🐆 Cheetah vs Coyote 🐺
The cheetah is about 4 times as long as the coyote. The cheetah weighs about 4 times as much as the coyote.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐆 Cheetah | 🐺 Coyote |
|---|---|---|
| Size The cheetah is about 4 times as long as the coyote. | 5.8 to 7.4 ft1.8 to 2.3 m1 | 16 to 20 in41 to 51 cm2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the coyote yet. | 60 to 70 mph96 to 112 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The cheetah weighs about 4 times as much as the coyote. | 75 to 141 lb34 to 64 kg1 | 25 to 35 lb11 to 16 kg2 |
| Lives The cheetah usually lives about one and a half times as long as the coyote. | 8 to 10 years8 to 10 years1 | 6 years6 years2 |
| Eats The cheetah eats meat; the coyote eats plants and animals. | antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares | mice, rabbits, insects, berries and fruit |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran | nearly all of North America, from deserts and forests to big cities |
Which one? Cheetah or coyote
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the coyote 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 Cheetah vs Coyote
- The cheetah: The fastest runner on land, built light and long like a greyhound.
- The coyote: A clever wild dog whose yips and howls fill the night.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The cheetah is about 4 times as long as the coyote: 1 against 2.
- The cheetah weighs about 4 times as much as the coyote. That is 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the coyote.
- The cheetah usually lives about one and a half times as long as the coyote. Usual lifespans: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the coyote.
- The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares. The coyote eats mice, rabbits, insects, berries and fruit.
- The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. The coyote lives in nearly all of North America, from deserts and forests to big cities. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The cheetah: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The coyote: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐆 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.
🐺 Coyote
- A coyote can hear a mouse moving under the snow.
- A few coyotes together can sound like a whole pack howling.
- Coyotes sometimes team up with badgers to hunt.
Questions kids ask about Cheetah and Coyote
Which is heavier, cheetah or coyote?
The cheetah weighs about 4 times as much as the coyote. That is 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the coyote.
Which lives longer, cheetah or coyote?
The cheetah usually lives about one and a half times as long as the coyote. Usual lifespans: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the coyote.
What do cheetah and coyote eat?
The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares. The coyote eats mice, rabbits, insects, berries and fruit.
Where do cheetah and coyote live?
The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. The coyote lives in nearly all of North America, from deserts and forests to big cities. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, cheetah or coyote?
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/cheetah-vs-coyote
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Cheetah, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.