🐻 American black bear vs Cheetah 🐆
The cheetah is a bit bigger than the American black bear. The American black bear weighs about 5 times as much as the cheetah.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐻 American black bear | 🐆 Cheetah |
|---|---|---|
| Size The cheetah is a bit bigger than the American black bear. | 3.9 to 6.6 ft1.2 to 2 m1 | 5.8 to 7.4 ft1.8 to 2.3 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the American black bear yet. | no checked number yet | 60 to 70 mph96 to 112 km/h2 |
| Weight The American black bear weighs about 5 times as much as the cheetah. | 86 to 902 lb39 to 409 kg1 | 75 to 141 lb34 to 64 kg2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 10 years10 years1 | 8 to 10 years8 to 10 years2 |
| Eats The American black bear eats plants and animals; the cheetah eats meat. | grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died | antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food | the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran |
Which one? American black bear or cheetah
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the American black bear 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 American black bear vs Cheetah
- The American black bear: A common bear of North American forests that eats mostly plants.
- The cheetah: The fastest runner on land, built light and long like a greyhound.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The cheetah is a bit bigger than the American black bear: 2 against 1.
- The American black bear weighs about 5 times as much as the cheetah. That is 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cheetah.
- They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cheetah.
- The American black bear eats grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died. The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares.
- The American black bear lives in forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food. The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The American black bear: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The cheetah: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐻 American black bear
- A black bear eats mostly plants.
- It lives in forests from Alaska to Mexico.
- In spring it eats grasses.
🐆 Cheetah
- A cheetah can't roar. It purrs, and it makes a chirp like a bird.
- The black lines from its eyes to its mouth may help cut the glare of the sun.
- Its claws stay out a little, like the spikes on a runner's shoes.
Questions kids ask about American black bear and Cheetah
Which is bigger, American black bear or cheetah?
The cheetah is a bit bigger than the American black bear: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, American black bear or cheetah?
The American black bear weighs about 5 times as much as the cheetah. That is 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cheetah.
Which lives longer, American black bear or cheetah?
They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the American black bear and 2 for the cheetah.
What do American black bear and cheetah eat?
The American black bear eats grasses, fruit, nuts and insects, and sometimes animals that have died. The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares.
Where do American black bear and cheetah live?
The American black bear lives in forests across North America, in thick brush with plenty of food. The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, American black bear or cheetah?
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/black-bear-vs-cheetah
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Ursus americanus (American black bear), checked 10 November 2026.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Cheetah, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.