In the world there are numerous types of cats with exceptional characteristics. One of them well known is the leopard. It is one of the smaller cats, but very fierce and carnivorous. It is related to lions, panthers, tigers and some others. It belongs to the Phantera genus and comes from the felid family. It is also known by the name of brown panther.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, habitat, reproduction and some other things of the leopard.
Leopards are cats that have a very strong bone structure. Normally, males are larger and heavier than females. While the weight in males are usually around between 31 and 91 kilos, in females it is usually between 22 and 60 kilos. Its tail can be almost as long as its entire body. It has an average length that goes between 91 and 166 centimeters and the tail between 60 and 110 centimeters.
One of the main visual characteristics of leopards is that they have brown spots on their bodies. These spots are different in size from each other and are known as rosettes. Leopard skin is very soft and its legs are usually smaller compared to those of other cats.
One of its most important capacities in its survival and development is that can reach speeds of up to 36 miles per hour in very short periods of time. On some occasions it must give up catching a prey since it cannot maintain this speed for a long time. It has such strong jaws that it is capable of climbing a tree holding prey in its mouth. Jumping forward they are able to reach 6 meters of distance.
They are animals that need a large amount of water and drink it very frequently in order to stay well hydrated at all times. Athough it does not seems, they are good swimmers. It is usually a very energetic animal that remains active most of the day. The females are usually with their young and go hunting several times a day.
It is a species capable of easily adapting to its environment. This makes it possible to develop in good conditions under different environmental conditions. There are some leopards that have melanism. This is a dark pigmentation of the coat and skin. The result of this pigmentation is that, about 6% of the leopard population, have a dark color and are known as black panthers.
There are also them with a white fur that is known as Snow Leopard. This animal lives in areas between 2000 and 6000 meters above sea level in mountainous areas of Siberia, Mongolia, India, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Mongolia or Pakistan. Is in danger of extinction.
The leopard is often confused with the jaguar. The main difference is that the jaguar is larger in size and has a rounder head. However, their eyes and ears are smaller.
The range of the leopard spans all ecosystems of savannahs, forests, mountains and grasslands of Asia and Africa. Those places where there are prey to be able to hunt, water and a larger territory can be developed in good conditions. These cats require places to hide and surprise their prey. As we have mentioned before, it can be easily adapted to different environments. For themIt can be easily found in other regions such as Russia, Malaysia, and Korea, among others.
Something curious about the leopard is that it prefers to withdraw and avoid confrontations so as not to get hurt. Males fight more frequently when their territory is threatened. They are usually quite bloody battles where one of the two is seriously injured. He modus operandi of the leopard when attacking its opponent is to spit. He uses it as a method of attack to surprise the rival. The loser of the fight will stand down and not come any closer to or fight for that area.
On some occasions the young females may approach to lick the injured leopard, although they only do so as a show of affection and solidarity.
The leopard diet is strictly carnivorous. It is usually a good predator and its favorite loots are ungulates, among which we find antelopes, impalas, zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, and some more. Although not as frequently, they can feed on reptiles, small monkeys, and some insects. When food is scarce it is a good opportunist. This means that it takes advantage of another predator's situation. An example of this is that It usually steals prey from cheetahs and hyenas.
Their main hunting activity will be at night. They prefer it to prevent other animals from stealing their prey. Although during the day they are active, many of them they sleep under the shade of cool vegetation or on the branches of trees. They have a great sense of sight and hearing that allow them to be very meticulous when it comes to detecting their prey.
Although it may seem crazy, the hunting activity of the leopard favors populations of herbivorous animals with its capture. This is because these species have a great frequency of grazing in green areas and would cause their immediate reduction. This is how the food chain is controlled.
Courtship is the first reproductive process of this feline. When the female is in heat, a process that lasts for 7 days several times a year, It usually walks in front of the male making movements with its tail. The gestation of a new individual lasts between 90 and 105 days where between 1 and 6 new puppies will be born. If the female loses her young, she will go into heat again.
The age for females not to have pups is from 8 years. The new little leopards only weigh one kilo at birth. Their eyes will be closed for seven days, so they will be totally defenseless animals against predators. It is then where the Mother has the fundamental role of caring for and protecting her young. They usually hide in caves, thickets and burrows.
In just 15 days, puppies are learning to walk and the mother stops breastfeeding after 3 months. With only 20 months of life they are already totally independent.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the leopard and its way of life.
Although leopards are famous for their characteristic yellow color and black spots, there are also some that, while keeping the dark spots, have a gray color. It is the white leopard, a vulnerable and little-studied species which is rarely seen by humans.
To learn more about this curious animal, I recommend you keep reading. We will explain what the white leopard is, what is its biology and its distribution and some curiosities.
Within the family of cats there are some species that are very similar in morphology that make us doubt between one and the other. One of these species are the jaguar and leopard. There are many people who confuse these two animals because they do not fully understand their characteristics. The jaguar has a great physical resemblance to the leopard, although it also has some characteristics that make them different.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the differences between the jaguar and the leopard and all their characteristics.
The animal kingdom is so vast that sometimes we meet some species that we have not heard of before. That is what happens on this occasion with the clouded leopard, a little-known mammal but with great characteristics that define it.
If you want to know what the clouded leopard is like, its natural habitat, its diet or how it reproduces, do not hesitate to take a look at what we have prepared for you.
Today we are going to talk about two big cats that have very similar characteristics and are very well known. Its about leopard and cheetah. They are two big cats that have mottled skin and very similar characteristics. They have many things in common such as size, natural habitat, etc.
Therefore, in this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, curiosities and differences between the leopard and the cheetah.
Among the most talked about and known leopard species in the world is the african leopard. African leopards stand out for having a very remarkable sexual dimorphism. This is because the males have a larger and heavier overall appearance than the females. Females are usually smaller in size and 40% lighter than males. These animals have quite curious habits worth studying.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about the African leopard.
One of the critically endangered species of leopard from this arabian leopard. Its scientific name is Panthera pardus nimr and I have considered a subspecies of the common leopard. Only 250 specimens of this adult leopard remain from confirmed subpopulations. These populations are separated from each other, so it can cause even more danger when it comes to disappearing.
In this article we are going to tell you about the characteristics, habitat, feeding, reproduction and threats of the Arabian leopard.
Within the leopards, the Amur leopard is one of the rarest subspecies that still exist on the planet. Appreciated for the intense golden color of its fur, it is an animal that is in danger of extinction.
About what is the Amur leopard like, where does it live, what does it eat, how is its reproduction and the reasons why it is about to disappear if nothing is done.
One of the most incredible animals you find in the world is the Snow Leopard. In danger of extinction due to the few specimens that exist today, this cat is not as well known as other animals in the same situation.
For this reason, we want you to know its habitat, customs, what it eats and how to help it to prevent it from becoming extinct.