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

# Nile crocodile vs spotted hyena

**Nile crocodile vs spotted hyena: Nile crocodile leads on 3 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

Africa's largest crocodilian and, by most counts, the animal responsible for the most human deaths on the continent. A social carnivore whose jaws crack bone; females are larger than males and lead the clan. On the measurements below, Nile crocodile 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

|  | Nile crocodile | spotted hyena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 225–750 kg | 40–86 kg |
| Length | 2.4–6 m | 0.95–1.6 m |
| Height | — | 0.7–0.92 m |
| Top speed | — | 60 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 1,100 psi |
| Lifespan | 45–80 yr | 12–25 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: Nile crocodile is 5.8× heavier.
- Length: Nile crocodile is 3.1× longer.
- Lifespan: Nile crocodile is 2.5× 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 Nile crocodile bigger than a spotted hyena?

Nile crocodile is heavier — 225–750 kg against 40–86 kg.

### Who would win, a Nile crocodile 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 Nile crocodile weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/nile-crocodile/)
- [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/)
- [lion vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [leopard vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [leopard vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [jaguar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [jaguar vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [cheetah vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [cheetah vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [cougar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [cougar vs Nile crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-nile-crocodile/)
- [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/)

## Sources

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