A jaguar by any other name would still look as sweet . . . but it wouldn't technically be a jaguar. You see, even though some people call out these species interchangeably, I've zoomed into the photos from our big cats quiz to illustrate the spotty difference between the three.
- Leopard (Scientific name: Panthera pardus): These cats have a pattern that looks flower like — called rosettes — in large numbers with a slightly different color inside.
- Jaguar (Scientific name: Panthera onca): Jaguars' markings also include rosetted dots but they sometimes have spots in the center as well as a darker, thicker outline. Typically, there are larger rosettes in smaller numbers on this species.
- Cheetah (Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus): No rosettes here, the Cheetahs have solid, evenly-distributed spots.
Go forth, kitty expert, there you have it!