---
title: "American bison vs Cape buffalo — size, weight and speed compar"
description: "American bison is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on weight — about 1.2×. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-cape-buffalo/
site: "At One Place"
---

# American bison vs Cape buffalo

**American bison vs Cape buffalo: American bison is larger on weight**

American bison is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on weight — about 1.2×.

An American bison and a Cape buffalo 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.*

|  | American bison | Cape buffalo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 320–1,270 kg | 350–900 kg |
| Height | 1.5–2 m | 1.3–1.7 m |
| Length | 2.1–3.5 m | 2.1–3.4 m |
| Top speed | 56 km/h | 57 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 15–25 yr | 18–29 yr |

## What the numbers say

- American bison is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on weight — about 1.2×.
- American bison is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on height — about 1.2×.
- American bison and Cape buffalo are near enough identical on length.
- American bison and Cape buffalo are near enough identical on top speed.
- Cape buffalo is somewhat greater than American bison on typical lifespan — about 1.1×.

*Weight compared.*

- American bison: 320–1,270 kg
- Cape buffalo: 350–900 kg

## American bison

The heaviest land animal in the Americas; commonly called a buffalo, though true buffalo live in Africa and Asia.

## Cape buffalo

A large, unpredictable African bovid whose fused horn bosses form a helmet across the skull.

> 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, American bison or Cape buffalo?

American bison is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on weight — about 1.2×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do American bison and Cape buffalos compare on height?

American bison: 1.5–2 m. Cape buffalo: 1.3–1.7 m. American bison is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on height — about 1.2×.

### How do American bison and Cape buffalos compare on length?

American bison: 2.1–3.5 m. Cape buffalo: 2.1–3.4 m. American bison and Cape buffalo are near enough identical on length.

## Related pages

- [American bison vs giraffe](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-giraffe/)
- [American bison vs cow](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-cow/)
- [American bison vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [American bison vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-moose/)
- [American bison vs black rhinoceros](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-black-rhinoceros/)
- [Cape buffalo vs cow](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-cow/)
- [Cape buffalo vs giraffe](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-giraffe/)
- [Cape buffalo vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-moose/)
- [American bison vs dromedary camel](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-dromedary-camel/)
- [Cape buffalo vs dromedary camel](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-dromedary-camel/)
- [American bison vs water buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-water-buffalo/)

## Sources

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