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#111021 08/26/03 10:51 PM
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How would you go about describing the difference between the spotted leopard and the spotted jaguar? (I say 'spotted' here because both species have solid-colored types.)

I'm just curious in hearing how you, as writers, would describe the difference between the jaguar and leopard spots. I would say the jaguar has a spot within the spots and the leopard doesn't. I'd love to have a more sophisticated (or clinical, even) way of describing the difference between the two types of spots.


#111022 08/26/03 10:57 PM
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Jaguar spots move twice as fast as leopard spots.


#111023 08/26/03 11:45 PM
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Ha!!!!!!!! That was a great response, wwh!!! Can't wait to quote you to my kids at school. Big:


#111024 08/26/03 11:48 PM
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Pictures of each

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/agarman/jaguar.jpg

http://www.fr.ch/mhn/divers/kenya-image/leopard.jpg

Incidentally, the solid colored leopard, at least, is also spotted. It's just black spots on a black body, so it's kinda hard to see.


#111025 08/27/03 12:06 AM
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In reply to:

It's just black spots on a black body, so it's kinda hard to see.



Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll quote you to my kids, too, Faldage, even though I know you're telling the truth. Point will be: Ain't truth witty?


#111026 08/27/03 12:11 AM
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After looking at Faldage's pictures, I notice that the jaguar has fewer total spots. The leopard's more closelly spaced spots would be more effective in somewhat dense cover, where they would do most of their hunting. The jaguar is a speed specialist, and needs to blend in with cover surrounding a wide open area, where its speed can be useful. I remember seeing it stated that their sprints are over seventy miles per hour.


#111027 08/27/03 01:34 AM
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seventy miles per hour

I'd heard that about cheetahs, but never jaguars. very fast.

and remember, cheetahs never win...



formerly known as etaoin...
#111028 08/27/03 03:10 AM
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The jaguar is a speed specialist, and needs to blend in with cover surrounding a wide open area, where its speed can be useful. I remember seeing it stated that their sprints are over seventy miles per hour.


Are you sure you aren't mixing your cats, Dr. Bill? I have never read anything of jaguars' having the same speed as cheetahs, and your description of them as speed specialists definitely fits the cheetah, which does hunt on wide open areas. From the encarta article on jaguars: "The head and body are massive, and the legs are relatively short and thick. An adept climber and an excellent swimmer". The undisputed sprint champ, the cheetah has a verydifferent physique. It can't climb well, has only semi-retractable claws, and has very lean, long legs. Given that its design is very different from that of the jaguar, I would love to see any reference anywhere to jaguars' being able to match the cheetah in speed.


#111029 08/27/03 12:59 PM
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Sorry I was cheat ah ing.
What's worse, I was actually eating some Cheetos.


#111030 08/27/03 02:02 PM
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at the Wild Asia exhibit in the bronx zoo, one of the leopards (a black one) is behind glass, not bars... but he often posititions himself near one of the vents in the glass, were he (she) can push his nose up against it, and smell the other animals..
the flicks of the tail indicate intrest.
because of this, the leopard is often lying still, and you can clearly see the different shades of color black in the spots.



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