Leopard is a large member of the cat family. It is the third largest cat of the Eastern Hemisphere. Only the lion and tiger are larger. Leopards live in Africa as far north as the Sahara, and in Asia from Turkey to Korea and the island of Java in Indonesia.
Leopards are graceful, alert, and cunning. They average 2 feet 4 inches (71 centimeters) high at the shoulder and 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 meters) long. But a big male may measure almost 9 feet (2.7 meters) from nose to tail and weigh from 100 to 160 pounds (45 to 73 kilograms). A big female may weigh about 75 pounds (34 kilograms). Leopards bear two, three, or four young in a litter.
The coat of most leopards is light tan with many dense black spots. The tail has dark rings around it. All leopards are much alike, but those that live in forests are darker than those that live on open plains and desert scrub. The black leopard is so dark that the spots are hard to see. The whole animal looks black. Black leopards are often called panthers. White leopards are much rarer than the black variety, which is found in Malaysia, Java, and India.
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These fierce animals eat meat and hunt their prey. They feed on such animals as monkeys, antelope, jackals, peacocks, snakes, sheep, goats, and dogs. In Africa, they even kill the big porcupines that have quills 1 foot (30 centimeters) or more in length.
Leopards seldom attack human beings. However, once they discover that people are easy victims, leopards may become more dangerous than tigers or lions. Leopards are good climbers and spend part of their time in trees. They are remarkably strong. Carcasses of prey weighing 80 to 150 pounds (36 to 68 kilograms) have been found in trees 12 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters) above the ground where a leopard had carried them.
The handsome markings of the leopard make its fur valuable for coats. So many leopards have been killed for their fur that the animals have become rare in many places, and several subspecies face possible extinction. Many countries have signed treaties forbidding the buying or selling of leopard skins.
See also Cat; Clouded leopard; Snow leopard.
