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Cougar vs Leopard

Cougar vs leopard
Cougar is larger on weight
Cougar is somewhat greater than leopard on weight — about 1.2×.

A cougar and a leopard 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 Leopard
Weight 29–100 kg 28–90 kg
Height 0.6–0.8 m 0.55–0.8 m
Length 1–1.8 m 0.9–1.9 m
Top speed 80 km/h 58 km/h
Typical lifespan 8–20 yr 10–21 yr

What the numbers say

  • Cougar is somewhat greater than leopard on weight — about 1.2×.
  • Cougar and leopard are near enough identical on height.
  • Cougar and leopard are near enough identical on length.
  • Cougar is somewhat greater than leopard on top speed — about 1.4×.
  • Leopard is somewhat greater than cougar on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.

Weight compared.

Cougar 29–100 kg
Leopard 28–90 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.

Leopard

The most widespread big cat, and the one that routinely hauls kills heavier than itself into trees.

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 leopard?
Cougar is somewhat greater than leopard on weight — about 1.2×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do cougars and leopards compare on height?
Cougar: 0.6–0.8 m. Leopard: 0.55–0.8 m. Cougar and leopard are near enough identical on height.
How do cougars and leopards compare on length?
Cougar: 1–1.8 m. Leopard: 0.9–1.9 m. Cougar and leopard are near enough identical on length.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
  2. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution

How these figures are compiled and checked