Cheetah Vs. Leopard: Main Difference Between A Cheetah And Leopard

Well! So you have been asking yourself if there are any Similarities or Differences between a Cheetah and a Leopard. Most people often get confused between a leopard and a cheetah. But actually, they are very different species in this article we are going to explain the differences Between Cheetah Vs Leopard.

Generally, cheetah and leopard are different animals and not the same. They are being differentiated with the help of a pattern of spots present in the skin of the animals and also based on the habitat.

SPOTS

The first difference between a leopard and a cheetah is their coat or Print. Cheetahs have spots on their fur while leopards have rosettes that can be seen in the image given below.

TEAR MARKS

Cheetahs also have a tear line on their face that makes them easily distinguishable from leopards and other big cats. These tear marks act as reflection absorbers while they are hunting during sunny days.

BODY STRUCTURE

Cheetah is the fastest mammal on the Earth and its body is more streamlined. Small head, long legs, slender body, exposed shoulder blades, pumped chest, and thin stomach, these properties make them exceptionally fast runners, an adult male cheetah weighs roughly around 53–57 kg. On the other side, leopards has a more robust build, they are stronger than cheetahs. Leopards are shorter at the shoulder than cheetahs but are more muscular.

HEAD

Leopards appear to have larger heads with longer snouts and wider jaws, while cheetahs have flatter snouts and narrower jaws. This difference could be to compensate for tooth size. Leopards have much larger teeth while cheetahs have relatively small teeth for such a large predator. It makes sense that leopards have bigger heads and mouths considering they are more likely to go after larger prey than a cheetah is.

BEHAVIOR

Cheetahs cannot roar but often chirp (to find one another), growl, yowl, and purr. They are carnivores, and mostly eat mammals under 80 pounds, such as the Thomson’s gazelle, the springbok, and the impala. They can also hunt zebra and wildebeests when hunting in groups.

Cheetahs are diurnal and tend to hunt either in the early morning or evening. They hunt using vision, rather than scent, and tend to stalk prey before chasing them in a quick burst.

Leopards are solitary cats and are largely nocturnal. They are very agile and are powerful swimmers. They have a broad diet, including things from dung beetles to male giant elands. Their prey usually weighs less than 440 pounds, however, and typically consists of ungulates and primates. They mostly hunt between sunset and sunrise.