Leopard

Leopards are smaller than tigers, lions and jaguars, with males being about 30% larger than females. They have relatively short legs, a long body, large head and very powerful jaws. The majority of leopards have fur ranging in color from pale yellow or buff (desert populations) to dark yellow (rainforest) and more gray (colder climates). The underbelly is usually lighter in color. They coats are dotted with solid dark spots called rosettes, which tend to be circular in East Africa, more square in southern Africa and larger in Asian populations. Melanistic (black) leopards are especially found in the rainforests of the Malay Peninsula and some African mountain slopes. Their spots can be seen when the sun shines on their coats. Leopards are very agile and have powerful shoulder muscles, which aid them in climbing. They are also good swimmers.

Leopards are extremely stealthy and silent, relying on their vision and hearing. They hunt both on the ground, running up to 36 mph, and from trees, jumping down onto prey. They can leap 20 feet horizontally and up to 9.8 feet vertically. They drag prey up into tree branches to protect it from scavengers such as hyenas, wild dogs, lions and tigers; they can carry prey up to 2-3 times their own bodyweight. They hunt a wide variety of prey including warthogs, antelope, eland, deer, monkeys, baboons, bat-eared fox, jackals, martens, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crabs, insects and birds. If necessary, they can obtain their moisture from their prey. If they are near human settlements and injured, sick or have difficulty finding prey, they may hunt dogs and people.