🐆 Leopard vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The leopard is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. They are about the same. The spotted hyena weighs about one and a half times as much as the leopard.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐆 Leopard | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The leopard is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. | 5.2 to 7.5 ft1.6 to 2.3 m1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed They are about the same. | 37 mph60 km/h1 | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The spotted hyena weighs about one and a half times as much as the leopard. | 37 to 143 lb17 to 65 kg1 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives The spotted hyena usually lives about twice as long as the leopard. | 10 to 12 years10 to 12 years1 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Leopard or spotted hyena
🏁 Who would win the race?
A photo finish! The leopard and the spotted hyena are about as fast as each other.
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 Leopard vs Spotted hyena
- The leopard: A spotted big cat that lives across Africa and Asia.
- 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 leopard is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
- The spotted hyena weighs about one and a half times as much as the leopard. That is 1 for the leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- They are about the same. Top speeds: 1 for the leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The spotted hyena usually lives about twice as long as the leopard. Usual lifespans: 1 for the leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- Both eat meat. The leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The leopard lives in woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia. 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 leopard: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The spotted hyena: doing fine (Least Concern 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.
🐾 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 Leopard and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, leopard or spotted hyena?
The leopard is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, leopard or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena weighs about one and a half times as much as the leopard. That is 1 for the leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which is faster, leopard or spotted hyena?
They are about the same. Top speeds: 1 for the leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, leopard or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena usually lives about twice as long as the leopard. Usual lifespans: 1 for the leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do leopard and spotted hyena eat?
Both eat meat. The leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do leopard and spotted hyena live?
The leopard lives in woodland, grassland and forest across Africa and parts of Asia. 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 leopards eat spotted hyenas?
The leopard eats mid-sized hoofed animals, plus birds, reptiles and rodents. Spotted hyenas are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Do spotted hyenas eat leopards?
The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone. Leopards are not in that list, which comes from its page. And the leopard is a bit more than as long as the spotted hyena.
Who would win, leopard 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/leopard-vs-spotted-hyena
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: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.