---
title: "Cougar vs spotted hyena — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Cougar is somewhat greater than spotted hyena on weight — about 1.1×. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/cougar-vs-spotted-hyena/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cougar vs Spotted hyena

**Cougar vs spotted hyena: Cougar is larger on weight**

Cougar is somewhat greater than spotted hyena on weight — about 1.1×.

A cougar and a spotted hyena 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 | Spotted hyena |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 29–100 kg | 40–86 kg |
| Height | 0.6–0.8 m | 0.7–0.92 m |
| Length | 1–1.8 m | 0.95–1.6 m |
| Top speed | 80 km/h | 60 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 8–20 yr | 12–25 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Cougar is somewhat greater than spotted hyena on weight — about 1.1×.
- Spotted hyena is somewhat greater than cougar on height — about 1.1×.
- Cougar is somewhat greater than spotted hyena on length — about 1.2×.
- Cougar is somewhat greater than spotted hyena on top speed — about 1.3×.
- Spotted hyena is 2× cougar on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Cougar: 29–100 kg
- Spotted hyena: 40–86 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.

## Spotted hyena

A social carnivore whose jaws crack bone; females are larger than males and lead the clan.

> 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 spotted hyena?

Cougar is somewhat greater than spotted hyena on weight — about 1.1×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do cougars and spotted hyenas compare on height?

Cougar: 0.6–0.8 m. Spotted hyena: 0.7–0.92 m. Spotted hyena is somewhat greater than cougar on height — about 1.1×.

### How do cougars and spotted hyenas compare on length?

Cougar: 1–1.8 m. Spotted hyena: 0.95–1.6 m. Cougar is somewhat greater than spotted hyena on length — about 1.2×.

## Related pages

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

## Sources

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