Left: Cheetah with tear lines. We recently wrote about cheetah vs leopard, and recently have had some readers asking about jaguar v leopard, and even whether they’re the same animal.. It’s easy to understand why people get jaguars and leopards confused, as they look very similar. They are typically found in grasslands, woodlands and riverine forests. Right: Leopard in Ruaha. Let’s take their biological classification for instance. Again, this is not always the case and cheetah may well be found hunting under the light of a full moon but typically they will avoid moving around when larger predators are more likely to be active. The cheetah is aerodynamically perfect for the race. What is the difference between Leopard and Cheetah? • Leopard is a big cat but cheetah is not. Agile, swift, graceful, lethal...words fail to describe the magnificence of this particular predator from the cat family. Owing to its diurnal nature, hunting style, and natural habitat, the cheetah is largely dependent on its sight, instead of smell, when it comes to hunting. After you’ve been on an African safari it’s relatively easy to find the difference between cheetah and leopard. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Animal prints have long been used in fashion and style. Then again, one thing common to the cheetah and leopard as well as other wild animals, which is hard to miss, is that they have been at the receiving end of our overzealous nature. While the leopard, like most cats, is an ambush predator, the cheetah is the only cursorial hunter in the Felidae family, meaning that it hunts by chasing prey at high speed over a long distance. A closer look, for instance, and you will notice that the cheetah has smaller, fuller spots, while the leopard has relatively large black spots or patches with brown portion in the middle. From their size and built, we can infer that the leopard is built for strength, while the cheetah is built for speed. Key Differences between Cheetah and Leopard. This article intends to discuss the characteristics and present some notable differences between leopard and cheetah. There are many differences between cheetah and leopard and claws are one of the important differences. An adult cheetah ranges between 110-170 centimeters, with a height of 90 centimeters, and a weight of 34-60 kilograms, whereas a full-grown leopard body length reaches between 90-165 centimes and a height of 78-80 centimeters, with some subspecies weighing up to 70 kilograms. This is the main difference that you can identify between the leopard and cheetah. The leopard has a pattern of clusters, like a rosette on its fur whereas the cheetah has spots. TAIL: Another subtle difference between a cheetah and a leopard can be seen in the tail. The spots on the skin look like little roses, earning the name rosettes. If you’re close enough, one clear distinction between a cheetah and a leopard is the markings on their faces. Cheetah are diurnal cats meaning they move about more during the day than at night and leopards are nocturnal cats, moving about more frequently at night than during the day. As opposed to the streamlined physique of the cheetah, the leopard has a stockier built. An adult cheetah ranges between 110-170 centimeters, with a height of 90 centimeters, and a weight of 34-60 kilograms, whereas a full-grown leopard body length reaches between 90-165 centimes and a height of 78-80 centimeters, with some subspecies weighing up to 70 kilograms. Cheetahs are immediately identifiable by their black “tear” line which runs down their face. Now, jaguars are New World felines, meaning they are only found in the Americas, but cheetahs and leopards have a more or less overlapping geographic range. Key differences between cheetah, leopard, and jaguar. These patches in the leopard print are known as rosettes. Cheetah’s claws help them better chasing their prey. The main difference between Cheetah and Leopard is that the Cheetah is a large feline of the genus Acinonyx and Leopard is a species of mammal. 1.3K Shares Source: Flickr user macjewell. Animal prints have long been used in fashion and style. The main difference between Cheetah and Leopard is that the Cheetah is a large feline of the genus Acinonyx and Leopard is a species of mammal. Leopard prints come in various different colors and can range from an off-whitish color to a bold yellow color, depending on the animal’s habitat. In short bursts, they are known to clock speeds of up to 70 mph, which far exceeds that of leopards at 40 mph. Difference Between Leopard And Cheetah Behavior. Filed Under: Animals Tagged With: African Leopard, Asian Leopard, Asinonyx jubatus, big cats, cheetah, cheetahs, Leopard, leopards, Panthera pardus. The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and the African Leopard (Panthera pardus) are both felines – wild cats from Africa. It’s a common misconception that everything caramel, brown, black & spotted is leopard print. Not so much. First time safari-goers and those who haven’t delved into the depths of African wildlife often get confused between these two species. The key distinction between leopards and cheetahs is the coloration and arrangement of their spots. Clear black, spots on the coat. The cheetah weighs anywhere between 46 to 159 lb. Leopard The spots on the skin of both the carnivores are the main difference between the two. Their tail starts with small black spots but ends with large black colour rings. The shoulder height varies between 70 to 90 cm, weighing 70 kilograms at most. If you see them, You might have thoughts, they all are same but actually, they aren't, there are some significant differences in behaviour and physicality. Yawning cheetah, CKGR, Botswana. Cheetah prints have a tan background and have small black spots in brush patterns. On the other hand, the Yellow with black rosettes color belongs to Leopard. The most striking similarity between these two, is their geographic range which spans sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. Cheetah: Leopard: Jaguar: Habitat: Savannah and open grasslands: Dense bush and wooded koppies: Wet lowlands: Spots: Solid black spots: Rosette with black spots (small) Rosette with black spots (larger) Running speeds: 120 kmph: 60 kmph: 80kmph: Build: Leopards normally have smaller and rounder rosettes than those of the jaguars. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. Cheetahs are found in Africa and southwestern Asia. 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