🐆 Leopard vs Shortfin mako 🦈
The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the leopard. The shortfin mako weighs about twice as much as the leopard.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐆 Leopard | 🦈 Shortfin mako |
|---|---|---|
| Size The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the leopard. | 5.2 to 7.5 ft1.6 to 2.3 m1 | 10 to 12 ft3.2 to 3.8 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the shortfin mako yet. | 37 mph60 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The shortfin mako weighs about twice as much as the leopard. | 37 to 143 lb17 to 65 kg1 | 132 to 298 lb60 to 135 kg2 |
| Lives The shortfin mako usually lives about 3 times as long as the leopard. | 10 to 12 years10 to 12 years1 | 29 to 32 years29 to 32 years2 |
| Eats The leopard eats meat; the shortfin mako eats fish. | mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents | mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia | open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface |
Which one? Leopard or shortfin mako
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the shortfin mako yet, so there is no race.
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.
10 things to know about Leopard vs Shortfin mako
- The leopard: A spotted big cat that lives across Africa and Asia.
- The shortfin mako: A sleek open-ocean shark that travels far across the sea.
- They are different kinds of animal. The leopard is a mammal, so it breathes air with lungs and feeds its babies milk; the shortfin mako is a fish, so it breathes with gills.
- The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the leopard: 2 against 1.
- The shortfin mako weighs about twice as much as the leopard. That is 1 for the leopard and 2 for the shortfin mako.
- The shortfin mako usually lives about 3 times as long as the leopard. Usual lifespans: 1 for the leopard and 2 for the shortfin mako.
- The leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents. The shortfin mako eats mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid.
- The leopard lives in woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia. The shortfin mako lives in open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The leopard: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The shortfin mako: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐆 Leopard
- A leopard can run fast in short bursts.
- Leopards live in woodland, grassland and forest.
- It eats birds, reptiles and rodents too.
🦈 Shortfin mako
- A shortfin mako travels very long distances.
- Females are bigger than males.
- It lives in warm and cool seas around the world.
Questions kids ask about Leopard and Shortfin mako
Which is bigger, leopard or shortfin mako?
The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the leopard: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, leopard or shortfin mako?
The shortfin mako weighs about twice as much as the leopard. That is 1 for the leopard and 2 for the shortfin mako.
Which lives longer, leopard or shortfin mako?
The shortfin mako usually lives about 3 times as long as the leopard. Usual lifespans: 1 for the leopard and 2 for the shortfin mako.
What do leopard and shortfin mako eat?
The leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents. The shortfin mako eats mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid.
Where do leopard and shortfin mako live?
The leopard lives in woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia. The shortfin mako lives in open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, leopard or shortfin mako?
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/leopard-vs-mako-shark
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Panthera pardus (leopard), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Isurus oxyrinchus (shortfin mako), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.