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Mammal. The leopard has the widest distribution of all wild cats and is the most adaptable of the big cats. Leopards can run up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour, but will not chase prey for long distances. Consequently, they can lose their meal to lions, hyenas and wild dogs. Leopards are thought to be seven times stronger than human beings and they can haul a carcass three times their weight. They store the carcass in a tree or rocky outcropping to protect their food supply from other predators. Leopards are famous for their ability to go undetected because of their spotted coloration. Black leopards are called panthers. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Panthera pardus |
10-15 years, 20 in captivity |
| Diet |
| Carnivore. Gazelles, elands, and other small to medium size antelope; hares, peacocks, rodents, jackals, dogs, monkeys, bush pigs, sheep, goats, fish, insects, snakes. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Humans. |
| Habitat |
| Africa, south of the Sahara; India, China, Siberia, and Korea. |
