Leopards

 

Hey everyone, it is Tuesday here down under and time to look at another big cat, this week it is the Leopard.

Leopards are the third largest big cat; they are excellent climbers and unlike most other wild cats’ love living in trees. They can live in various different habitats and have a wide range of prey. They are generally found in the Saharan regions of Africa as well as Asian countries like Turkey, Korea, Jave and India.

They are easily recognised by their rosette patterned coat and their extremely long tail which is darker in colour then the rest of their body. Although their base coat can vary depending on its habitat, those living in open grasslands are a golden yellow, while those living in deserts are yellow or cream in colour. Then there are those who live in mountain regions and they are a deep gold colour.

They like to hunt at night, though females with cubs prefer to hunt during the day, they hunt all kinds of creatures from small rodents to small monkeys and impalas.

They are super strong and can drag a fully grown male antelope or a young giraffe which can weigh up to three times that of the leopard into the treetops.

They will attack humans and are considered more dangerous than lions or tigers. Humans have been a threat hunting them for their fur.

There are also snow leopards which are found in the snow caped mountains of Russia, China and the Himalayas they have woolly fur and interestingly not loud roars like other big cats.

Black leopards also known as black panthers are found in dense, wet forested areas of India and southwest Asia.