π Cheetah vs Komodo dragon π¦
The Komodo dragon is about one and a half times as long as the cheetah. The cheetah is about 6 times as fast as the Komodo dragon. The Komodo dragon weighs about one and a half times as much as the cheetah.
| Row | π Cheetah | π¦ Komodo dragon |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed The cheetah is about 6 times as fast as the Komodo dragon. | 60 to 70 mph96 to 112 km/h1 | 9.9 to 12 mph16 to 20 km/h2 |
| Weight The Komodo dragon weighs about one and a half times as much as the cheetah. | 75 to 141 lb34 to 64 kg1 | 154 lb70 kg2 |
| Lives The Komodo dragon usually lives about 3 times as long as the cheetah. | 8 to 10 years8 to 10 years1 | 30 years30 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares | deer, pigs and dead animals |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran | a few islands in Indonesia, including Komodo |
Which one? Cheetah or Komodo dragon
π Who would win the race?
The cheetah gets to the tree first. Over a short dash it is about 6 times as fast as the Komodo dragon. But a cheetah can only keep up its top speed for a short dash.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed.
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Getting the animals readyβ¦
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The link carries only the two animalsβ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/cheetah-vs-komodo-dragon
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Cheetah, checked 30 October 2026.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Komodo dragon, checked 30 October 2026.