.jpg)
|
·
Leopards
are part of the cat family, Felidae. The scientific name for a leopard
isPanthera pardus.
·
Leopards
are well known for their cream and gold spotted fur, but some leopards have
black fur with dark spots. These black leopards are often mistaken for
panthers.
·
Adult
leopards are solitary animals. Each adult leopard has its own territory where
it lives and, although they often share parts of it, they try to avoid one
another.
·
A
leopard’s body is built for hunting. They have sleek, powerful bodies and can
run at speeds of up to 57 kilometres per hour. They are also excellent
swimmers and climbers and can leap and jump long distances.
·
A
leopard’s tail is just about as long as its entire body. This helps it with
balance and enables it to make sharp turns quickly.
·
Leopards
are mostly nocturnal, hunting prey at night.
·
Leopards
protect their food from other animals by dragging it high up into the trees.
A leopard will often leave their prey up in the tree for days and return only
when they are hungry!
·
Female
leopards give birth to a little of two or three cubs at a time. By the time a
cub is two years old it will leave the company of its mother and live on
their own.
·
When
a female leopard is ready to mate she will give a scent and rub her body on
the trees to leave her smell there. Male leopards either smell the females
scent or hear her call to know that she is ready to mate.
·
Some
people believe that the bones and whiskers of leopards can heal sick people.
Many leopards are killed each year for their fur and body parts and this is
one reason why the leopard is an endangered animal. While they were
previously found in the wild in a number of areas around the world, their
habitat is largely restricted to sub-Saharan Africa with small numbers also
found in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, China and Indochina.
|
