🦎 Gila monster vs Greater roadrunner 🐦
The gila monster and the greater roadrunner are about the same size. The greater roadrunner is about 15 times as fast as the gila monster.
| Row | 🦎 Gila monster | 🐦 Greater roadrunner |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed The greater roadrunner is about 15 times as fast as the gila monster. | 1.5 mph2.4 km/h1 | 20 mph32 km/h2 |
| Weight We don't have a checked number for the greater roadrunner yet. | 16 oz450 g3 | no checked number yet |
| Lives We don't have a checked number for the greater roadrunner yet. | 20 years20 years1 | no checked number yet |
| Eats Both eat meat. | bird and reptile eggs, and small animals from nests and burrows | lizards, insects, spiders, small snakes and rodents |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico | the deserts and dry scrub of the southwestern United States and Mexico |
Which one? Gila monster or greater roadrunner
🏁 Who would win the race?
The greater roadrunner gets to the tree first. Over a short dash it is about 15 times as fast as the gila monster. It isn't quite fair: the gila monster is crawling and the greater roadrunner is running.
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 ready…
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/gila-monster-vs-greater-roadrunner
Where these numbers come from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, White Sands National Park, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Saguaro National Park, checked 30 October 2026.