What Are the Differences Between a Cougar & a Cheetah?

As members of the Felidae family of mammals, cougars and cheetahs share many general characteristics of large cats. For example, they have similar facial features with whiskers and are carnivorous. Despite similarities, however, these large cats display differences when considering their fur color, size, geographical location, physical capabilities and feeding habits.

  1. Physical Characteristics

    • One primary difference lies in the color and pattern of their. A cougar generally has a solid tan or brown color whereas a cheetah has black spots all over its body with several black rings at the tip of the tail. Size-wise, cougars are generally larger than cheetahs. The average weight of an adult cougar is between 115 and 160 pounds. On the other hand, cheetahs weigh between 80 and 140 pounds.

    Habitat

    • Besides occasionally being housed in the same zoo, cougars and cheetahs naturally live on opposite sides of the world. Cougars claim home in the Western Hemisphere and live anywhere from the Andes Mountains in South America to the upper provinces of Canada. Within the United States, cougars live mainly in the wilderness areas on the western side of the country. Cheetahs, on the other hand, live mainly in the vast grasslands of Africa with a small population in the Middle East.

    Physical Capabilities

    • Different hunting techniques and habitats influence the physical capabilities of cougars and cheetahs. As a slightly larger cat, a cougar has large and strong hind legs that allow it to jump many feet upwards and sideways. Cougars also have retractable claws, enabling them to climb trees. Cheetahs are more streamlined than cougars and as a result are extremely fast sprinters. As the fastest land animals, cheetahs can sprint up to 75 miles per hour chasing after prey. Additionally, cheetahs do not have retractable claws so they are not able to climb high into trees.

    Feeding Habits

    • Although both are carnivores, cougars and cheetahs have different feeding habits. Located in the Americas, cougars hunt very deliberately from dusk to dawn and will sometimes stalk prey for up to an hour at a time. Feeding on a catch for several days, a cougar might eat animals such as deer, elk, moose, raccoons and rabbits. Cheetahs take a slightly different approach to hunting. As a sprinting feline that looks for food early in the morning or evening, a cheetah stalks and chases prey such as impalas, zebras and hares. Unlike cougars, cheetahs will soon give up if they are unable to catch a prey soon after the fast-paced sprint. Once it catches its prey, however, a cheetah eats quickly to avoid other carnivores from stealing its food.