Leopard photos, types and description, where it lives and how it looks, facts for children

Leopard is the most elegant and colorful representative of the cat family. This extremely fast and dangerous predator belongs to the cat family and panther’s genus. The leopards are notable for their spotted color, which allows them to disguise themselves well in their habitat. At the moment, most of the subspecies of leopards are listed in the Red Book, as enduring views, in need of protection.

Subspecies of leopards

In total, there are about 8 subspecies of leopards. Consider each of them in more detail:

Indochina Leopard

This representative is distinguished by its black color. The number of species has only 2500 representatives. Live on the territory of Southeast Asia. Until 2016, Singapore, Cambodia and South China were inhabited. In connection with the widespread cutting of forests, poaching and trading in the fur became extremely rare.

Ceylon leopard

A rather overall subspecies of a leopard with a body length of 142 centimeters and weighing up to 77 kilograms. Lives on the island of Ceylon, which is widely known as Sri Lanka. Only 950 individuals have in total.

Severokitsky leopard

Has a body length up to 136 centimeters and weighing about 75 kilograms. Settled the mountains and forests of the central and northeastern region of China. Very small view from populations of not more than 348 individuals.

Javanese leopard

The disappearing subspecies living in Indonesia on the island of Java. Predominantly black, but sometimes spotted species are also found. In total, the population of this species is 525 representatives. Extinction is due to a reduction in their habitat.

South Arabian Leopard

A small representative with a body length up to 140 centimeters and weighing 30 kilograms. It is notable for its pale and bright yellow body color. The outlets on the fur have a patterned structure. For some time, the number of South Arabian leopards has been universal, but since 2008 there are no more than 200 species on the territory of the Arabian Peninsula.

Far Eastern leopard

It has several more names: Amur, Korean, Manchu and East Siberian. The size of the body is 136 centimeters in length with a weight of not more than 75 kilograms. Differs from other representatives of a long and soft texture of fur. During the cold, it changes color to lighter than in the summer. The lower body of the body and limbs are painted white. Spread on the territory of China, North Korea and Eurasia. Just a hundred years ago, the entire Korean peninsula was inhabited. Only for 2014 there were 50 representatives of the species. Active measures are being taken to preserve and increase the number of the remaining population.

Persian leopard

This is a rather large representative of the type with a body length of the order of 183 centimeters and weighing up to 60 kilograms. Differs in its dull grayish-orange color of fur. The surface of the body is covered with rare brown spots. Persian leopards spread on the territory of Iran, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Turkey spread. Only 1290 representatives of the species have in total. Earlier individuals were distributed in the North Caucasus, but in the middle of the 20th century they completely disappeared.

African leopard

This is the most numerous subspecies. Its body size is about 180 centimeters long with a weight of up to 90 kilograms. Settled, as the name implies, the territory of Africa. As a habitat, he chooses various mountains, semideserts and tropics.

Black and white leopards

Sometimes there are black leopards, which are also called black panthers. Despite the completely black color of the fur, they also have spots that differ in lighter shades of black.

In addition to leopard-melanists, there are still representatives with incomplete melanism or Abundism. The spots of this representatives are very wide and can merge into one whole. Thus, black color manifests itself only in individual parts of the animal wool.

In nature, there are completely white leopards, who are differently called albinos. They are endowed with blue eyes and white color of wool, on which spots distinguishable in shade are a little visible. They are found in the territory of South China or India. Only a few such representatives appeared in reserves around the world.

general description

In another way, leopards are called large cats. They are endowed with a very long and strong body, which is slightly narrowed on the sides. The head is small with a characteristic rounded shape. The ears are small and rounded. The average size of the body of leopards varies from 90 to 190 centimeters in length with a tail from 60 to 110 centimeters. The body weight of males is in the range from 60 to 75 kilograms. The average weight of the female is almost half as much as the weight of the male.

The animals are notable for their characteristic color. Most subspecies do not change the color of the wool depending on the time of year.

The main colors of the color of leopards are yellow and red-yellow color with small black spots.

