What makes the leopard so successful? They are not as fast as cheetahs, nor as strong as lions. But the leopard is adaptable, able to acclimate and modify its habits to thrive in its current environment. As the natural landscape shifts, so does the leopard, adjusting to the new world that surrounds it.

Physical characteristics of leopard populations like fur color and fur length vary depending on location. A leopard living in the savanna will have orange or yellow fur while a desert leopard’s fur is paler. Leopards that live in cooler climates tend to be longer-haired and more gray in color; rainforest leopards are more golden. A recessive gene can result in melanistic (black) leopards, as similar genes produce red hair in humans. These leopards are relatively few in number and are primarily found in tropical environments like the forests of Northeast China where there is more cover, and they can better blend with their surroundings. These differences enable leopards to live successfully in a range of environments.

While the leopard is resilient and adaptable, its population has recently suffered a decline, primarily attributed to human-leopard conflicts. The leopard’s valuable fur makes it vulnerable to poachers and hunters. Urban expansion has resulted in substantial habitat loss, a decrease in food sources, and aggression from communities that kill leopards to protect their livestock. The number of sightings of leopards near and around villages has continued to rise as their natural habitats and food sources shrink related to development. There have been sightings in developed areas of India, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, China, Saudi Arabia, even the United Kingdom. In a study conducted by the WWF in Pakistan, between 2005 and 2007, the majority of leopard sightings – 97 out of 125 – were in and around the small group of villages that were being monitored. Generally leopards do not harm humans, but there have been cases of leopards attacking people. In 2004, fourteen people in Mumbai were reported to have been killed in attacks. Ongoing efforts are focused on educating affected communities to minimize leopard-human conflicts and to conserve natural habitats to deter leopards from moving into urban areas.

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) describes the leopard as “Near Threatened” on their Red List of Threatened Species. While leopards as a whole are not considered endangered, populations of certain leopard subspecies are less secure.

Common Name: Leopard

Family: Felidae

Genus: Panthera

Species: pardus

Sub-Species:
Panthera pardus pardus Africa
Panthera pardus nimr Arabia
Panthera pardus saxicolor : Central Asia
Panthera pardus melas : Java
Panthera pardus kotiya : Sri Lanka
Panthera pardus fusca : Indian sub-continent
Panthera pardus delacourii : Southeast Asia
Panthera pardus japonensis : Northern China
Panthera pardus orientalis : Russian Far East, Korean peninsula and Northeastern China

Size: Averages 28 inches at the shoulder with a general range of 17.5 – 30.5 inches high at the shoulder. It’s the smallest of the big cats, which include tigers, lions, and jaguars.

Weight: Males generally weigh 80-150 lbs. Females weigh 62.5 – 100 lbs.

Coat: Varying colors of yellow with rosette markings. Melanistic (black) leopards also exist but are far fewer in number.

Habitats: Forest, subtropical and tropical, savanna, grassland, rocky and mountainous regions, and desert. The leopard can live in both warm and cold climates.

Diet: Carnivore – Giant eland, kudu, springbok, bushbuck, impalas, Thomson’s gazelles, duiker, primates, warthogs, guinea fowl, hares, rodents, fish, dung beetles. The leopard is capable of killing prey larger than itself.

Geography: The range of leopards is the most widespread of the big cats, covering a large stretch of Africa, parts of the Middle East, and Asia, including China, India, and eastern Russia.

Population Health: Near Threatened (according to IUCN)

Threats: Humans – Urban expansion results in habitat loss and a decrease in food sources. Leopards are also hunted for their valuable fur and to prevent livestock loss.

Additional Facts:

The animal’s name derives from the Greek word leopardus, a combination of leon (lion) and pardus (panther).

Of the big cats, the leopard is the only known species that lives in both desert and rainforest habitats.

Leopards are generally nocturnal and do most of their hunting at night. Their large eyes and dilated pupils allow them to see well in dark conditions.

