🐕 African wild dog vs Gray wolf 🐺
The gray wolf is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. They are about the same. The gray wolf weighs about one and a half times as much as the African wild dog.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🐺 Gray wolf |
|---|---|---|
| Size The gray wolf is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. | 3.4 to 4.9 ft1.1 to 1.5 m1 | 5.9 ft1.8 m2 |
| Top speed They are about the same. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | 35 mph56 km/h2 |
| Weight The gray wolf weighs about one and a half times as much as the African wild dog. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | 90 to 110 lb41 to 50 kg2 |
| Lives The African wild dog usually lives about twice as long as the gray wolf. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 4 to 5 years4 to 5 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | deer, elk, moose and smaller animals like beavers |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | forests, mountains and tundra of North America, Europe and Asia |
Which one? African wild dog or gray wolf
🏁 Who would win the race?
A photo finish! The African wild dog and the gray wolf are about as fast as each other.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.
11 things to know about African wild dog vs Gray wolf
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The gray wolf: A wild cousin of the dog that lives and travels in a pack.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The gray wolf is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
- The gray wolf weighs about one and a half times as much as the African wild dog. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the gray wolf.
- They are about the same. Top speeds: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the gray wolf.
- The African wild dog usually lives about twice as long as the gray wolf. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the gray wolf.
- Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the gray wolf eats deer, elk, moose and smaller animals like beavers.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The gray wolf lives in forests, mountains and tundra of North America, Europe and Asia. 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 gray wolf: 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.
🐺 Gray wolf
- Every pet dog came from wolves, long, long ago.
- A howl can carry a long way through the forest.
- The whole pack helps look after the pups.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and Gray wolf
Which is bigger, African wild dog or gray wolf?
The gray wolf is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or gray wolf?
The gray wolf weighs about one and a half times as much as the African wild dog. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the gray wolf.
Which is faster, African wild dog or gray wolf?
They are about the same. Top speeds: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the gray wolf.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or gray wolf?
The African wild dog usually lives about twice as long as the gray wolf. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the gray wolf.
What do African wild dog and gray wolf eat?
Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the gray wolf eats deer, elk, moose and smaller animals like beavers.
Where do African wild dog and gray wolf live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The gray wolf lives in forests, mountains and tundra of North America, Europe and Asia. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, African wild dog or gray wolf?
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-gray-wolf
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lycaon pictus (African wild dog), checked 10 November 2026.
- National Park Service, Yellowstone (wolf facts), checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.