GK Quiz: What is the difference between cheetah, leopard and jaguar, how to identify them? Know these 3 big differences

Trending GK, Cheetah vs Leopard vs Jaguar: Whenever people see a cheetah or a leopard or a jaguar, they get confused as to what is the difference between the three. Many a times debates are also started regarding this. Seeing these three, people often say that they are all animals of the same cat family, but in reality, cheetah, leopard and jaguar are completely different. Neither the speed, nor strength, nor lifestyle of all three are the same. However, it is also true that Cheetah, Leopard and Jaguar all three belong to the Big Cat Family (Felidae Family).

Cheetah: The fastest runner

Cheetah is the animal that runs fastest on land. It can run from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3 seconds. Its body is very light. Its waist is thin and its legs are long. Its long tail helps in maintaining balance. Its color is light yellow and there are small round black spots on it as if black pepper has been sprinkled on lentils. There are two black lines below the eyes. These are called tear marks. They protect from sunlight. Its weight is only up to 65 kg and length is 5-7.5 feet. The special thing is that cheetah does not climb trees. He hunts during the day and gets tired after running, hence he keeps panting after hunting. Its head is small and flat. The scientific name of cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus. Cheetah is found in Africa and parts of Asia.

Leopard: The smartest animal of the jungle

A leopard is one who climbs a tree and hangs its prey so that the lion or leopard does not snatch it away. It hunts at night and attacks secretly from behind. Its identity is that it is golden yellow. There are round black bouquet-like marks on it which are called rosettes and the most important thing is that there is an empty space inside the rosette and there is no black dot in the middle. Their weight ranges from 37 to 90 kg. Length is 3 to 6.3 feet. These swimmers are also amazing and are very clever. They live in every type of forest from Africa to India. Leopard lives in the forests, hills and grasslands of Africa and Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia etc.

Jaguar: the most powerful

Jaguar is the big cat with the most powerful bite. The scientific name of Jaguar is Panthera onca. It is stronger and heavier than cheetah and leopard. Its head is big and its jaws are so strong that even the turtle’s shell cracks and kills its prey by biting directly into the skull. The coat is also golden yellow but there are one or two small black dots inside the rosette. This is the easiest identification. Jaguar’s weight ranges from 56 to 96 kg and its length is 3.7 to 6.1 feet. It enters the water and kills fish, crocodiles and even caimans. Sometimes it is also found completely black i.e. melanistic. It is called black panther.