Overview of Leopard
Kids, did you know that leopards can climb up trees? Leopards are solitary hunters who hunt alone. Leopards are found in Africa, Asia, China, and India. The speed of leopards is fast, as they can run up to 58 kilometres per hour or 36 miles per hour. These big cats can leap 6 metres into the air. Let's learn more about leopards in this article.
Hunting by tooth and claw is the leopard spot that separates it from other animals. Leopards live in the dapple shades of forests, and their underlying coat colour is golden, which has complex clusters of black and brown spots patterned on top.
Leopard
All About Leopards
Kids, are you curious to know about this big cat with spots? Let's learn some information about leopards.
Leopards are sleek and powerful animals.
These wonderful cats live in Africa and parts of Asia.
They have cream and gold fur with black spots. Their spots make excellent camouflage for hiding in trees and sneaking up on prey. The leopard's tails are as long as their bodies which helps them to balance and take quick turns.
Although leopards are bigger than regular house cats, they are the smallest to four big cats, including lions, tigers, and jaguars. Like other big cats, leopards have a tremendous roar.
Leopards can do many things, run fast, are great climbers and swimmers, and are the best jumpers among other big cats.
During the day, leopards like to rest in a tree or on a warm rock. At night, they are awake. This makes the leopard a nocturnal animal.
Leopards are not very social animals. They prefer to be alone and spend most of their time without making friends.
Leopard Walking in the Night
The Scientific Name of Leopard
The scientific name of the big cat leopard is 'Panthera pardus'. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) does the scientific naming of different animals. Leopards, along with other large cats, are a part of the cat family, Felidae. Each marks its territory by urinating around it. These cats drag their prey into the trees and leave it on the tree until they are hungry.
Leopard Facts for Kids
In the above paragraph, we read some important information about leopards. Now let's learn some fun facts about leopards.
Leopards are known as super cats due to their hunting quality and ability to adapt to many habitat types.
Leopards have the most extensive geographical range of any other big cat. Their adaptability lends itself to their enormous range. Leopards can live just about anywhere where there is enough food and shelter.
Leopards don't require a constant source of water for their survival as they get most of their water from food.
Leopard habitats include savannahs, mountains, woodlands, swamps, semi-desert regions, and rainforests.
Leopards prefer trees and spend a large part of their lives suspended above the ground in sturdy tree limbs. These big cats rest in trees as this keeps them away from potential predators.
It may seem impossible to believe, but leopards are some of the smallest of the other big cats, even smaller than snow leopards. Lions are the biggest cats found in the world.
Leopards stand about 18 to 32 inches at the shoulder and weigh between 55 and 200 pounds. Male leopards are generally twice the size of females.
There are currently nine accepted subspecies of leopards. As a whole, the leopard species is believed to be one of the most stable of all the big cats.
The humans hunt leopards for their skin, claws, and fur and sometimes kill the cats for livestock damage.
The prey of leopards includes a variety of animals such as reptiles, rodents, amphibians, baboons, large birds, and hoofed animals that may reach more than double the leopard in size.
These were some leopard facts for kids. Wasn't they wonderful?
Leopard Hunting its Prey
Summary
In this article, we learned a lot of interesting facts about leopards. Leopards are solitary animals except for the breeding season and raising young ones. Leopards, on average, give birth to 1 to 3 cubs at a time. Leopards begin breeding at 3 to 4 of age and only live about ten years in the wild. However, they double that age when they are kept in zoos. Leopards are the ultimate predators, silent and often invisible killers. Leopards have short legs and sleek bodies compared to other cat family species. We hope you enjoyed reading this article, in case of any other doubts, feel free to ask in the comments.
FAQs on Fun Facts About Leopard
1. What are black Leopards, and why do they have a black colour?
Black leopards are commonly called black panthers. These leopards have very dark fur with dark spots which are barely visible. According to zoologists, their dark colour fur is due to the dominant pigmentation of melanin in the skin.
2. What are the spots on the body of a leopard called?
The black-brown spots in the body of a leopard are known as rosettes. They are called so because of their rose-like appearance.
3. Are leopards and cheetahs the same?
No, cheetahs and leopards are two different animals. They look similar to one another, but their spots are different. Leopards have rose-like markings called rosettes, while cheetahs have solid, round and oval spots.
4. Which animals are the predators of cheetahs?
Other big cats like Lions, tigers, jaguars, and other animals like packs of hyenas, and wolf dogs can prey on leopards. Leopards avoid their predators by predating upon different prey and often hunting at different times than their predators.
5. When is international leopard day celebrated
International leopard day is celebrated every year on the 3rd of May to increase awareness of leopards' importance.
