Differences between jaguar, cheetah and leopard

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 14 February 2021
Update Date: 12 November 2024
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Differences between jaguars, leopards and cheetahs
Video: Differences between jaguars, leopards and cheetahs

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The Felidae family is formed by a group of animals that we usually know as felines, which have as a common characteristic the fact that they are born hunters, an action they perform with great skill, which guarantees them a high probability of capturing their prey. Their great aptitude for hunting is due to their excellent eyesight, good sense of hearing, speed and the fact that they are extraordinarily stealthy. In addition, they have teeth and claws that they use as lethal weapons to trap their victims. Currently, the Felidae family consists of two subfamilies (Felinae and Pantherinae), 14 genera and 40 species.

While some of the cats are clearly distinguishable, on the other hand, others can be confusing due to certain similar physical traits. Therefore, in this PeritoAnimal article we will present the differences between jaguar, cheetah and leopard, three cats that are usually confused. Read and learn how to easily differentiate this group of cats.


Jaguar, cheetah and leopard taxonomy

These three cats belong to the class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Felidae. As for the genus, the cheetah corresponds to the Acinonyx, while the jaguar and the leopard belong to the genus Panthera.

The species are as follows:

  • jaguar or jaguar: panthera onca.
  • Leopard: panthera pardus.
  • cheetah or cheetah: Acinonyx jubatus.

Differences between jaguar, cheetah and leopard

Within the differences between the jaguar, the cheetah and the leopard, we find certain physical traits that can help us to identify them.

Physical characteristics of the jaguar

The jaguar is the largest among the three species, with an average height of 75 cm, and between 150 and 180 cm in length. In addition, it has a long tail of about 70 to 90 cm. As for weight, it ranges from 65 to almost 140 kg. Females are usually a little smaller than males.


Although their bodies tend to be slender and their legs relatively short, jaguars are muscular and powerful, with large heads and very strong jaws. What they lack in speed they make up for in power and strength. The coloration can be pale yellow or reddish brown, with the presence of black spots that vary in shape, but that, as a whole, are like rosettes and are present throughout the body.

The belly and neck areas and also the outside of the legs are white. Some individuals may have melanism, which gives them an all-black color with black spots, visible only up close. These black jaguars are often called "panthers", although they do not form another species or subspecies.

Physical characteristics of the cheetah or cheetah

The cheetah has the thinnest body, with long limbs compared to the body, small, rounded heads. They characteristically have a black band that runs from the inner end of the eye to the muzzle laterally. O weight varies between 20 and 72 kg, while the length is between 112 and 150 cm, with a height of 67 to 94 cm. The color varies in intensity from yellow and cheetahs have small rounded black spots all over their bodies, without establishing a particular shape as occurs with leopards.


Leopard's physical characteristics

As for leopards, they have short legs compared to their long bodies, with broad head and massive skull, which gives them a jaw with powerful muscles. They have muscular bodies that facilitate their climbs.

Weight and dimensions vary considerably between males and females. Males are between 30 and 65 kg and can measure up to more than 2m; females, in turn, have body masses from 17 to 58 kg, with an average length of 1.8 m, therefore tend to be smaller than jaguars.

Leopards vary in color from light yellow to reddish orange and have black spots all over their bodies, which can range from circular to square and form a kind of rosette. The body pattern is unique for each individual.. There are black individuals and, as in the case of jaguars, this is due to the presence of a dominant allele, which is why they are also commonly known as "black panthers".

Distribution and habitat of the jaguar, cheetah and leopard

In this section, we'll get to know some of the details of each of these three species better:

jaguars

THE Jaguar it is the largest feline in the Americas and is currently the only representative of its kind in this region. Its range has been considerably reduced, to the point that it has disappeared from several areas. Currently, they can be found, irregularly, from the southwest of the United States to Central America, passing through the Amazon to Argentina. In this sense, it can be seen in the United States, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It is considered extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay and the biggest individuals are in Brazil and Venezuela.

The habitat of jaguars is relatively varied and depends mainly on the specific region where they are located. In this sense, they can be present in tropical forests, marshy areas that suffer seasonal flooding, grasslands, thorny thickets, deciduous forests. In general, they mainly choose to lowland rainforests; secondly, by xerophytic ecosystems; and finally, by pasture areas.

Cheetahs

The cheetah populations too were heavily impacted, being present in both West and Southern Africa, limited in Asia to the central deserts of Iran. Despite this fragmentation, cheetahs are present between northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. There are also records from southern Ethiopia, southern Sudan, northern Kenya and Uganda.

