Jaguar, Leopard or Panther - What’s the Difference?

6. Summary

This table shows you the most important differences between jaguars, leopards, clouded leopards, ocelots, cheetahs and servals at a glance. Don’t forget: the word panther either refers to a black jaguar or a black leopard!

Jaguar

• Family: Big cats
• Body: Sturdy
• Fur: Large rosettes, dots
• Distribution: Central and South America
• Habitat: Rainforest

Jaguar - Photo: Mikadun/Shutterstock

Leopard

• Family: Big cats
• Body: Slim
• Fur: Small rosettes, no dots
• Distribution: Africa, China, India
• Habitat: Rainforests, mountains, savannah

Leopard - Photo: Eduard Kyslynskyy/Shutterstock

Clouded Leopard

• Family: Big cats
• Body: Long tail
• Fur: Cloud-like rosettes
• Distribution: South-East Asia
• Habitat: Forest

Clouded Leopard - Photo: Sarah Cheriton-Jones/Shutterstock

Cheetah

• Family: Felinae
• Body: Thin, long tail
• Fur: Small spots, black inside
• Distribution: Africa
• Habitat: Savannah, steppe

Cheetah - Photo: Arnoud Quanjer/Shutterstock

Ocelot

• Family: Felinae
• Body: Sturdy
• Fur: Rosettes, stripes
• Distribution: Central and South America
• Habitat: Rainforests, mangroves

Ocelot - Photo: Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock

Serval

• Family: Felinae
• Body: Thin, large ears
• Fur: Thick spots
• Distribution: Africa
• Habitat: Grassland

Serval - Photo: Howard Klaaste/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