Leopard Facts
Top Facts about Leopards
As you discover various facts about the Leopard you will find that there is so much about them that you never knew!
The Leopard does fit into the category of the big cats. It is actually the smallest one of them though.
The biggest threat to the future of the Leopard in the wild is their loss of habitat.
This feline is considered to be at a near threatened status.
The legs of the Leopard are much shorter than those of other felines.
Some Leopards have a genetic mutation that results in them being completely black in color. As a result of that they are often mistaken for Panthers.
The Leopard can run up to 36 miles per hour for short periods of time.
The jaws of a Leopard are so powerful they can climb trees even carrying a carcass.
There are 10 subspecies of the Leopard.
Males are approximately 30% larger than females.
The Leopard, Cheetah, and Jaguar are often mistaken for each other due to their appearance. As a result it can make it very hard to accuracy count the population of these felines.
The Leopard is an amazing climber and spends lots of time during the day resting in trees.
They are able to jump in the air about 10 feet and to leap forward about 20 feet.
The Leopard can take part in mating during any time of the year.
The mortality rate for the Leopard cubs is about 50%. In the wild the average life span is 11 years. It can be almost double that in captivity.
Some of the early rules in Egypt and England had Leopards as pets.
Humans have been attacked and eaten by the Leopard. This is a fact that makes many people nervous. Two Leopards in particular have been noted for one killing more than 125 people and the other more than 400 by the time they were killed. They were both killed in the early 1900’s.
They are amazing swimmers and frequently spend their time in the water. They will sometimes eat crab or fish while they are there.
The underside of a Leopard is white with black spots. The design of the spots on these felines is original for each of them. It can be considered their own identifier just like fingerprints for humans.
There are very strong maternal bonds that can be developed. The mothers will often recognize her offspring should she come into contact with them again. They are very patient and caring in their role as mothers.
The Leopard has been known to steel food sources from Hyenas and Cheetahs.
The Leopard will take every opportunity to find food. They are known to have a carcass up in a tree and then to still kill again due to the fact that they have the chance to do so.
Leopard cubs are able to climb trees by the time they are six weeks of age.
The young cubs may have to be alone for a period of up to 36 hours while the mother is hunting.
They can make a sound that is very similar to a saw cutting wood. This can often be heard during the early morning hours.
They may spit at each other when they are coming face to face to fight for mating or territory. Generally one of them will retreat before any physical contact occurs.
The Leopard is believed to be the most adaptive of all felines to their surroundings.
The hunting efforts of the Leopard help to control populations. Otherwise there would be grass areas overgrazed and such animals would likely starve.