O cheetah habitat it consists of dry forests, thick thickets, grasslands and extreme deserts. They also make their home in plains, salt marshes and rugged mountains. In this other article you find out how fast a cheetah can go.

leopards

Leopards have a wide range of distribution, being present in several countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. They are considered extinct in: Hong Kong, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mauritania, Morocco, Singapore, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

They have a greater range of habitats than jaguars, being present in desert and semi-desert areas. Also in certain areas with grassland savannas, mountainous and tropical forests, but there is even a small population in the snowy regions of the east russia.

Behavior of the jaguar, cheetah and leopard

Jaguars can be active almost all day, although they prefer to move around at dusk and dawn. They seek refuge in mid-morning and afternoon, being under dense vegetation, caves or large rocks. They are attracted to bodies of water and during periods of flood they stay in the trees to rest. Are lonely animals, which only come together when the female is in heat.

The behavior of cheetahs or cheetahs is characterized by being territorial, an action they carry out leaving urine, feces, making marks on trees and the ground, even circulating on the grass to crush it and leave its scent. Cheetahs have a unique behavior within felids, as form social bonds or coalitions between males with some kinship, and eventually allow an outside male to enter the group. There are also cases of solitary males. On the other hand, females are usually solitary or are accompanied by young people who still depend on them.

Leopards, in turn, are solitary and nocturnal, and this last aspect increases if they are close to human areas. They are territorial, to the point of marking the space around them with their urine and feces, and also emit various types of sounds to communicate. They are excellent swimmers and prefer to be in the lower part of forests.

Jaguar, cheetah and leopard feeding

Now let's talk about feeding the jaguar, cheetah and leopard. We have already stated that all three are carnivorous animals.

Jaguar feeding

Jaguars are excellent hunters and use their powerful jaws. They stealthily chase their prey and once they find the most opportune moment, rush at them, immediately grabbing the neck to suffocate the animal in question.

They are also able to pierce prey skulls with their strong canines. Their diet is varied and the jaguars have a preference for large animals. But they can feed on: wild pigs, tapirs, deer, alligators, snakes, porcupines, capybaras, birds, fish, among others.

cheetah feeding

As for the cheetah, it is considered one of the fastest terrestrial mammals in existence, an advantage they use for hunting. Unlike jaguars and leopards, cheetahs do not chase or ambush their prey, but when they are at a distance of 70 to 10 meters, they start a fast race to capture them, however can't keep their speed for more than 500 meters away.

When the hunt is successful, they pull the victim down with their front paws and grab her by the neck to strangle her. Cheetahs aren't as strong as the other two cats we've introduced in this article, so their prey is more limited and will usually flee if another stronger predator confronts them to feed. Among the animals they eat are: antelopes, gazelles, birds, hares, between others.

leopard feed

Leopards, on the other hand, ambush their prey, surprising them by preventing them from escaping. To do this, they stealthily move in a crouch and, once close, attack the victim. It's not common that if they don't jump, they chase the animal. When they catch, they break their neck and choke the prey, and then move it to a place where they can eat in peace, like up in a tree.

Their strength allows them to hunt individuals larger than themselves and among the types of animals they eat are: antelopes, gazelles, deer, pigs, cattle, birds, monkeys, reptiles, rodents, arthropods and sometimes even carrion. also are able to hunt both hyenas and cheetahs, furthermore, it was identified that they store carcasses and continue to capture prey.

Meet other fast animals in this article: "The 10 fastest animals in the world".

Reproduction of the jaguar, cheetah and leopard

Jaguars are able to reproduce throughout the year, as females have estrus cycles approximately every 37 days, which last between 6 and 17 days; however, between December and March there are higher mating rates. When the female is in heat, she leaves her territory and make sounds to communicate his willingness to the males, who can confront each other in order to mate with the female. Once mating has occurred, females will not allow a male to approach them, much less when a calf is born. Pregnancy lasts between 91 and 111 days and a litter will have 1 to 4 offspring.

You cheetahs also breed year-round, but unlike jaguars, both sexes can mate with different partners. Both males and females tend to leave their territories during the breeding season. Females are receptive for about 14 days, in cycles ranging from 3 to 27 days. The gestation period lasts about 95 days, and a litter will consist of a maximum of 6 offspring, although in captivity they can be from more individuals.

In the case of leopards, as with cheetahs, both males and females can have multiple sexual partners. Females cycle every 46 days, and heat lasts 7 days; during this time, they can mate several times a day. when a female is in heat, the male will be able to detect her by urine that is loaded with pheromones or also because she can approach and rub her tail on the male. Gestation lasts 96 days and they usually give birth to 1 to 6 pups.

Now that you've seen the differences between jaguar, cheetah and leopard, we point out that, unfortunately, the jaguar is in the category of almost threat of extinction; the cheetah and the leopard are in a vulnerable state. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt even more protective measures to save these species on the planet.

Be sure to check out yet another article on rare cats: photos and characteristics, and if you like cats, watch the following video about the smartest cat breeds in the world:

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