The territory of distribution

The habitat of the leopard is very wide. However, their number in many regions is extremely small. A wide population is common in Africa, as well as in Asia and in some regions of the Arabian Peninsula. Black representatives can be found on the island of Java and Malacca.

As a habitat, animals prefer extensive forest spaces. Widely populated tropical and broadleaved forests, thickets of rivers and mountain slopes. Some subspecies are found in savannah, steppes and deserts. Important for them is the presence of any shelter in which there is a sufficient amount of food and the absence of threats from people.

Food

Leopards are absolutely predatory animals. They feed on various roe deer, antelopes and deer. Hunting for their prey is organized near water bodies. In addition to artsical officers, leopards can eat carcasses of hares, birds and some monkeys. During the absence of food, they do not disdain to eat carrion.

Leopards tend to steal food from each other, since it can be on the territory of another predator for a long time. As a rule, their refugees are placed in the basal hollows of trees, on the placers of stones and in the canopies of rocks.

The cheetah is a superkhchelik

Lifestyle and behavior

A single lifestyle is characteristic of large cats. Active in the dark, and day is spent on a tree. These predators are noteworthy and the ability to jump onto rocks and trees in height up to 5 meters. Thanks to their acute vision and hearing, they are well oriented in the dark. And due to the color, they are well disguised in their habitat. The only thing that issues them is a very long tail that they do not know how to squeeze for themselves. Females spend most of their life with their offspring, while the males are alone throughout their lives.

Leopards are characterized by territorial behavior. The size of the section of one female can spread from 10 to 290 square kilometers, and the male territory can reach 1140 square kilometers.  Mark their territory with urine and excrement. They also tend to tear the wood bark and make signs in the ground.

In a calm period, animals move in a slight step, but they are able to break away, reaching a speed of 60 kilometers per hour. Predature jumps are 3 meters in height and 7 meters in length. Leopards differ and their ability to quickly swim and overcome long distances in water.

Propagation period

It is tend to multiply throughout the year for southern representatives. The inhabitants of the Far East organize the wedding season since the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. The marriage period is characterized by long fights, which are accompanied by a loud roar. The rest of the time the animals are very quiet and calm.

The incubation period lasts for 3 months. Childbirth occurs over 6 hours. From 1 to 3 cubs with body weight up to 700 grams and up to 15 centimeters is born. Leopards are born completely blind and covered with thick long fur dark brown with stains. Hearing and vision in babies appear over the age of one and a half weeks. If the mother feels a potential threat, then quickly hides her cubs away from danger. Already at the age of 6 weeks, the leopards begin to leave the lair.

The cubs of the leopard

At first, the mother feeds offspring with semidigested meat, and then begins to bring small birds and small mammals. The female takes care of offspring in a specially equipped den, which is placed in caves, crevices or deaf pits. It is noteworthy that small leopards meow like homemade cats

Offspring spends time with his mother throughout the year. During this time, she teaches them hunting and survival skills in conditions. Leaving the mother, young leopards stay together for some time.

Farm animals become at the age of two and a half years.

The difference between a leopard and a jaguar

Leopard and Yaguara can be confused. However, they have a number of characteristic differences by which this or that animal can be easily identified. Jaguar’s body is larger and stocky than the complexion of the leopard. The jaguars also have a much shorter tail, reaching a maximum of 91 centimeters in length, while the leopards can reach 110 centimeters. Another difference is the structure of the head: in jaguars it is larger and more massive, and large and wide jaws are located in the mouth. You can quickly distinguish animals by color. The spots on the body of the jaguar are much larger than the spots of the leopard. In addition, jaguars are characterized by a more saturated and bright color of fur.

Photo by Jaguar

The general between the two species is the spread of melanism. Leopard and Jaguar can be absolutely black. The name “Black Panther” can be equally both to the jaguar and leopard.

Interesting Facts

Leopards are extremely interesting and mysterious representatives of fauna, who have some interesting features in history and lifestyle.