Powerful and beautiful, the iconic leopard is one of the most glamorous of wild animals, living in a diversity of geographical territories and represented by numerous subspecies. It also varies greatly in appearance, from the long-haired Amur leopard of snowy regions to the black panther, the famous melanistic Indian leopard portrayed by Bagheera in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.
Philip Muruthi and Nakedi Maputla from the African Wildlife Foundation explain all you need to know about this iconic feline
What are leopards?
Leopards are large carnivores belonging to the cat family. They are part of the genus Panthera, which comprises four other large cat species – the tiger, lion, jaguar and snow leopard. Leopards have rosettes (rose-like markings) on their coats, as do snow leopards and jaguars – the latter can be differentiated by the black spots in the middle of some of their rosettes.
Where do leopards live?
Leopards are widely distributed across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. They can tolerate many different habitats and are found in forests, savannahs, shrublands, grasslands, rocky outcrops, mountains and deserts, but tend to prefer the cover of wooded habitats over open areas.
How many species of leopard are there?
Leopards are generally understood to be divided into different subspecies, though their classification is still under review by the IUCN (which is the governing authority for all species). Within Africa, there is the African leopard. Moving into the Middle East, there is the Arabian leopard and the Persian leopard (also called the Caucasian leopard). Over in Asia, there are many leopard subspecies: the South-West Asian, the Javan, the Sri Lankan, the Indian, the Indo-Chinese, the North Chinese and the Amur, which ranges into Russia.
Note that despite their name, snow leopards are not a subspecies of leopard but are a separate species within Panthera and more closely related to tigers.
What do leopards eat?
Leopards are carnivorous and eat a broad range of prey, from insects and fish to ungulates such as impala, gazelle, kudu and duiker. Their diet is dictated by what is available, making them one of the most successful large cat species to survive in the wild and in human-dominated landscapes.
How do leopards hunt?
Leopards use two main hunting strategies: stalking and ambush. They also scavenge given the opportunity. Where they share the landscape with other large carnivores, leopards will hide the carcasses of their prey on branches high up in the trees.
What is the world’s largest leopard?
The Persian leopard holds this title, with a total body length (including tail) reaching almost 2m and a weight of up to 70kg. This Endangered subspecies ranges across Iran, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Georgia. At the other end of the spectrum, the Cape leopard (still the African leopard subspecies, but geographically isolated) is the world’s smallest leopard, with males only weighing about 35kg.
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What is the world’s rarest leopard?
With only about 100 individuals left in the wild, the Critically Endangered Amur leopard has been pushed to the brink of extinction. Ranging across south-eastern Russia and north-eastern China, this rare subspecies has been decimated by poaching and the trade in its beautiful spotted fur.
What threats do leopards face?
Human activity is the primary threat to leopard populations. Habitat loss and fragmentation has caused their range to reduce by a third worldwide in the past three generations (about two decades), while the commercialised bushmeat trade has caused a sharp decline in prey populations across swathes of African savannah. Poaching and human-wildlife conflict is also a concern. When leopards prey on livestock, farmers will respond by killing the felines. There are also natural predators to contend with, including lions, spotted hyenas and other leopards.
Why do leopards have spots?
They actually have rosettes, an evolutionary adaptation to help them blend in with their environment, allowing them to hide from danger and stalk their prey without detection. It also means that they are able to hunt during the day or at night. Even melanistic Indian leopards have rosettes – they are just less visible against the surrounding dark fur.
Are they social creatures?
No, leopards are very solitary and mark their territory with urine, faeces or by scratching trees to warn off other leopards. The males have large territories that overlap several female territories, and the only times leopards are seen together is when the opposite sexes meet to mate or when a female is caring for her young. Mothers give birth at any time of year after a gestation period of just three months, usually to two or three cubs.
African Wildlife Foundation is an Africa-based global conservation organisation working to protect wildlife and their habitats as essential parts of a modern and prosperous Africa