Comparing Cats: A Discussion of Similarities & Differences

[Sully]

Expanding on the cheetah/snow leopard comparison (from the paper linked above)

"Intriguingly, the cheetah and snow leopard are the only species in which tibia length exceeds femur length. They also share a relatively long lumbar region, occupying about 35% of PVC. Although these two species are clearly not closely related (Johnson et al. 2006b), and while clearly the elongate tibia and lumbars represent adaptations for speed in the cheetah, they are more difficult to explain in the snow leopard."

"The snow leopard also has a long tail (69.2– 84.0% HB; Kitchener 1991), which probably functions similarly when leaping between rocks and ascending or descending steep slopes and may also act as a muffler to insulate face and paws from the cold at high altitude when resting. Finally, the cheetah’s long tail (53.7–54.5% HB; Kitchener 1991) is an important counterbalance when pursuing fast-running prey, which is apt to twist and turn sharply (Text Box 3.1)." Reply