Difference between Leopard and Cheetah
Both are feline species, with long tails and similar-coloured coats and markings.
They search for similar prey species throughout Africa.
However, a closer glance reveals that there are many variations in their appearance.
When it comes to behaviour and distribution, they are not as similar as you might think.
What makes a cheetah distinct from a leopard?
Leopards are larger, stronger, and generally heavier than cheetahs, with a focus on strength rather than speed or flexibility.
Cheetahs, on the other hand, are the fastest land animals and have a need for speed; thus, they are light, flexible, and streamlined in shape.
Cheetahs are higher at the head than leopards but shorter overall.
However, leopards are commonly regarded as the shortest of the big cats, as cheetahs are not universally regarded to be true large cats because they do not belong to the genus Panthera (as leopards do).
The inability of cheetahs to roar can also be used to identify them from other big cats, but there are different views on whether they should be regarded as such or not.
What differs the markings of a cheetah from those of a leopard?
Although they both have dark blotches on their coats, their spots are actually quite different.
Cheetahs' spots (above) are circular or oval in shape, consisting of solid blocks of colour of various sizes.
Some of the spots are more similar to smudges or diffuses than spots, and there are frequently tiny spots embedded within the larger ones.
Leopards' spots form rosette shapes on their fur, with the tan tint of their coats typically visible in the centre, at least on their bodies.
The shapes are frequently black in the centre on areas such as the back, face, and legs.
Leopards' markings are frequently more prominent on their faces than those of cheetahs.
However, the presence of black "tear lines" on the faces of cheetahs, which extend from the inner eyes to the mouth, is one of the most significant differences in their facial features.
The iris of a leopard is greenish-blue in colour, but the iris of a cheetah is amberish-brown in colour.
Cheetahs have a more rounded face with smaller canines, whereas leopards have a more elongated face with larger, more powerful jaws.
Certainly, there is a natural variation in the appearance of both subspecies.
Size and Body Shape
The size and body shape of a cheetah exhibit significant differences compared to a leopard.
Leopards are the smallest of the big cats; however, they are stronger and more robust than cheetahs.
Cheetahs possess a taller, more slender body in contrast to leopards, which are characterised by more strength and weight.
A cheetah is anatomically designed for velocity and is the swiftest terrestrial mammal, attaining speeds of up to 113 km/h (70 mph).
Cheetahs attain peak velocities mainly due to their longer bodies, slender abdomens, elevated chests, elongated limbs facilitating swift acceleration, and flexible spines enabling rapid directional shifts when hunting prey.
Leopards possess short, strong limbs that facilitate efficient arboreal navigation.
Leopards possess larger musculature around the shoulders and neck, enabling them to hoist their victims into trees.
Male cheetahs weigh close to 54 kilogrammes, whereas female cheetahs weigh more than 43 kilogrammes.
Male leopards weigh between 60 and 70 kg, while female leopards weigh between 30 and 40 kg.
Tail:
You can also distinguish a leopard from a cheetah using its tail, but the difference is not very great.
A notable physical feature of cheetahs is their flattened tails.
The cheetah's flatter tail functions as a rudder, enabling it to maintain balance and navigate while running at high speeds.
Leopard tails are characterised by their round shape, which is crucial for maintaining equilibrium while ascending and descending trees.
Hunting:
The manner in which leopards and cheetahs chase prey is entirely different.
Cheetahs employ their lightning-fast speed to pursue and capture their prey by tripping them with their talons and pursuing the throat.
Leopards prefer to ambush their prey by crouching low to the ground for extended periods and stalking their prey before they attack them.
Cheetahs and leopards hunt for food at various times and in different locations.
Cheetahs hunt during the day because they can't see well at night, but leopards hunt at night.
Cheetahs prefer to hunt in open spaces, which provide them with more space to attain their maximum speed.
Leopards, on the other hand, use camouflage and prefer to hunt in densely covered areas where they can better disguise themselves.
Speed:
The leopard is significantly slower than the cheetah. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals found worldwide.
In just three seconds, a cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 103 km/h and can attain a maximum speed of 113 km/h (70 mph) in a brief burst.
In contrast, leopards are not renowned for their speed; however, they are capable of accelerating and reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) over brief distances.
Habitat / Behaviour:
For example, cheetahs are more active during the day because they are diurnal, while leopards are more active at night because they are nocturnal.