Leopards are incredibly athletic and known for their climbing ability. They often carry food into trees to avoid losing it to scavengers like lions and hyenas.

They tend to be solitary animals and rarely interact with each other except to mate or raise cubs.

Leopards breed perennially with a gestation period of approximately 3 months, giving birth to a litter of 2-3 cubs on average.

Despite their names, the clouded leopard (neofelis nebulosa) and snow leopard (panthera uncial) are often considered a separate species.

One of the rarest subspecies of leopard is eastern Russia’s Amur Leopard. There are only an estimated 30 currently living in the wild.

Leopards can go for long periods of time without water, living off the moisture of their prey.

Leopards mark their territory with urine and claw marks on the bark of trees.

Rudyard Kipling wrote the short story, How the Leopard Got Its Spots, to offer his own fictional explanation for the big cat’s attractive coat.

The differences between snow leopards and other large cats was previously thought to be substantial enough that snow leopards were placed in their own genus as well (Uncia). Unlike other big cats their throat structure prevents them from roaring for instance. Recent genetic studies revealed that they are actually most closely related to tigers, and they were moved back into the Panthera genus. Yet the snow leopard’s morphology, ecology, behavior, etc. make them quite distinct from leopards.

Information provided by Dr. Tom McCarthy, Executive Director of Snow Leopard Programs for Panthera

Additional links provided by Panthera:

Munyawana Leopard Project

Overview of the Leopard

Snow Leopard Program

Overview of the Snow Leopard

Leopards are the ultimate cats. They are the most feline, the most intelligent, the most dangerous and, until recently, one of the least understood. They hunt from South Africa to Siberia, from Arabia to Sri Lanka, and are the most widespread predator of their size on land. A leopard is a cat that walks by itself, unseen and secretive. Leopards are the beautiful killers that live in the shadows. This film will accumulate the evidence and put together a psychological profile of this extraordinarily cunning cat.

Science Daily-“Understanding Why Leopards Can’t Change Their Spots” (January 14, 2010)
Genetic researchers have located the genes for pattern formation in the coats of large cats; they are hoping to apply their findings to various human skin disorders.

Science Daily-“Why the Leopard Got Its Spots” (October 20, 2010)
Scientists link pattern variation in large cats with geographical variation and adaptation.

The Royal Society, “How the leopard got its spots: relating pattern development to ecology in felids”
A scientific paper presents a hypothesis which seeks to explain the evolutionary origins of the leopard’s magnificent color patterns.

Daily Mail-“Leopards and other big cats ARE on the loose in Britain – just don’t tell a soul” (May 28, 2010)
Despite various conflicting reports, a video journalist seeks to settle the issue once and for all – there is indeed a sizable population of leopards living in the English countryside.

Danwei-”Wild Leopards of Beijing” (July 31, 2007)
A news report on the growing number of leopard sightings around the city of Beijing.

Science Daily-“New Species Declared: Clouded Leopard on Borneo and Sumatra” (March 15, 2007)
After genetic analysis, the rare clouded leopard was found to be an entirely different species of large cat which diverged from the mainland population of leopard roughly 1.4 million years ago.

Wildlife Extra News–“Mumbai Leopards: Killers or Victims?” (November 4, 2008)
The overpopulation and urban sprawl in Mumbai have led to breached park perimeters in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, releasing leopards into the city for easy domestic prey as well as violent human encounters.

USDA, Resources on Leopards/Leopard Studies
This site compiles and categorizes a large number of informational and scientific resources allowing for in depth study of leopard behavior, physiology, and ecological condition.

LEOPARDS and CONSERVATION

African Wildlife Foundation
The African Wildlife Foundation aims to safeguard wildlife populations, including the African Leopard. It has launched the Leopard Conservation Science Project in the Limpopo Heartland; stretching across Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

The Cape Leopard Trust
The Cape Leopard Trust is an organization promoting scientific research and conservation of leopards in South Africa.

