🐕 African wild dog vs Snow leopard 🐆
The snow leopard is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. The snow leopard weighs about one and a half times as much as the African wild dog.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🐆 Snow leopard |
|---|---|---|
| Size The snow leopard 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 to 7.5 ft1.8 to 2.3 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the snow leopard yet. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The snow leopard weighs about one and a half times as much as the African wild dog. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | 77 to 99 lb35 to 45 kg2 |
| Lives The snow leopard usually lives about twice as long as the African wild dog. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 21 years21 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | blue sheep and other animals of the mountains |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | high, cold mountains in Asia, from the forest edge up to bare rock |
Which one? African wild dog or snow leopard
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the snow leopard 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 Snow leopard
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The snow leopard: A pale, spotted cat with a long tail that lives in high mountains.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The snow leopard is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
- The snow leopard 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 snow leopard.
- The snow leopard usually lives about twice as long as the African wild dog. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the snow leopard.
- Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the snow leopard eats blue sheep and other animals of the mountains.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The snow leopard lives in high, cold mountains in Asia, from the forest edge up to bare rock. 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 snow leopard: needs help (Vulnerable 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.
🐆 Snow leopard
- A snow leopard has a tail almost as long as its body.
- It lives high in the cold mountains of Asia.
- It is so hard to see that scientists know little about it.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and Snow leopard
Which is bigger, African wild dog or snow leopard?
The snow leopard is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or snow leopard?
The snow leopard 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 snow leopard.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or snow leopard?
The snow leopard usually lives about twice as long as the African wild dog. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the snow leopard.
What do African wild dog and snow leopard eat?
Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the snow leopard eats blue sheep and other animals of the mountains.
Where do African wild dog and snow leopard live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The snow leopard lives in high, cold mountains in Asia, from the forest edge up to bare rock. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, African wild dog or snow leopard?
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-snow-leopard
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: Uncia uncia (snow leopard), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.