To facilitate foraging, cheetahs prefer to reside in dense vegetation, savannas, and open grasslands.
Leopards and cheetahs are both solitary animals.
The male cheetahs, on the other hand, will occasionally band together in groups of two to three individuals.
Apart from when they are parenting, their young, female cheetahs live alone.
Mother cheetahs typically maintain tight proximity to their cubs.
Female leopards are also solitary animals; however, they will care for their newborns and instruct them on how to hunt before departing on their own.
Face & Claws:
Cheetahs have large hind feet that facilitate rapid acceleration and explosive speed.
Leopards possess larger forefeet that enable them to ascend trees and elevate their prey above the reach of scavengers.
A cheetah and a leopard differ greatly, mostly in their claws.
Cheetahs possess non-retractable claws, which enable them to manoeuvre at high speeds and accelerate swiftly.
Leopards possess claws that retract, which are essential for arboreal navigation and ambushing prey.
Life Cycle:
Leopards' lifespan is 12–17 years, while cheetahs' lifespan is only 8–10 years in the wild.
Cheetahs almost always mate during the dry season, in contrast to leopard cats, who can pair up at any time of the year.
For female leopards, the pregnancy lasts between 90 and 105 days, while for female cheetahs, it lasts between 90 and 95 days.
Leopard cubs are more likely to survive than cheetah pups.
Cheetah cubs are easier to spot than adult cheetahs, especially since the mother may leave her children for a long time while she hunts food.
Leopards typically produce litters of two to three cubs, while cheetahs have larger litters, comprising four to six offspring.
As you can see, a cheetah and a leopard may look similar to someone who isn't used to seeing them, but they are two very different animals with very different looks and behaviours.
A Cheetah runs so fast—how then?
Cheetahs have bigger nasal canals than leopards, which lets them breathe more effectively when sprinting at extreme speed even if the viewer cannot see any change.
For the same reason, their lungs, heart, and several other organs are enormous relative to their size.
Broad tails and flat tails help them to balance even though they can run at up to 75 miles per hour.
Their bigger back feet enable them to speed up from rest to 64 mph in three seconds!
They must catch their prey fast since they cannot sustain their highest speed for very long.
Leopards have larger front than back feet and rounder tails than cheetahs, which help their heavier front quarters and knock down their prey, employing speeds barely less than half that of cheetahs.
Their capacity to climb and the strength they have to pull prey heavier than they are up trees compensate for their deficiency in speed, therefore guaranteeing their catch for themselves.
Finally, most cat species have retractable claws, which stay sharp because they are only extended when needed.
Cheetahs' claws are only semi-retractable and therefore blunter, helping them grip the ground when they sprint.
Looking for claw points in the cheetah's tracks helps one to differentiate the two species since leopards' claws are retractable.
Which is more powerful, the Cheetah or the Leopard?
Because of their strength, leopards can outcompete cheetahs, either fighting them or driving them away if they invade their territory.
Although there is an overlap between the two species, their ecological spaces are different.
Do Cheetahs and Leopards hunt in the same manner?
Leopards jump on their prey and bring them down, using brutal power to kill them.
They can take on larger prey than cheetahs and hunt using a technique known as "ambush hunting" or "stalk and pounce".
Leopards can even leap from the safety of a tree they have climbed.
Similar to leopards, cheetahs approach their prey before chasing them, eventually causing them to stumble or lose their equilibrium so they can kill them.
Both then attack their victim in the neck to kill them; however, cheetahs may take a few minutes.
They differ in how they treat their prey after they have made the kill. Cheetahs must feed fast and covertly if at all possible.
They frequently drag their prey to a location where it is hidden and eat as much as they can in a short time.
This is because, based on the carcass's odour in the air, scavengers like hyenas quickly come searching.
Cheetahs must forgo their feast because they lack the strength to protect their prey from huge scavengers.
Leopards, on the other hand, cannot only protect themselves from scavengers but also move carcasses up trees so that most scavengers cannot access them.
It even grants them the luxury of leaving and returning later for more, in addition to letting them finish their meal at their speed.
Leopards normally hunt at night, while Cheetahs hunt during the day.
Leopards have more light-sensitive cells in their eyes than cheetahs, which helps them hunt at night by enabling them to perceive movement and shape more clearly.
Additionally, their eyes and pupils are bigger, enabling them to absorb more light.
People believe they can see at night seven times better than humans!