The leopard

The leopard (Panthera Pardus) belongs to the family Felidae and is the smallest member of the four large cats found in the genus Panthera, the others being the tiger, lion and Jaguar.
It can be found from South and East Asia to southern Siberia and Africa, but its range has declined dramatically due to hunting. Currently it can be found mainly in Africa, but there are also populations in Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.
The great advantage in the Wild is the hunting behavior, the adaptability to run at speeds up to 60km/h and the unique ability to carry around in trees with heavy animal carcasses. It is also known for its good camouflage.
In ancient times the leopard was considered a hybrid between a lion and a panther, hence its name composed of Leon(lion) and pardos(Panther). Moderna scientific name, Panthera Pardus is derived from Latin, it is considered to be a compound meaning "white-yellow" in Sanskrit.
Leopards occupy the largest area of all feral cats, especially the central and eastern part of Africa, although the population is on a declining trend. Carl Linnaeus published the description of the leopard in 1758 and 27 subspecies of the leopard were subsequently described.
Leopard Feed
Leopards are versatile and opportunistic hunters and have a very wide diet. They feed on a greater diversity of prey than other members of the species and eat anything, even dung beetles in case of need.
Their diet consists mostly of hoofed animals and monkeys. They often consume rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds, fish and small predators (foxes, Martens, jackals, etc.). He was seen attacking the crocodile on land.
Those living in Africa mainly hunt Impala and Thomson's Gazelles. 67% of the prey are hoofed animals of which 60% Impalas, antelopes and other animals weighing between 40-60kg.
The average daily meat consumed is 3.5 kg for males and 2.8 kg for females. A leopard was seen climbing a tree with a 125kg Antelope. They are able to carry animals weighing more than their own by 2-3 times.
Most Leopards avoid humans, but occasionally catch one as prey. Two extreme cases occurred in India, one leopard killed 125 people and the second more than 400.
Both were killed by Hunter Jim Corbett. Although these cases are rare, when they occur, leopards are described as killing machines. If Man destroys his habitat and hunts him is it unfair for him to attack Man ?
Leopard Appearance
Leopards are hunting animals. Although smaller than other members of the genus, they can hunt large prey with the help of their massive skulls and powerful jaw muscles.
Head and body length is between 95 and 165cm, tail length is 60 to 110cm, and shoulder height is 45-80cm. Males are about 30% larger than females.
Their weight varies between 30 and 90kg, and the females between 20-60kg. Males from South Africa reach weights of 91kg and those from Somalia or 23-27kg.
This large variation in weight is found in different areas and is thought to result from the availability of prey found in each habitat. The largest leopard on record was 96.5 kg. The leopard's body is relatively long and its legs are short.
The color of the coat of leopards is very diverse. The spots of animals in East Africa are circular, while the spots of leopards in South Africa and Asia tend to be Oval.
Their yellow fur tends to pale cream in desert populations, and grey in Forest-Edge populations. In general, the fur in the belly area tends to be lighter in color and softer, fluffier.
Leopards can be easily confused with the other two large cats that live in Africa: The Cheetah and the Jaguar.
Leopard Behavior
Leopards live mainly in grassland and forest areas. They are found in savannas and tropical forests. They are said to be adaptable animals that can be found in forests in temperate areas where winter temperatures reach -25 degrees.
The leopard is a solitary and mostly nocturnal animal. The level of activity varies depending on the habitat and the type of prey they hunt. It is known for its ability to carry itself by often resting on tree branches during the day. They are very good swimmers.
The most powerful big wild cat is the Tiger. It is very agile, being able to run at speeds up to 60km/h. it is capable of jumps of 6m and up to 3m in height.
They make a series of sounds: grunts, growls, meows, and more. It is a territorial animal, although they have territories of thousands or hundreds of thousands of km2 when needed, violent fights are fought between males.
Leopards must compete for food and shelter with other predators such as lions, tigers, hyenas and wild dogs. These animals can easily steal the leopard's prey or hunt the species, the younger ones, especially the Cubs if it finds them.
Lions occasionally climb trees to steal Leopards ' prey. In the Kalahari desert, if they don't climb prey quickly into the trees, they have to give it to hyenas. Leopards have an average killed prey of 38kg, which is far less than tigers ' 91kg.
They were known throughout history, they were present in art, mythology, folklore in ancient Greece, Persia, Rome and even England.
Leopard Breeding
Depending on the region, leopards can breed all year round. The mating period lasts about 46 days and the female is in heat 6-7 days. The gestation period lasts 90-105 days.
Usually 2-4 Cubs are born. Mortality is estimated at 40-50% in the first year. Puppies are born with closed eyes, they see after 9-10 days. After 3 months they begin to follow their mother on the hunt.
At the age of one year they can manage on their own but remain with their mother for 18-24 months. Life expectancy is 10 to 15 years. 21-year-old individuals have also been recorded in captivity.
Crossbreeding between leopards and other members of the genus was supervised, resulting in hybrids. A cross between a lioness and a male leopard is known as a leopard.
Leopards were bred in captivity in Japan in the late 1950s. The pumapard is a hybrid resulting from a mating between a leopard and a puma.
These hybrids were bred in the late 1890s and early 1900s by Carl Hagenbeck at an animal park in Hamburg, Germany.