World Wildlife Fund
The WWF’s mission is the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems. They are involved in conservation efforts of two of the most critically endangered leopard species; the Amur leopard and the Snow leopard.

IUCN, Red List of Threatened Species
This site contains comprehensive information on the current status of leopards living in the wild.

IUCN, Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan
This link leads to the PDF file of the IUCN’s 1996 action plan for wildcats, consisting of scientific research as well as recommendations for high priority actions for conservation.

Soundboard, Leopards and Black Panther Sounds
This site provides a series of links that allow you to listen to growling sounds made by a wide variety of leopard species!

Photos by © Mark Fletcher, Theo Webb/© BBC, © Jonathan Scott, and © BBC

In the grasslands of a savannah, where the leopard is most commonly found, its primary prey is medium-sized ungulates, though by no means is that the only type of animal it devours. In mountain regions, a leopard will often feed on rock hyrax, an animal that resembles a guinea pig, and also on porcupines. In a rainforest habitat, a leopard will feed mostly on small antelopes or small primates. On Mount Kilimanjaro, leopards feed primarily on rodents. Interestingly, leopards populating islands generally survive on fish.

The leopard’s hunting style is quintessentially feline. It is a patient stalker, relying on stealth and camouflage. Its rosette-patterned coat blends with the landscape so it can pounce from short distances, leaving its prey little time to react. And although it has a relatively small body, a leopard can pursue prey larger than itself, a result of its skull shape that provides incredibly powerful jaw muscles. A leopard will kill larger prey by suffocating the animal with a bite to the neck. However, it can adjust its hunting style to the task at hand. Dung beetles are defeated with one fast paw swat. Since remaining undetected is key for the leopard, it does most of its hunting at night, relying on nocturnal vision; but they will also hunt during the day – giving them access to a wide range of animals.

If confronted, a leopard will often sacrifice its food rather than fight for it. But athleticism and climbing ability sometimes help prevent a leopard from losing its kill to other predators like lions and hyenas. Almost immediately after a successful kill, using its strength and strong jaw, a leopard will carry the animal up a tree, away from where other scavengers can get to it. Leopards have been known to carry giraffe calves weighing an estimated 275 lb – 2 to 3 times its size.

One of the leopard cubs has to hide from a hungry predator. Will it survive?

“Then the Ethiopian put his five fingers close together (there was plenty of black left on his new skin still) and pressed them all over the Leopard, and wherever the five fingers touched they left five little marks, all close together…

‘Now you are a beauty!’ said the Ethiopian. ‘You can lie out on the bare ground and look like a heap of pebbles. You can lie out on the naked rocks and look like a piece of pudding-stone. You can lie out on a leafy branch and look like sunshine sifting through the leaves …” -Rudyard Kipling

It turns out there’s some truth to Rudyard Kipling’s short story How the Leopard Got His Spots: the rosettes that cover the leopard’s coat camouflage it so that the cat can move and hunt undetected. And this is the case for almost all of the big cats. The patterning on their coats is determined, at least in part, by their surroundings.

A recent study by University of Bristol graduate student Will Allen examines the relationship between coat-patterning of big cats and their environments. Building on previous work, Allen relied on mathematical methods to characterize the different types of patterning that appear on thirty-five species of wild cats. He used the reaction-diffusion equation — a model that describes how different substances transform based on their molecular ability or inability to react chemically with each other. Allen manipulated the model to compare coats across five domains: patterned versus plain, pattern irregularity, pattern complexity, pattern element size, and pattern element directionality. He then organized the cats into groups based on the similarities between the patterns on their coats with the computer-generated patterns he created.

His results? Cats that shared similar patterning tended to share a similar ecology and behavior. Cats in open spaces were more likely to have simple patterning, while cats living in forested areas had more complex patterns on their coats. Allen also found that behavior impacts these patterns. For example, big cats that spend a lot of time in trees have more complex coat patterns. Other big cats such as lions living in more uniformly-colored spaces like grasslands, camouflage better with simple patterns, while cats in a variety of habitats dependent on trees for cover, like leopards, have patterns that allow them to better blend with those environments. Leopards’ coats are complex because their environment is complex.

