At first sight the cheetah and a leopard are very similar. Many think that it is different names of the same animal. However it is absolutely different representatives of the cat family.
In spite of the fact that the cheetah and a leopard seem similar, these two absolutely different wild cats have a set of differences in appearance, the habitat and habits. Having taken a closer look at them closer and having learned subtleties of their activity, you any more will never confuse them.
Cheetah
This predator lives in a northern part of Africa, India and Central Asia. The cheetah is considered the fastest animal on the earth. He gathers speed to 115 km/h, but runs only on short distances. In 2 seconds about 75 km/h disperse. Always pursues production in a race and never attacks from an ambush. A cheetah brawny, lean, the average sizes an animal, with the small head. The body him in length makes no more half a meter. Legs its long and sinewy. The cheetah hunts only in the afternoon as he needs availability of light.
The cheetah is easily tamed by the person. Earlier at the royal yards the cheetahs were pets and also trained them for hunting.
And not to get tired from a heat, he prefers to arrange search of food early in the morning or in the late afternoon. Small animals, such as rabbits, goats, average antelopes, birds, the African boars become its victims there are warthogs. At first the cheetah quietly creeps to the purpose and when to it there are about 10 meters, begins the running. Paws forces down production and smothers it. More than a half of attempts to catch the victim remain unsuccessful.
LeopardOther predator from the cat family lives in China, Indonesia and in the Far East. This rather large animal, to 3 meters in length with a tail. It has also small head, but shorter legs. As winter cold weather is familiar to a leopard, he tries "to postpone a fat on the sides". The leopard hunts only at night, from an ambush. He wears out the victim on a tree. Eats deer, roes, antelopes, birds and even reptiles. Sometimes catches fish and likes to swim for a while. Leopard beautiful jumper. Its jumps can be to 3 meters up. And powerful jaws allow to move the victim which is often exceeding body weight on long distances.
Leopards practically never attack people the first, but the wounded animal will surely try to revenge the hunter.
Main distinctions of a cheetah and leopardThe cheetah on a muzzle along a nose has black strips which are called "cheetah tears", the leopard has no such strips. On a skin at a cheetah the black round, sometimes merging spots, at a leopard of a spot black-brown, are collected in sockets. The leopard is larger, than the cheetah, almost twice and is more well-fed. At a leopard the claws hide, at a cheetah – no. Thus, even in appearance of these wild animals there are many differences which allow to define easily, which of them a cheetah and who – a leopard.