Cheetah vs Leopard vs Jaguar- How to tell the three cats apart
Gowrish Babu
Cheetahs are back in India. And, if you don’t know how to tell a cheetah from a leopard, or a leopard from a jaguar, you are not alone.
These large spotted cats are often confused with each other. But look for these signs, and you wouldn't be at loss ever again.
Body frame: Cheetahs have thin body, small head and long legs. They are around 26-36 inches in height and not more than 145 pounds in weight.
Leopards have long body with a large skull. Height is almost like that of cheetahs but the weight can reach 200 pounds.
Jaguar has a very strong body and weigh around 350 pounds, which is the most among the three.
Spots: This is what confuses one cat with another but the spots are not exactly the same in the three cats.
Cheetahs have solid, round black spots and a tear line that runs from the mouth to the inside of the eyes.
Both leopards and Jaguar have rosette spots, but the ones on jaguar are bigger and not circular unlike leopard's round spots.
Behaviour: They are very chalk and cheese in the way they conduct themselves.
Cheetahs are most social among the three. Both leopard and the jaguar are solitary animals and form pairs only during breeding season.
Hunting style: Cheetahs hunt during the day while leopards and jaguars prefer nights to hunt. Cheetahs can run at a speed of 75 miles per hour and taking sudden sharp turns at high speed.
Jaguars thrive in and around water. Leopards can swim too, but prefer to hunt on land, just like cheetahs.
Tree climbing skills: Leopards are excellent tree climbers. Jaguars are also quite agile in trees.