---
title: "Cougar vs leopard — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Cougar is somewhat greater than leopard on weight — about 1.2×. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-leopard/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 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

- [Cheetah vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cheetah-vs-leopard/)
- [Gray wolf vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/gray-wolf-vs-leopard/)
- [Cheetah vs cougar](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cheetah-vs-cougar/)
- [Leopard vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/vs/leopard-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [Cougar vs jaguar](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-jaguar/)
- [Jaguar vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/jaguar-vs-leopard/)
- [Cougar vs gray wolf](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-gray-wolf/)
- [Cougar vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [Leopard vs snow leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/leopard-vs-snow-leopard/)
- [Komodo dragon vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/vs/komodo-dragon-vs-leopard/)
- [Leopard vs red kangaroo](https://atoneplace.net/vs/leopard-vs-red-kangaroo/)

## Sources

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