Leopard and cheetah are two mammals you may be quite familiar from childhood picture books. But are you sure you can tell them apart in the wild?

Here are some tips to help you out. 

The first thing you notice when seeing a leopard or a cheetah is the beautiful fur. The cheetah has spots and dots, while the leopard has rosettes.

Slide to see different patterns.

The most obvious characteristic of a cheetah is the "tear lines" on its face. The two black lines make it always look upset and cute at the same time. The leopard, on the other hand, looks more fearsome without the tear lines.

Slide to see different faces.

Comparatively, a cheetah is apparently smaller than a leopard. The shoulder height varies between 70 to 90 cm, weighing 70 kilograms at most. As the fastest animal on the land, the cheetah's body is built for speed: slender; streamlined body shape; small head; a relatively weaker jaw to save space for a big nasal cavity for efficient breathing; long legs; and non-retractable claws to cling to the earth while running. Thanks to all these features, a cheetah can reach 112 km/h in 100 meters. 

A leopard usually looks more robust and muscular, its body is stockier, it has shorter limbs and a broader head. The shoulder height of a leopard is shorter than a cheetah (about 60-70 cm), but its heavier (90 kilograms for a male). Its strong jaw provides a very powerful biting force, enabling it to bring its prey onto a tree. The claws, like many other felines, are retractable to avoid abrasion. 

Slide to see body shape difference. 

The cheetah is more active in the day and prefers open lands to chase prey. The leopard is nocturnal and spends most of its time on trees. Besides, the cheetah is more social, whereas the leopard is usually a solitary hunter.

There is another interesting detail: the cheetah can't roar.

The cheetah lives in fragmented habitats in Africa and Iran. The leopard has a broader distribution in big areas of Africa and Asia, including China. In fact, the leopard has the largest distribution of all wild cats.

Both species are listed as "vulnerable" in the IUCN red list, with decreasing populations due to environmental change, habitat loss, and human disturbance. According to the lasted statistics given by the IUCN, there are only 6,674 cheetahs left.

(Cover image via VCG)

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