Leopards
(Panthera
Pardus)
Habitat
The leopards
are spread
throughout the globe more than any other large cat. They are in many
places
such as most of the African continent, with the exception of the Sahara
Desert
region. They are spread
throughout parts
of Asia and the Middle East to India, Pakistan, China, Siberia, much of
southeast Asia, and the islands of Java and Sri Lanka. The
leopard’s habitat is
in the woodlands, lowland forests and mountain heights. The leopard is
very
good at adapting to different habitats but needs trees for hiding and
watching
predators.
Appearance
There are more than 20
species
of leopards known. Leopards are one of the four “roaring
cats” and can make a
deep rumbling roar like the jaguar. The background color of the
leopard's coat
changes from shades of yellow through a reddish brown, with some
albino, which
is very rare. It is occasionally common to have normal and melanistic
or dark
colored babies in the same litter. The leopard is also like the jaguar
in looks
with dark spots or rosettes. The size of the spots change throughout
the globe
the most closely related of the pantherines. The size of the leopard
varies
throughout the world. There are species
of large leopards in Iran and West Africa and smaller species in
Somalia and Java. The leopard’s
size averages
between five and eight feet in length, and it weighs from 60 to 210
pounds in
the wild.
Diet
Leopards catch and eat
everything
from insects and rodents to larger animals such as giraffe and buffalo
calves.
Leopards are not people eating cats but there have been several
un-proven
stories of leopards attacking people when they are threatened. Leopards
are strictly
carnivores, meaning they only eat meat.
Breeding
Leopards have no
breeding or
mating season but tend to mate around January and February. It takes 90
to 105
days for the female to give birth after mating. The male and female
leopard
split up after mating, leaving the female to care for the cubs on her
own. Litters
average two cubs that weigh one and a half to two pounds. The coat of
the
leopard cub is wooly with spots like there mother or father. The cubs
stay with
their mother for 18 to 24 months. The average life time for a leopard
in the
wild is 15 to 20 years with captive leopards up to 25 years
Cubs
The
cubs of the
female leopard are about 1
1/2 to 2
pounds average at birth.
Each litter
averages 2 cubs per litter. All cubs are born blind and develop sight
soon
after birth. Cubs are wooly with spots. They are weaned or begin to
stop living
off their mothers milk by the age of three months. Cubs have a similar
diet to
their mother after they are weaned. The average cub stays with their
mother for
18-24 months.
Interesting
Facts
Live to be 15-20 years
in the
wild and 20-25 years in captivity.
Are an endangered
species along
with almost all other big cats.
Lions are a threat to
leopards
as well as Hyenas.
Snow Leopards are the
rarest of
all types of leopards.
Albino Leopards have
no spots or
color besides white and have blue or pinkish eyes.
Closest relative is
the jaguar.
Cheetah
Cougar
For more images of leopards, visit Wildlife Pictures Online (opens an offsite link).
