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The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of 92–183 cm (36–72 in) with a 66–102 cm (26–40 in) long tail and a shoulder height of 60–70 cm (24–28 in).
- Jaguar
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large cat species and the...
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- African Leopard
The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) is the nominate...
- Amur Leopard
The Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is a leopard...
- Leopard (Disambiguation)
Leopard-Trek, the former name of a UCI WorldTour cycling...
- List of Largest Cats
This list of largest cats shows the 10 largest extant...
- Arabian Leopard
The Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) is the smallest...
- Black Panthers
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the...
- Javan Leopard
The Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) is a leopard...
- Damnatio Ad Bestias
Leopard attacking a criminal, Roman floor mosaic, 3rd...
- Jaguar
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leopard, (Panthera pardus), large cat closely related to the lion, tiger, and jaguar. The name leopard was originally given to the cat now called cheetah—the so-called hunting leopard—which was once thought to be a cross between the lion and the pard. The term pard was eventually replaced by the name leopard.
In 1750 the leopard’s geographic range spanned nearly the whole of Africa south of the Sahara, occupied parts of north and northeast Africa, and extended from Asia Minor through Central Asia and India to China and Manchuria. By 2019 the species had lost up to 75 percent of its former range. Several large pockets, however, remained throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Iran, and the Himalayas, with smaller pockets scattered throughout Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, eastern China and Manchuria, and the Korean peninsula. In addition, one tiny pocket of leopards persists in the Atlas Mountains.
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The leopard varies greatly in size and markings. The average size is 50 to 90 kg (110 to 200 pounds) in weight, 210 cm (84 inches), excluding the 90-cm tail, in length, and 60 to 70 cm in shoulder height. The leopard can, however, grow much larger. The ground colour is typically yellowish above and white below. Dark spots are generally arranged in rosettes over much of the body and are without the central spot characteristic of the coat of the jaguar; the ground colour within the rosettes is sometimes a darker yellow, and the size and spacing of the spots vary greatly. As a result of these differences in pattern, several races of leopard have been named.
The leopard is a solitary animal of the bush and forest and is mainly nocturnal in habit, although it sometimes basks in the sun. It is an agile climber and frequently stores the remains of its kills in the branches of a tree. It feeds upon any animals it can overpower, from small rodents to waterbuck, but generally preys on the smaller and medium-sized antelopes and deer; it appears to have a special liking for dogs as food and, in Africa, for baboons. It sometimes takes livestock and may attack human beings.
There is no definite breeding season; the female produces two to four, usually three, cubs after a gestation period of about three months. The calls of the leopard vary and include a series of harsh coughs, throaty growls, and deep purring sounds. The animal takes to water readily and is a good swimmer.
A black form, in which the ground colour as well as the spots is black, is widely known as the black panther; it is more common in Asia than in other parts of the range of the leopard. The races known as the Barbary, South Arabian, Anatolian, Amur, and Sinai leopards are listed as endangered.
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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified P. pardus as a vulnerable species, with the number of leopards worldwide estimated at several hundred thousand individuals. The fortunes of each of the nine recognized leopard subspecies, however, vary greatly. Heavily qualified estimates place the population of African leopar...
Learn about the leopard, a large cat closely related to the lion, tiger, and jaguar, and its distribution, natural history, and conservation status. Find out how the leopard varies in size, markings, and behaviour, and see videos and photos of different subspecies.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about leopards, graceful and powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. Find out how they hunt, breed, and live in different habitats around the world. See photos and videos of leopards in action and their distinctive rosettes.
A leopard (Panthera pardus) is a big cat of the genus Panthera. It lives in Africa and Asia. It has a well-camouflaged fur (marked with rosettes), opportunistic hunting behaviour, stealthiness, elusiveness, broad diet, and strength. It adapts to many habitats from rainforest to steppe, including dry and montane areas. The leopard is a secretive ...
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia), occasionally called ounce, is a species of large cat in the genus Panthera of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.
Apr 15, 2021 · Leopard Fact Sheet. Leopard (Pathera pardus): one of the five big cat species of the genus Panthera. The animal’s name derives from the Greek word leopardus, a combination of leon (lion) and ...
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