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

# hippopotamus vs red fox

**hippopotamus vs red fox: hippopotamus leads on 4 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A semi-aquatic grazer, the third-heaviest land mammal and among the most dangerous to people. The most widely distributed wild carnivore on Earth, at home from tundra to city centre. On the measurements below, hippopotamus 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

|  | hippopotamus | red fox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 1,300–3,200 kg | 2.2–14 kg |
| Length | 3.3–5 m | 0.45–0.9 m |
| Height | 1.3–1.65 m | 0.4 m |
| Top speed | 25–30 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Bite force | 1,800 psi | — |
| Lifespan | 40–55 yr | 2–15 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: hippopotamus is 250× heavier.
- Length: hippopotamus is 5.0× longer.
- Height: hippopotamus is 3.8× taller.
- Top speed: red fox is 1.7× faster.
- Lifespan: hippopotamus is 11× 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 hippopotamus bigger than a red fox?

hippopotamus is heavier — 1,300–3,200 kg against 2.2–14 kg.

### Who would win, a hippopotamus or a red fox?

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 hippopotamus weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/hippopotamus/)
- [How much does a red fox weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/red-fox/)
- [lion vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-red-fox/)
- [leopard vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-red-fox/)
- [jaguar vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-red-fox/)
- [cheetah vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-red-fox/)
- [cheetah vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [cougar vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-red-fox/)
- [cougar vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [domestic cat vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-red-fox/)
- [domestic cat vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [grizzly bear vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-red-fox/)
- [grizzly bear vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [polar bear vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-red-fox/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)