Leopards
The Leopard also known as Panthera Pardus, is a member of the Felidae family, and is the smallest of the four big cats. The other three being Lion, Tiger and Jaguar. In this information report you will find out the appearance, habitat, movement, food, behavior and life-cycle of the Leopard. There are fourteen known subspecies of the Leopard. They are African Leopards, Persian, Indian, Sri Lanka, Indo-Chinese, North China, Amur, Javan, Arabian, Anatolian, Barbary, Caucasus, Sinai, Zanzibar, Overall they are the fifth largest felines in the world.
Picture of the appearances of Leopards
Appearance:
Leopards are well known for their cream and gold spotted fur, but can also grow to have brown and black fur. They weigh from 37 to 90kg and grow from 24 to 43 inches in height. Female leopards are usually 40% smaller than the males. Leopards have long teeth that grow up to 18 cm. They use their teeth to bite through their prey. They have ring like patterns on their fur called rosettes, and as they grow they transform to bold spots. Every Leopard has a different kind of marking or colour, meaning each Leopard is unique which is similar to human fingerprints. From time to time their spots allow them to camouflage in the surrounding environment. They're tails control their balance whilst climbing trees and making quick turns. Their tails are nearly half as long as their bodies. As part of the cat family, they are closely related to Lions, Tigers, and Jaguars.
Habitat:
Leopards are solitary animals. They live in Sub-Saharan Africa and North-East of Africa, but can also be found in Central Asia, India and China. Darker coloured leopards are more likely to be found in dense forest, as it helps them stay hidden. While lighter coloured Leopards are most likely to be found in open areas. Out of all big cats Leopards, are one of the most ranging and adaptable being able to change from warm and cold climates. They love to be in compacted bushes, rainforest and rocky surrounding environment. Adult leopards have their own territory, which they mark by leaving signs of claw marks on trees or with their urine. Even though their territories overlap with each other, they cautiously try to avoid each other. They are very defensive with their territory and when their boundaries are crossed, it usually ends with a fight. Saying this they like to keep to themselves only allowing close friends inside.
Map locating their habitat
Movement:
A Leopards body is built for hunting. They have sharp hearing and sight, as well as sensitive whiskers. Leopards are silent and deadly hunters, but only hunt prey to survive. They are nocturnal animals, hunting actively at night. They stalk their prey while hiding among tall trees, until they pounce before their victim can react. They are able to leap more than 6 metres and can jump a distance of 3 metres. As well as being good climbers, they are also great swimmers.
Food:
Leopards eat a range of fish, reptiles and birds to mammals such as rodents, hares, hyraxes, warthogs, antelopes, monkeys and baboons. They mostly hunt medium sized animals and commonly everything they see. They try to avoid big competition of fights for food. When there is no food to be seen in the area, they drop to the ground and hunt for small animals there. They can stay a great amount of time without water, receiving all the moisture they need from their prey. Leopards normally store their food high in trees, and come back for it when they are hungry. They store their food to keep their prey away from other nearby animals. Leopards can survive for a long time without water receiving all the moisture they need from their kill.They are incredibly strong being able to carry animals twice their weight and size.
This is a photo of Leopard a hunting for food
Behaviour:
Leopards are well coordinated and smart animals. As they attack their prey, they bite their necks near their spinal cord suffocating the animal. Helplessly blind, the victim is strangled to death. After killing their prey, they drag them up into tree branches, to store and protect their kill from other animals. They are nocturnal animals spending most of the day resting and draping of tree branches and rocks. As night falls they move confidently hunting for food until dawn breaks. Leopards don’t associate much with other animals and like to keep to themselves. They are not very welcoming to strangers who enter their territories. They usually growl or or spit with a screaming roar of fur when angry, and purr when they are content. To find each other and announce their presence, they make saw like coughs.
Life-Cycle:
Female Leopards attract males with their urine. Eventually they may stay together for numerous day. During this time they mate repeatedly, until going their separate ways again. The Females give birth to between two and six cubs in a den. When they are born they are at high risk to the exposed wild, staying with their mother for their first two months. They are born blind, but gain vision a week after birth. During the 18 months they spend with their mother, they begin to go hunting with her. As the 18 months comes to an end the mother encourages them to become independent and find new territories. The mother will then be ready for mating again. The father mostly takes no part in looking after their cub. Approximately 40% of leopard cubs do not reach adulthood. Leopards tend to live for ten to fifteen year depending on their habitat and surroundings.
This is a photo of the life cycle of a leopard
Leopards are the fifth largest felines in the world, behind the Cougar (Mountain Lion) being number fourth, Jaguar being number three, Lion being number two and the (Siberian) Tiger being the first. They are known to be smart animals, being one of the most successful animal hunters. They are territorial animals, who like to keep to themselves and are not very welcoming of strangers.
Bibliography:
www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/leopard
www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engleopards.html
www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/carnivores/leopard
a-z-animals.com/animals/leopard
