LEOPARD

Appearance
The leopard has as distinctive characteristics the spots that its fur presents, although there is a great variation in color
and in the arrangement of the spots. The ground color can be pale straw and leather gray to chestnut a deep ocher and
the underside is white. Shoulders, upper legs, back, flanks, and hip have dark spots arranged in rosettes, which usually
surround an area that is a shade darker than the rest of the ground color. The head, throat and chest are marked with
small black spots, while the belly has spots that are also black, but elongated. Body length varies from 91 cm to 1.91 m,
tail length is 58 m to 1.1 m, and weight is 37 to 90 kg in males and 28 to 60 kg in females. The leopards that live in
desert regions are the smallest, while the largest are those of the jungle. There are also melanistic leopards that are
more commonly known by the name of black panthers and that are common, especially in dense and humid forests.The
leopard can adapt to almost any habitat that provides enough food and shelter. One specimen is known to have been
found at an altitude of 5,638 m, on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is usually nocturnal and during the day rests on a tree branch,
among dense vegetation or on rocks.In one night it can travel up to 25 km, but if disturbed it can be up to 75. It usually
proceeds by a quiet, slow gait, but can briefly run at speeds of about 60 km/hr. He has been seen jumping up to 6
meters horizontally and 3 meters vertically. It is an agile climber and a strong swimmer, although it does not like water
as much as the tiger. The sight and hearing are very good and the sense of smell seems to be better developed than in
other cats.
 HABITAT
• They only need minimal shelter and some available prey,
which allows them to live in savannahs, mountains,
rainforests, dry forests, deserts, grasslands, and steppes.
The dark spots that paint the body of the leopards differ
from those of the jaguar because they do not have a spot
inside.
 DIET

Carnivorous; mainly small and medium-sized ungulates, such as

gazelles, impalas and deer, domestic animals, primates,
rodents, birds and sometimes arthropods.
 OTHER FACTS
• Scientific name: Panthera pardusSpeed: 58 km/h (Maximum,
Running)Average lifespan: 12 – 17 yearsLength: 90 – 160 cm
(Adult, Head and body)Species: P. pardus; Linnaeus, 1758Body
Mass: 31 kg (Male, Population in the coastal mountains of South
Africa), MoreHeight: 60 – 70 cm (Male, Adult, Shoulder), 57 – 64
cm (Female, Adult, Shoulder)