---
title: "reticulated python vs spotted hyena — size, speed and bite for"
description: "reticulated python 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/reticulated-python-vs-spotted-hyena/
site: "At One Place"
---

# reticulated python vs spotted hyena

**reticulated python vs spotted hyena: reticulated python leads on 1 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The longest snake in the world; the record animal measured 10 m. A social carnivore whose jaws crack bone; females are larger than males and lead the clan. On the measurements below, reticulated python 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

|  | reticulated python | spotted hyena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 25–160 kg | 40–86 kg |
| Length | 3–10 m | 0.95–1.6 m |
| Height | — | 0.7–0.92 m |
| Top speed | — | 60 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 1,100 psi |
| Lifespan | 15–29 yr | 12–25 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: near enough identical.
- Length: reticulated python is 3.8× longer.
- Lifespan: near enough identical.

## 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 reticulated python bigger than a spotted hyena?

spotted hyena is heavier — 40–86 kg against 25–160 kg.

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