LEOPARDS

ANIMAL CLASSIFICATION Leopards are a member of the big cat family Leopards are mammals and are wild cats

HABITAT Leopards live in Africa, and southern Asian countries such as China and Korea Leopards can be found in semi deserts, savannahs, coniferous forests, grasslands, rainforests, jungles, mountains, even cities and towns

TERRITORY Leopards hide in bushes or trees during the day Leopards make their dens in caves and in between boulders

BODY STRUCTURES Leopards are warm blooded vertebrates, with a large head, strong jaws, and sharp claws The leopard has a long slender body that is supported by short stocky legs and a long tail Leopards are spotted so they can blend in with their surroundings

LIFE CYCLE Leopard babies are carried in their mothers stomach until birth Mother leopards give live birth to babies which are called cubs Male and females mate then three months later the mother gives birth to 1 to 3 cubs Baby cubs stay with their mother for 18 to 24 months Leopards can live in the wild anywhere from 12 to 17 years In captivity they can live anywhere from 20 to 23 years

INTERESTING FACTS Leopards weigh 60 to 200 pounds Like cats kept as companions, leopards will growl when angry and purr when content Leopards are nocturnal predators Leopards have a rough tongue, they use their tongue to remove the hair from the animal they are going to eat, leopards also use their tongue to lick off the meat left on the animal’s bones Man eating leopards operate at night under cover of darkness and enter the human territories Leopards eat monkeys, rabbits, fish, amphibians, wildebeest, impalas, gazelles, jackals, baboons, antelopes, storks, and sometimes even baby elephants and small insects and if you don’t run fast enough a leopard might eat you!

INTERESTING FACTS Adult leopards are usually safe from predators except for lions and spotted hyenas A leopard can climb trees swiftly and efficiently and is not afraid to take on prey These animals are territorial and regularly mark and defend their domain against intruders with urine or by clawing trees