Page 98 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of five (Lion, Jaguar, Tiger, Snow leopard) extant species in
the genus Panthera which is a member of the family Felidae. There are eight subspecies*, distinguisha-
ble by the unique characteristics of their coats. Leopards are found spread across Africa, the Caucasus
and Asia. Their size varies, and is dependent on their
location and diet, but a general representative size for
the leopard is, 60 to 70 cm tall at the shoulders, 92 to
183 cm in length with a tail around 66 to 90 cm long.
Their weight is around 30.9 to 72 kg, with females be-
ing lighter at 20.5 to 43 kg.

*Subspecies
African leopard (P. p. pardus)
Indian leopard (P. p. fusca)
Javan leopard (P. p. melas)
Arabian leopard (P. p. nimr)
Persian leopard (P. p. tulliana)
Amur leopard (P. p. orientalis)
Indochinese leopard (P. p. delacouri)
Sri Lankan leopard (P. p. kotiya)

The leopard is a lean but muscular cat. It has four
short but powerful limbs that serve it well. It’s capable
of jumping 2 to 3 metres into the air. It can leap a distance of nearly 3 me-
tres, and when chasing prey, reach speeds of around 50 to 60 km/h. It’s
also a first rate swimmer. It has a broad head with a short cat-like snout
with powerful jaws. Its hearing and vision are excellent, essential for its fe-
line hunting style; a predatory stalker. The colour of the leopard's fur coat
is dictated by the environment it resides. Of the several species, those liv-
ing in heavily covered areas like forests, woodlands or bushlands; tend to
have dark tawny upper bodies with a pronounced white underside. Howev-
er, those living in a jungle environment could be totally black. (See: Black
Panther). Those living in more open, colder, or mountainous areas tend to
have a lighter tawny even greyish upper body with a light blending under-
side. Some could even be pure white. (See: White Panther). Although col-
our plays a part in distinguishing each species, it’s the rosettes covering
their bodies that are the deciding factor. Each species has its own unique
rosette pattern.

Spread widely across Africa and Asia the leopard’s habitat varies
from, savannas, rainforests, grasslands, woodlands, riverine forests, jun-
gles, even mountainous regions. Leopards are solitary and territorial. They
mark their territory with urine, feces or by scratching trees. Males have
large territories that usually overlap several smaller female territories. The
only time they are seen together is at mating time, or when a female is raising cubs. They communicate
with one another by roaring; a roar that sounds like rough rasping or a saw cutting through wood.
Males roar to ward off other males while females roar to attract a mate. They also growl, snarl, meow,
and purr when mingling with one another. They are non-confrontational animals, they will hide or climb
up a tree at the sight of other predators like, lions, cheetahs, packs of hyenas, packs of wild dogs and
wolfs, some of which have killed, attacked, or stole prey from the leopard.

Leopards are strictly meat eaters, but are known, in dry spells, to occasionally eat moisture-rich
plants such as gemsbok cucumbers or watermelon, more for the water they contain rather than their nu-
tritional value. They normally feed on a wide range of ungulates and primates. When hunting they prefer
to conserve energy and not chase their prey, and hunt by stealth; stalking their prey until they are ready
to pounce. They will even climb a tree and wait for the prey to pass below then drop on it. After a kill
they often drag their prey up a tree, eat part of it, and cache the rest for later. They are also known to
drag their prey for hundreds of yards to bushes or a cave and hide it. For a long time it was believed
leopards were nocturnal, hunting only at night, however, study after study has shown they hunt during
the day and are at their most active in the cool twilight hours. (See: Panther)