---
title: "Cougar vs gray wolf — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Cougar is 1.7× gray wolf on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-gray-wolf/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cougar vs Gray wolf

**Cougar vs gray wolf: Cougar is larger on weight**

Cougar is 1.7× gray wolf on weight.

A cougar 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.*

|  | Cougar | Gray wolf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 29–100 kg | 23–62 kg |
| Height | 0.6–0.8 m | 0.66–0.95 m |
| Length | 1–1.8 m | 1.05–1.6 m |
| Top speed | 80 km/h | 50–65 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 8–20 yr | 6–16 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Cougar is 1.7× gray wolf on weight.
- Gray wolf is somewhat greater than cougar on height — about 1.1×.
- Cougar and gray wolf are near enough identical on length.
- Cougar is somewhat greater than gray wolf on top speed — about 1.3×.
- Cougar is somewhat greater than gray wolf on typical lifespan — about 1.3×.

*Weight compared.*

- Cougar: 29–100 kg
- Gray wolf: 23–62 kg

## Cougar

The widest-ranging land mammal in the Americas; despite the size it is more closely related to the domestic cat than to lions.

## 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, cougar or gray wolf?

Cougar is 1.7× gray wolf on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do cougars and gray wolfs compare on height?

Cougar: 0.6–0.8 m. Gray wolf: 0.66–0.95 m. Gray wolf is somewhat greater than cougar on height — about 1.1×.

### How do cougars and gray wolfs compare on length?

Cougar: 1–1.8 m. Gray wolf: 1.05–1.6 m. Cougar and gray wolf are near enough identical on length.

## Related pages

- [Cheetah vs gray wolf](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cheetah-vs-gray-wolf/)
- [Gray wolf vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gray-wolf-vs-leopard/)
- [Cheetah vs cougar](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cheetah-vs-cougar/)
- [Gray wolf vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gray-wolf-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [Cougar vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-leopard/)
- [Gray wolf vs snow leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gray-wolf-vs-snow-leopard/)
- [Cougar vs jaguar](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-jaguar/)
- [Cougar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [Gray wolf vs jaguar](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gray-wolf-vs-jaguar/)
- [African wild dog vs gray wolf](https://atoneplace.net/vs/african-wild-dog-vs-gray-wolf/)
- [Eurasian lynx vs gray wolf](https://atoneplace.net/vs/eurasian-lynx-vs-gray-wolf/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)