wild dog and bobcat eat?
Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the bobcat eats rodents, rabbits, large ground birds and sometimes small deer or reptiles.
Where do African wild dog and bobcat live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The bobcat lives in forests, semi-deserts, mountains and brushland across North America. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, African wild dog or bobcat?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/african-wild-dog-vs-bobcat
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lycaon pictus (African wild dog), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lynx rufus (bobcat), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.