Jaguar vs. Leopard vs. Panther - What’s the Difference?

How can you tell jaguar, leopard and panther apart? This article will tell you!

Jaguars and leopards look very similar. They're large predatory cats. And both have spots. We’ll show you in simple steps and with large images how to tell jaguar, leopard, panther and clouded panther apart. They all have a unique appearance, behavior and their own habitats.

There is also a little aside about smaller predatory cats like ocelots, cheetahs and servals. They also have spots and aren’t that easy to tell apart. Finally, there’ll be a clear summary with pictures of all the spotted cats.

Photo: Foto: Maggy Meyer/Shutterstock

Mnemonic Trick

The best way to remember: the leOparD doesn’t have any solid dots in the middle of its rose-shaped markings. The two letters O and D for "0" and "dots" (= no dots) are in its name!

Unique Characteristics:

Here you can see all the characteristics in which the animals differ. On the following pages we'll explain them. Also, we show you large pictures for each feature, on which we have marked the differences.

Appearance:

• Coat patterns, spots, rosettes
• Tail tip

Anatomy:

• Size
• Weight
• Head
• Tail

Behavior:

• Climbing
• Swimming

Habitat and distribution

• Vegetation zone
• Geography

Find Out Here: Jaguar, Leopard or Panther?

Leopard - Photo: Eduard Kyslynskyy/Shutterstock

• Table of Contents:
• 0. Introduction
• 1. Fur Markings
• 2. Anatomy
• 3. Behavior and Habitat
• 4. What Are Panthers?
• 5. What Are Clouded Leopards, Cheetahs, Ocelots and Servals?
• 6. Summary With All Differences