Leopard From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search For other uses, see Leopard (disambiguation) and Leopards (disambiguation). Leopard Temporal range: Early Pleistocene – Present[2] PreꞒꞒOSDCPTJKPgN ↓ African leopard male (cropped).jpg Male African leopard in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[3] CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3] Scientific classificationedit Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Felidae Subfamily: Pantherinae Genus: Panthera Species: P. pardus[1] Binomial name Panthera pardus[1] (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies See text Leopard distribution.jpg Present and historical distribution of the leopard[3] The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera, a member of the cat family, Felidae.[4] It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, and on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range. The leopard is considered locally extinct in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Jordan, Morocco, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, Tunisia and most likely in North Korea, Gambia, Laos, Lesotho, Tajikistan, Vietnam and Israel.[3] Contemporary records suggest that the leopard occurs in only 25% of its historical global range.[5][6] Compared to other wild cats, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. Its fur is marked with rosettes. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar (Panthera onca), but has a smaller, lighter physique, and its rosettes are generally smaller, more densely packed and without central spots. Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic are known as black panthers. The leopard is distinguished by its well-camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behaviour, broad diet, strength, and its ability to adapt to a variety of habitats ranging from rainforest to steppe, including arid and montane areas. It can run at speeds of up to 58 km/h (36 mph).[7] The earliest known leopard fossils excavated in Europe are estimated 600,000 years old, dating to the late Early Pleistocene.[2] Leopard fossils were also found in Japan[8] and Sumatra.[9] Contents 1 Etymology 2 Characteristics 2.1 Size and weight 2.2 Variant colouration 3 Taxonomy 3.1 Subspecies 3.2 Evolution 3.3 Hybrids 4 Distribution and habitat 5 Behaviour and ecology 5.1 Social spacing 5.2 Hunting and diet 5.3 Enemies and competitors 5.4 Reproduction and life cycle 6 Conservation issues 7 Human interaction 7.1 Cultural significance 7.2 Attacks on people 7.3 In captivity 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links Etymology The English name 'leopard' comes from Old French: leupart or Middle French: liepart, that derives from Latin: leopardus and Ancient Greek: λέοπάρδος (leopardos). Leopardos could be a compound of λέων (leōn), meaning lion, and πάρδος (pardos), meaning spotted.[10][11][12] The word λέοπάρδος originally referred to a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).[13] 'Panther' is another common name, derived from Latin: panther and Ancient Greek: πάνθηρ (pánthēr);[10] The generic name Panthera originates in Latin: panthera, which refers to a hunting net for catching wild beasts that were used by the Romans in combats.[14] The phonetically similar Sanskrit: पाण्डर (pând-ara) means pale yellow, whitish or white.[15] The specific name pardus refers to a male panther.[16] The word pardus is thought to originate from Ancient Greek: παρδάλωτός (pardalotόs) meaning spotted like a leopard.[17] Characteristics Mounted skeleton Rosettes of a leopard Leopard in South Africa The leopard's fur is generally soft and thick, notably softer on the belly than on the back.[18] Its skin colour varies between individuals from pale yellowish to dark golden with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its belly is whitish and its ringed tail is shorter than its body. Its pupils are round.[19] Leopards living in arid regions are pale cream, yellowish to ochraceous and rufous in colour; those living in forests and mountains are much darker and deep golden. Spots fade toward the white underbelly and the insides and lower parts of the legs.[20] Rosettes are circular in East African leopard populations, and tend to be squarish in Southern African and larger in Asian leopard populations. The fur tends to be grayish in colder climates, and dark golden in rain forest habitats.[7] The pattern of the rosettes is unique in each individual.[21][22] This pattern is thought to be an adaptation to dense vegetation with patchy shadows, where it serves as camouflage.[23] Its white-tipped tail is about 60–100 cm (23.6–39.4 in) long, white underneath and with spots that form incomplete band

• published: 09 Jan 2021
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