---
title: "African wild dog vs gray wolf — size, weight and speed compare"
description: "Gray wolf is 1.6× African wild dog on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/african-wild-dog-vs-gray-wolf/
site: "At One Place"
---

# African wild dog vs Gray wolf

**African wild dog vs gray wolf: Gray wolf is larger on weight**

Gray wolf is 1.6× African wild dog on weight.

An African wild dog and a gray wolf can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | African wild dog | Gray wolf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 18–36 kg | 23–62 kg |
| Height | 0.6–0.8 m | 0.66–0.95 m |
| Length | 0.75–1.4 m | 1.05–1.6 m |
| Top speed | 66 km/h | 50–65 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 7–11 yr | 6–16 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Gray wolf is 1.6× African wild dog on weight.
- African wild dog and gray wolf are near enough identical on height.
- Gray wolf is somewhat greater than African wild dog on length — about 1.4×.
- African wild dog is somewhat greater than gray wolf on top speed — about 1.1×.
- African wild dog is somewhat greater than gray wolf on typical lifespan — about 1.3×.

*Weight compared.*

- Gray wolf: 23–62 kg
- African wild dog: 18–36 kg

## African wild dog

A pack hunter with one of the highest kill success rates of any large predator.

## Gray wolf

The largest wild canid and the ancestor of the domestic dog.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, African wild dog or gray wolf?

Gray wolf is 1.6× African wild dog on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do African wild dogs and gray wolfs compare on height?

African wild dog: 0.6–0.8 m. Gray wolf: 0.66–0.95 m. African wild dog and gray wolf are near enough identical on height.

### How do African wild dogs and gray wolfs compare on length?

African wild dog: 0.75–1.4 m. Gray wolf: 1.05–1.6 m. Gray wolf is somewhat greater than African wild dog on length — about 1.4×.

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## Sources

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