What are the similarities and differences between Cheetahs and African Leopards?
The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and the African Leopard (Panthera pardus) are both felines – wild cats from Africa.
The Cheetah has a sway-back and the Leopard does not.
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The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large feline, a wild cat. It is a mammal.
The Cheetah is tawny-coloured with clear solid round and oval black spots and with a white underbelly. Its spots are on its fur and also on its skin. It is a ‘sway-backed’ cat with a thin waist, and long legs. Its head is rounded and small, with a unique black ‘tear’ stain below each eye. It has dog-like feet with blunt claws that cannot retract – their claws cannot go in and out; the claws are always visible. Its tail is long and spotted, with several closely-spaced black rings near the end. It has short, thin whiskers.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
The Serval (Leptailurus serval) is a slender, medium-sized wild cat found in southern Africa, similar to a cheetah but much smaller. The Serval can grow to 54–62 centimetres (21–24 inches) tall.
The Serval has golden-yellow fur that has black spots and black stripes. It has a small head, large ears, elongated toes, and a short 30 centimetre (12 inch) long black-tipped tail. It has brown or green eyes, white whiskers, white chin, and white under-belly. Three to four black stripes run from the back of the head onto the shoulders, which become rows of spots.
The Serval has the longest legs of any cat, in comparison with its body size. This may be to allow the Serval cat to walk above muddy ground. Like a domestic cat, it is very flexible and can change direction in mid-air as it leaps.
How do the cheetah, leopard, and lion hunt?
The cheetah and the leopard are lone hunters.
The lion hunts in a group.
The cheetah hunts during the day.
The leopard and the lion hunt mainly at night.
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How do cheetahs hunt and eat?
When a cheetah is chasing its prey, the cheetah trips the animal so that it falls down.
Then the cheetah will bite the animal on the throat to stop it from breathing.