What is the difference between the Jaguar (Panthera onca) and the Leopard (Panthera pardus)?
The Jaguar and the Leopard are both carnivorous wild cats.
The Jaguar and the Leopard have dark rosette-shaped markings on their cream to yellowish-brown fur.
The Jaguar has larger and fewer rosettes than the Leopard. The rosettes of the Jaguar are mostly without a gold centre.
The Jaguar is stockier and more muscular than the Leopard.
The Jaguar has a shorter muzzle (nose) than the Leopard.
The Jaguar has more prominent jaw muscles than the Leopard.
The Jaguar has a larger head than the Leopard.
The Jaguar is generally larger than the Leopard.
The Jaguar likes warm tropical and sub-tropical climates, whereas the Leopard can live in a range of habitats, from warm to snowy, and from rocky to mountainous.
The Jaguar is native to Central America and South America, whereas the Leopard is native to Africa and Asia.
Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, France and Tbilisi Zoo, Georgia]
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM