---
title: "saltwater crocodile vs spotted hyena — size, speed and bite fo"
description: "saltwater 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 en"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/saltwater-crocodile-vs-spotted-hyena/
site: "At One Place"
---

# saltwater crocodile vs spotted hyena

**saltwater crocodile vs spotted hyena: saltwater crocodile leads on 4 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest living reptile and the animal with the hardest bite ever measured. A social carnivore whose jaws crack bone; females are larger than males and lead the clan. On the measurements below, saltwater 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

|  | saltwater crocodile | spotted hyena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 76–1,300 kg | 40–86 kg |
| Length | 2.5–6.3 m | 0.95–1.6 m |
| Height | — | 0.7–0.92 m |
| Top speed | 29 km/h | 60 km/h |
| Bite force | 3,700 psi | 1,100 psi |
| Lifespan | 65–100 yr | 12–25 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: saltwater crocodile is 8.3× heavier.
- Length: saltwater crocodile is 3.5× longer.
- Top speed: spotted hyena is 2.1× faster.
- Bite force: saltwater crocodile is 3.4× a stronger bite.
- Lifespan: saltwater crocodile is 3.5× 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 saltwater crocodile bigger than a spotted hyena?

saltwater crocodile is heavier — 76–1,300 kg against 40–86 kg.

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