🐺 Gray wolf vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The gray wolf is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. They are about the same. The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the gray wolf.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐺 Gray wolf | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The gray wolf is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. | 5.9 ft1.8 m1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed They are about the same. | 35 mph56 km/h1 | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the gray wolf. | 90 to 110 lb41 to 50 kg1 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives The spotted hyena usually lives about 4 times as long as the gray wolf. | 4 to 5 years4 to 5 years1 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | deer, elk, moose and smaller animals like beavers | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | forests, mountains and tundra of North America, Europe and Asia | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Gray wolf or spotted hyena
🏁 Who would win the race?
The spotted hyena gets to the tree first. Over a short dash it is about the same as fast as the gray wolf.
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 Gray wolf vs Spotted hyena
- The gray wolf: A wild cousin of the dog that lives and travels in a pack.
- 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 gray wolf is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
- The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the gray wolf. That is 1 for the gray wolf and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- They are about the same. Top speeds: 1 for the gray wolf and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The spotted hyena usually lives about 4 times as long as the gray wolf. Usual lifespans: 1 for the gray wolf and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- Both eat meat. The gray wolf eats deer, elk, moose and smaller animals like beavers; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The gray wolf lives in forests, mountains and tundra of North America, Europe and Asia. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The gray wolf: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The spotted hyena: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐺 Gray wolf
- Every pet dog came from wolves, long, long ago.
- A howl can carry a long way through the forest.
- The whole pack helps look after the pups.
🐾 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 Gray wolf and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, gray wolf or spotted hyena?
The gray wolf is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, gray wolf or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena is a bit heavier than the gray wolf. That is 1 for the gray wolf and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which is faster, gray wolf or spotted hyena?
They are about the same. Top speeds: 1 for the gray wolf and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, gray wolf or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena usually lives about 4 times as long as the gray wolf. Usual lifespans: 1 for the gray wolf and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do gray wolf and spotted hyena eat?
Both eat meat. The gray wolf eats deer, elk, moose and smaller animals like beavers; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do gray wolf and spotted hyena live?
The gray wolf lives in forests, mountains and tundra of North America, Europe and Asia. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, gray wolf or spotted hyena?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. 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/gray-wolf-vs-spotted-hyena
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Yellowstone (wolf facts), 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.