🐆 Cheetah vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The cheetah is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the spotted hyena. The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the cheetah.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐆 Cheetah | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The cheetah is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. | 5.8 to 7.4 ft1.8 to 2.3 m1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the spotted hyena. | 60 to 70 mph96 to 112 km/h1 | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the cheetah. | 75 to 141 lb34 to 64 kg1 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives The spotted hyena usually lives about twice as long as the cheetah. | 8 to 10 years8 to 10 years1 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Cheetah or spotted hyena
🏁 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 spotted hyena. 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 Spotted hyena
- The cheetah: The fastest runner on land, built light and long like a greyhound.
- The spotted hyena: A strong African animal with a spotted coat and a sloping back.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The cheetah is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
- The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the cheetah. That is 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the spotted hyena. Top speeds: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The spotted hyena usually lives about twice as long as the cheetah. Usual lifespans: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- Both eat meat. The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The cheetah: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The spotted hyena: 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.
🐾 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 Cheetah and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, cheetah or spotted hyena?
The cheetah is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, cheetah or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the cheetah. That is 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which is faster, cheetah or spotted hyena?
The cheetah is about one and a half times as fast as the spotted hyena. Top speeds: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, cheetah or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena usually lives about twice as long as the cheetah. Usual lifespans: 1 for the cheetah and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do cheetah and spotted hyena eat?
Both eat meat. The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do cheetah and spotted hyena live?
The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do cheetahs eat spotted hyenas?
The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares. Spotted hyenas are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Do spotted hyenas eat cheetahs?
The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone. Cheetahs are not in that list, which comes from its page. And the cheetah is a bit more than as long as the spotted hyena.
Who would win, cheetah or spotted hyena?
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-spotted-hyena
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Cheetah, checked 30 October 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 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.