At first sight, these two big cats, really, are very similar. Both, both a leopard, and a cheetah, beautiful, graceful predators with a spotty skin. Seldom who has an opportunity to see them nearby. But actually, they belong to different childbirth. The cheetah - the only representative of a genus of cheetahs, and a leopard is taken out in a genus of panthers. They rather strongly differ on anatomic features and also have differences in vital habits and the habitat.
External differences
The most noticeable difference of these two cats can be seen on their muzzle – cheetahs have the unique black plaintive strips going down from internal corners of eyes to a nose, and leopards have no such drawing. Specks on a skin of these animals too different if to look narrowly. The drawing of a leopard consists of the specks collected in sockets with a dark background inside, and at a cheetah the accurate dark stains do not form the correct ring drawings.
Also these cats differ in the size: the cheetah harmonious and graceful, has practically no fat deposits, some muscles. He has a small head and the small rounded-off ears. The mass of an adult cheetah on average about 50 kg, body length — up to 140 cm together with a long tail. The leopard more massiven, allows presence of an excess fat owing to natural laziness, length of his body reaches 250 cm, weight - to 70 kg. At cheetahs longer legs thanks to which he is a recognized champion in development of speed among land mammals. Besides, it has peculiar claws - a cheetah the only representative of the cat family not capable to involve them.
HabitatThe cheetah is under the threat of disappearance, its largest populations are in Namibia, Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania. Due to a misunderstanding, before a cheetah considered dangerous to the cattle and people and exterminated in all ways. Leopards live in Africa, in India, Central Asia. This animal occasionally meets in our country in Transcaucasia, Primorsky Krai and in mountains of Central Asia. In Africa a considerable part of leopards lives in thickets of prickly bushes, conceding meadows to a cheetah.
Way of lifeThe cheetah is considered one of the most peace big cats. They practically never attack people, unlike leopards. In circuses, lions, tigers and cheetahs, and leopards act appear exclusively seldom more often. These freedom-loving cats are cruel, vindictive and do not give in to training. The African hunters consider a leopard by the predator, most dangerous to the person. The cheetah hunts at the expense of improbable speed, he can disperse up to 115 km/h within several seconds. But such sprint demands enormous expenses of energy and lasts not for long - if the cheetah cannot quickly overtake the victim, then stops prosecution. Leopards hunt, waiting in an ambush or creeping as it is possible closer to production then jump and smother her. Leopards usually seek to drag production above to ensure its safety, and cheetahs of it do not do. Leopards are inclined to hunt in twilight to be imperceptible in the ambush. The cheetah prefers to hunt in the afternoon, it is so simpler to catch up with the victim. Leopards of the single by the nature also hunt on one. Cheetahs can quite come for hunting by pack.