🦈 Bull shark vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The bull shark is about one and a half times as long as the spotted hyena. The bull shark weighs about twice as much as the spotted hyena.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦈 Bull shark | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The bull shark is about one and a half times as long as the spotted hyena. | 7.5 to 9.3 ft2.3 to 2.8 m1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the bull shark yet. | no checked number yet | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The bull shark weighs about twice as much as the spotted hyena. | 209 to 245 lb95 to 111 kg1 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives The bull shark usually lives about one and a half times as long as the spotted hyena. | 32 years32 years1 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats The bull shark eats fish; the spotted hyena eats meat. | mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Bull shark or spotted hyena
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the bull shark 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 Bull shark vs Spotted hyena
- The bull shark: A sturdy shark that can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- The spotted hyena: A strong African animal with a spotted coat and a sloping back.
- They are different kinds of animal. The bull shark is a fish, so it breathes with gills; the spotted hyena is a mammal, so it breathes air with lungs and feeds its babies milk.
- The bull shark is about one and a half times as long as the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
- The bull shark weighs about twice as much as the spotted hyena. That is 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The bull shark usually lives about one and a half times as long as the spotted hyena. Usual lifespans: 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs. The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The bull shark: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The spotted hyena: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🦈 Bull shark
- A bull shark can swim in salt water and in fresh water.
- It is the only shark that can stay in fresh water for a long time.
- It eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays.
🐾 Spotted hyena
- A spotted hyena can run fast over a long way.
- It lives in savanna, semi-desert and mountain forest.
- It also cleans up what other animals leave.
Questions kids ask about Bull shark and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, bull shark or spotted hyena?
The bull shark is about one and a half times as long as the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, bull shark or spotted hyena?
The bull shark weighs about twice as much as the spotted hyena. That is 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, bull shark or spotted hyena?
The bull shark usually lives about one and a half times as long as the spotted hyena. Usual lifespans: 1 for the bull shark and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do bull shark and spotted hyena eat?
The bull shark eats mostly fish such as catfish and stingrays, and also crabs. The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do bull shark and spotted hyena live?
The bull shark lives in warm, shallow coastal seas, and also rivers and lakes. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, bull shark or spotted hyena?
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/bull-shark-vs-spotted-hyena
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Carcharhinus leucas (bull shark), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.