Panthera pardus
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Panthera pardus |
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| Leopards can live for 10-15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. Their body length is 95-167cm, and their tail length is 60-97cm. They weigh 30-80kg. Leopard sizes vary depending on their location. Savannah leopards are bigger than mountain ones because mountain ones' prey is smaller. Usually males are 20-40% larger than females. |
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Leopards usually have a light tan color coat with a rosette coat and a long tail. They have massive jaw muscles and a large skull. Leopards are sometimes completely black, they can be born into the same litter as marked cats. These are called panthers, they are found in different locations where their color helps them with camouflage. Leopards have to move their tail when they are in a tree to be able to be seen because they blend in. |
| Leopards are the most spread out cats of all. They can be found in India, Africa, Chine, Siberia, and Korea. Panthers are found in the forests of India and south east Asia. |
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Leopards are generally predators. hey can live anywhere where the prey is sufficient. They live in open savannahs, forests, cold mountain regions, jungles, and even on the out lines of urban areas. |
| Leopards' prey include antelopes, jackals, impala, gazelles, monkeys, duiker, insects, rodents, hares, sheep, goats, hyraxes, wildebeest, peacocks, and snakes. They can live without water for long periods of time while obtaining liquid from their prey. |
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Males take on territories of 5 to 40square km. Their territories may overlap with females'. Leopards are very overprotective about their territory. To keep off intruders, they urinate around the boundaries. Leopards are most active between sunset and sunrise. |
| To avoid the attention of hyenas and lions, leopards take their kills up into tree branches. Leopards are very strong and can lift carcasses three times their own body weight, placing them on branches over 6 meters high. There are some reports of leopards taking young giraffes into trees. |
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Females give birth after a period of 90 to 105 days. The average litter is 2 to 4 cubs. Cubs are born blind. They stay with their mothers until they are 13-18 months old. The fathers play no part in raising the cubs. Forty to fifty percent cubs don't reach adulthood. |