The Difference between jaguar and leopard
You ever gone to the zoo and seen one of those cats and asked yourself: ''What cat is this?''
Well you dont need to worry no more. I will try and make the differences between those two cats as easy as possible for you !
First off, if you meet them in the wild it is usually pretty easy to tell which one it is. Jaguars are from America (mainly from middle and south america) while leopards just live in africa and certain parts of asia (snowleopard just in asia).
If you meet them in a zoo however you can never go after this criteria, in that case there are still lots of other ways to find out.
For one there is the size, the average jaguar has a length of 1,90m (without the tail) and is therefore considered the 3rd biggest wildcat in the world. The leopard however has just an average length of 1,50m (without the tail) and just comes fourth in the comparison of the biggest wildcats in the world.
If you however don't want to go up close to the thing with ur tape-measure in your hand, then you will have to find out other ways to identify the cat.
One of those ways, even tho a very unpleasant one and not recommended by myself, would be to let yourself bite by the cat and see how strong it bites. The jaguar has the strongest bite of all wildcats since it kills it's prey by crushing their spinal column with their teeth. This also makes for an uniquely shaped skull which shows in a wider jaw and broader forehead.
Or you just go and lift the thing, the average jaguar weighs about twice as much as an average leopard.
But I guess we just going by averages here and you might still not be sure which cat it is that you are fighting right now. Well do not die just yet, I will give you an easy and fast way to spot the difference between those two majestic cats. It is the fur !
While the jaguar has large rosettes (marks on the fur) with spots in the middle, the leopard has smaller rosettes with no markings in the middle. If you are not sure about the size of the rosettes, then do what I do and try count the rosettes on the spine (along the back) of the cat. If you can count them fast and reach somewhere between 5-10 then its likely a jaguar, if its hard to count or more than 10 it might be a leopard.
You survived the trials and found out now which cat it is that is standing in front of you ? Well then go and show your new earned knowledge of to your family !
Well you dont need to worry no more. I will try and make the differences between those two cats as easy as possible for you !
First off, if you meet them in the wild it is usually pretty easy to tell which one it is. Jaguars are from America (mainly from middle and south america) while leopards just live in africa and certain parts of asia (snowleopard just in asia).
If you meet them in a zoo however you can never go after this criteria, in that case there are still lots of other ways to find out.
For one there is the size, the average jaguar has a length of 1,90m (without the tail) and is therefore considered the 3rd biggest wildcat in the world. The leopard however has just an average length of 1,50m (without the tail) and just comes fourth in the comparison of the biggest wildcats in the world.
If you however don't want to go up close to the thing with ur tape-measure in your hand, then you will have to find out other ways to identify the cat.
One of those ways, even tho a very unpleasant one and not recommended by myself, would be to let yourself bite by the cat and see how strong it bites. The jaguar has the strongest bite of all wildcats since it kills it's prey by crushing their spinal column with their teeth. This also makes for an uniquely shaped skull which shows in a wider jaw and broader forehead.
Or you just go and lift the thing, the average jaguar weighs about twice as much as an average leopard.
But I guess we just going by averages here and you might still not be sure which cat it is that you are fighting right now. Well do not die just yet, I will give you an easy and fast way to spot the difference between those two majestic cats. It is the fur !
While the jaguar has large rosettes (marks on the fur) with spots in the middle, the leopard has smaller rosettes with no markings in the middle. If you are not sure about the size of the rosettes, then do what I do and try count the rosettes on the spine (along the back) of the cat. If you can count them fast and reach somewhere between 5-10 then its likely a jaguar, if its hard to count or more than 10 it might be a leopard.
You survived the trials and found out now which cat it is that is standing in front of you ? Well then go and show your new earned knowledge of to your family !
jaguarLatin Name: Panthera onca
Territory: Middle- & Southamerica Average Size: ± 1,90 m (head and body) Average Weight: 56-96 kg Record Size: 2,60 m (head to tail) Record Weight: 149 kg Fur: Large rosettes with spots in them Bite Force: circa 2000 psi (pounds per square inch) |
leopardLatin Name: Panthera pardus
Territory: Africa & Asia Average Size: ± 1,50 m (head and body) Average Weight: ♂ 30-91 kg ♀ 23-60 kg Record Size: 1,90 m (head and body) Record Weight: 96,5 kg Fur: Small rosettes with no markings in the middle Bite Force: 450-550 psi (pounds per square inch) |
* Please note that Bite Forces are difficult to measure, and there are lots of variables in the testing. Therefore there are lots of different numbers floating around in the internet. The ones produced here are just the ones that are most fitting to the information and facts about the animal in general.
** Leopard averages were taken with all subspecies combined (e.g. snowleopard and clouded leopard)
** Leopard averages were taken with all subspecies combined (e.g. snowleopard and clouded leopard)