---
title: "bottlenose dolphin vs spotted hyena — size, speed and bite for"
description: "bottlenose dolphin and spotted hyena compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an enc"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/bottlenose-dolphin-vs-spotted-hyena/
site: "At One Place"
---

# bottlenose dolphin vs spotted hyena

**bottlenose dolphin vs spotted hyena: bottlenose dolphin leads on 3 of 4 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The dolphin most people picture, and the one most often kept in aquaria. A social carnivore whose jaws crack bone; females are larger than males and lead the clan. On the measurements below, bottlenose dolphin leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | bottlenose dolphin | spotted hyena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 150–650 kg | 40–86 kg |
| Length | 2–4 m | 0.95–1.6 m |
| Height | — | 0.7–0.92 m |
| Top speed | 35 km/h | 60 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 1,100 psi |
| Lifespan | 30–60 yr | 12–25 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: bottlenose dolphin is 5.0× heavier.
- Length: bottlenose dolphin is 2.1× longer.
- Top speed: spotted hyena is 1.7× faster.
- Lifespan: bottlenose dolphin is 2.0× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a bottlenose dolphin bigger than a spotted hyena?

bottlenose dolphin is heavier — 150–650 kg against 40–86 kg.

### Who would win, a bottlenose dolphin or a spotted hyena?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a bottlenose dolphin weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/bottlenose-dolphin/)
- [How much does a spotted hyena weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/spotted-hyena/)
- [lion vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [leopard vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [jaguar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [cheetah vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [cougar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [snow leopard vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/snow-leopard-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [domestic cat vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [grizzly bear vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [polar bear vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [American black bear vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [American black bear vs bottlenose dolphin](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-bottlenose-dolphin/)
- [giant panda vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-panda-vs-spotted-hyena/)

## Sources

- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA (https://www.noaa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)