Another finding the study uncovered was that closely-related species aren’t guaranteed to have similar patterns, suggesting that this trait evolves rapidly due to selective pressure. When two cats closely-linked biologically live in different environments, their coats adjust in potentially different ways to help them better function in each location.

Allen’s study reveals a possible mathematical model for linking gene makeup and visible traits. In other words, these coat patterns are not just beautiful, they are an example of mathematical expression in nature.

Lion

LION

• Species Name: Panthera leo
• Habitat: Eastern and southern Africa. Prefers grasslands, forests and edges. Threatened species; population estimates range from 20,000 to 100,000.
• Reproduction: Three to 4 cubs that mature at 2 to 4 years, and live up to 20 years.
• Diet: Antelope, gazelle, and wildebeest. Lionesses hunt cooperatively, but males typically get the first meal. Females and cubs eat next.

Lions are the only big cat to live in highly structured social groups called “prides.” Prides can include up to 40 lions, mostly females and cubs. Territories can cover up to 200 square miles. Males can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh 500 pounds, females significantly less.

Cheetah

CHEETAH

• Species Name: Acinonyx jubatus
• Habitat: Once roamed the Middle East to South Africa. Today, less than 25,000 remain due to habitat loss, mostly in east and central Africa. Prefers open grasslands.
• Reproduction: Two to 4 cubs that mature in 18 months and live up to 14 years.
• Diet: Gazelle, impala, antelope, and large birds. Suffocates prey with a bite to the neck.

Built for speed, the cheetah is the world’s fastest cat, able to sprint at up to 60 miles per hour. Claws are permanently extended, like cleats. Adults weigh up to 100 pounds. Cheetahs do not roar, but instead make bird-like “cheeps.”

Serval

SERVAL

• Species Name: Leptailarus serval
• Habitat: Most of central Africa outside the Sahara. Prefers open grasslands and relatively open forests, typically near water. A threatened species in some areas due to wetland loss and hunting for its coat and meat.
• Reproduction: One to 3 cubs that mature at 18 to 24 months and live up to 19 years.
• Diet: Smaller mammals, birds, and frogs.

The serval is an unusually long-legged small cat that can grow to three feet long and two feet high. A great leaper, it can jump 12 feet (and up to 3 feet high) when pouncing on prey. The serval can grab birds and insects in mid-air by “clapping” its paws together. It also uses sophisticated hearing to pinpoint prey.

Leopard

LEOPARD

• Species Name: Panthera pardus
• Habitat: The most widespread large cat. Found in much of Africa outside the Sahara, throughout the Middle East, southern Asia, and on Java and Sri Lanka. Favors forest edges and brushy areas. Threatened species due to habitat loss and hunting.
• Reproduction: Breeds in January or February, producing 2 to 3 cubs. Mature at 18 to 24 months and can live to 25 years.
• Diet: Everything from insects and rodents to large grazers such as giraffe and buffalo. Patient stalker; suffocates large animals with bite to the neck.

The leopard is one of the “roaring” cats and produces loud, raspy coughs. It climbs in trees in search of prey, to rest, and to store food. The leopard often hunts at night. Its size ranges from 3 to 5 feet long, and 60 to 200 pounds.

Caracal

CARACAL

• Species Name: Caracal caracal
• Habitat: Central and Southern Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Asia. Prefers dry savanna and rugged scrubland. Not found in rainforests. Threatened in portions of its range due to habitat loss and hunting.
• Reproduction: One to 6 kittens that mature in 12 to 16 months and live up to 19 years.
• Diet: Smaller mammals, birds, and reptiles. Will drag prey into trees.

The caracal is the largest of the small cats. It has notable pointy ears topped with black tufts. It can survive long periods without water. The caracal is a great leaper and is known to knock small birds out of the air.