You’re about to leave the Go Wild website!
Are you over 18, or with your parent or guardian?
If not, please click back to the previous page.
Awesome Animals
Spotting a
pattern
Learn how to identify animals by the look of their spots
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.
Africa and Asia
They have neat, regular rosettes (with no spots inside them) on their sides.
South and central America
Their rosettes are larger and more spaced out than a leopard’s, some with small spots inside.
South and central America
Ocelots have spots on their necks and sides that stretch into long, horizontal blotches.
South-east Asia
These small big cats have got large, black-outlined blotches on their sides and front legs.
Lives in Africa
These speedy cats have small solid spots all over (no blotches or rosettes).
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.
