🐆 Snow leopard vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The snow leopard is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. The spotted hyena weighs about one and a half times as much as the snow leopard.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐆 Snow leopard | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The snow leopard is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena. | 5.9 to 7.5 ft1.8 to 2.3 m1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the snow leopard yet. | no checked number yet | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The spotted hyena weighs about one and a half times as much as the snow leopard. | 77 to 99 lb35 to 45 kg1 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives They are about the same. | 21 years21 years1 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | blue sheep and other animals of the mountains | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | high, cold mountains in Asia, from the forest edge up to bare rock | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Snow leopard or spotted hyena
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the snow leopard 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 Snow leopard vs Spotted hyena
- The snow leopard: A pale, spotted cat with a long tail that lives in high mountains.
- 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 snow 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 snow leopard. That is 1 for the snow leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the snow leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- Both eat meat. The snow leopard eats blue sheep and other animals of the mountains; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The snow leopard lives in high, cold mountains in Asia, from the forest edge up to bare rock. 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 snow 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
🐆 Snow leopard
- A snow leopard has a tail almost as long as its body.
- It lives high in the cold mountains of Asia.
- It is so hard to see that scientists know little about it.
🐾 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 Snow leopard and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, snow leopard or spotted hyena?
The snow leopard is a bit bigger than the spotted hyena: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, snow leopard or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena weighs about one and a half times as much as the snow leopard. That is 1 for the snow leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, snow leopard or spotted hyena?
They are about the same. Usual lifespans: 1 for the snow leopard and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do snow leopard and spotted hyena eat?
Both eat meat. The snow leopard eats blue sheep and other animals of the mountains; the spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do snow leopard and spotted hyena live?
The snow leopard lives in high, cold mountains in Asia, from the forest edge up to bare rock. 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, snow leopard 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/snow-leopard-vs-spotted-hyena
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Uncia uncia (snow 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.