🐆 Cheetah vs Leopard 🐆
The cheetah and the leopard are about the same size. The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the leopard. The cheetah is a bit heavier than the leopard.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐆 Cheetah | 🐆 Leopard |
|---|---|---|
| Size They are about the same size. | 5.8 to 7.4 ft1.8 to 2.3 m1 | 5.2 to 7.5 ft1.6 to 2.3 m2 |
| Top speed The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the leopard. | 60 to 70 mph96 to 112 km/h1 | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The cheetah is a bit heavier than the leopard. | 75 to 141 lb34 to 64 kg1 | 37 to 143 lb17 to 65 kg2 |
| Lives The leopard lives a bit longer than the cheetah. | 8 to 10 years8 to 10 years1 | 10 to 12 years10 to 12 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares | mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran | woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia |
Which one? Cheetah or leopard
🏁 Who would win the race?
The cheetah gets to the tree first. Over a short dash it is about one and a half times as fast as the leopard. 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. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
11 things to know about Cheetah vs Leopard
- The cheetah: The fastest runner on land, built light and long like a greyhound.
- The leopard: A spotted big cat that lives across Africa and Asia.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The cheetah and the leopard are about the same size: 1 against 2.
- The cheetah is a bit heavier than the leopard. That is 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the leopard.
- The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the leopard. Top speeds: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the leopard.
- The leopard lives a bit longer than the cheetah. Usual lifespans: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the leopard.
- Both eat meat. The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares; the leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents.
- The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. The leopard lives in woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The cheetah: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The leopard: needs help (Vulnerable 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.
🐆 Leopard
- A leopard can run fast in short bursts.
- Leopards live in woodland, grassland and forest.
- It eats birds, reptiles and rodents too.
Questions kids ask about Cheetah and Leopard
Which is bigger, cheetah or leopard?
The cheetah and the leopard are about the same size: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, cheetah or leopard?
The cheetah is a bit heavier than the leopard. That is 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the leopard.
Which is faster, cheetah or leopard?
The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the leopard. Top speeds: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the leopard.
Which lives longer, cheetah or leopard?
The leopard lives a bit longer than the cheetah. Usual lifespans: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the leopard.
What do cheetah and leopard eat?
Both eat meat. The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares; the leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents.
Where do cheetah and leopard live?
The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. The leopard lives in woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do cheetahs eat leopards?
The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares. Leopards are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Do leopards eat cheetahs?
The leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents. Cheetahs are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, cheetah or leopard?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They can share the same kind of place, and real animals mostly keep out of each other's way. 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-leopard
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Cheetah, checked 30 October 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Panthera pardus (leopard), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.