🐆 Cheetah vs Emperor penguin 🐧
The cheetah is about twice as long as the emperor penguin. The cheetah is a bit heavier than the emperor penguin.
| Row | 🐆 Cheetah | 🐧 Emperor penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the emperor penguin yet. | 60 to 70 mph96 to 112 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The cheetah is a bit heavier than the emperor penguin. | 75 to 141 lb34 to 64 kg1 | 88 lb40 kg2 |
| Lives We don't have a checked number for the emperor penguin yet. | 8 to 10 years8 to 10 years1 | no checked number yet |
| Eats The cheetah eats meat; the emperor penguin eats fish. | antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares | fish, krill and squid |
| 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 | the sea ice and seas around Antarctica |
Which one? Cheetah or emperor penguin
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the emperor penguin 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.
Compare two more
Getting the animals ready…
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/cheetah-vs-emperor-penguin
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Cheetah, checked 30 October 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, press release 25 Oct 2022, checked 30 October 2026.