🦁 Lion vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The lion is about twice as long as the spotted hyena. The lion weighs about 3 times as much as the spotted hyena.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦁 Lion | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The lion is about twice as long as the spotted hyena. | 8.5 to 11 ft2.6 to 3.5 m1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the lion yet. | no checked number yet | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The lion weighs about 3 times as much as the spotted hyena. | 414 lb188 kg1 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives The spotted hyena lives a bit longer than the lion. | 16 years16 years3 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and other grazing animals | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | the savannas of Africa, and one forest in India | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Lion or spotted hyena
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the lion 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 Lion vs Spotted hyena
- The lion: The only big cat that lives in a family group, called a pride.
- 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 lion is about twice as long as the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
- The lion weighs about 3 times as much as the spotted hyena. That is 1 for the lion and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The spotted hyena lives a bit longer than the lion. Usual lifespans: 3 for the lion and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- Both eat meat. The lion eats zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and other grazing animals; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The lion lives in the savannas of Africa, and one forest in India. 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 lion: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 4
- The spotted hyena: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 5
Wow facts
🦁 Lion
- Lion cubs are born with spots, which fade as they grow.
- A lion's roar can be heard far away across the grassland.
- Lionesses in a pride often look after each other's cubs.
🐾 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 Lion and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, lion or spotted hyena?
The lion is about twice as long as the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, lion or spotted hyena?
The lion weighs about 3 times as much as the spotted hyena. That is 1 for the lion and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, lion or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena lives a bit longer than the lion. Usual lifespans: 3 for the lion and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do lion and spotted hyena eat?
Both eat meat. The lion eats zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and other grazing animals; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do lion and spotted hyena live?
The lion lives in the savannas of Africa, and one forest in India. 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 lions eat spotted hyenas?
The lion eats zebras, wildebeest, buffalo and other grazing animals. Spotted hyenas are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Do spotted hyenas eat lions?
The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone. Lions are not in that list, which comes from its page. And the lion is about twice as long as the spotted hyena.
Who would win, lion 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/lion-vs-spotted-hyena
Where these numbers come from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Register 2015 (Listing Two Lion Subspecies), checked 30 October 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena), checked 10 November 2026.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Lion, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.