Awesome Animals
Spotting a
pattern
Learn how to identify animals by the look of their spots
Spot the difference
Around two-thirds of the world’s 35 wild cat species have got fur that’s patterned with spots, rosettes or blotches. This camouflage helps them blend into the background – different species have different patterns depending on where they live.
Leopard
Africa and Asia
They have neat, regular rosettes (with no spots inside them) on their sides.
Jaguar
South and central America
Their rosettes are larger and more spaced out than a leopard’s, some with small spots inside.
Ocelot
South and central America
Ocelots have spots on their necks and sides that stretch into long, horizontal blotches.
Clouded leopard
South-east Asia
These small big cats have got large, black-outlined blotches on their sides and front legs.
Cheetah
Lives in Africa
These speedy cats have small solid spots all over (no blotches or rosettes).
Did you know?
Every big cat's pattern of spots is unique, a bit like no two humans have the same fingerprints. This helps scientists tell them apart.
