CATS! WILD TO MILD | CATS FROM A TO Z

Leopard
Panthera pardus

Size: females 28-60 kg (62-133 lbs) males 37-90 kg (82-198 lbs).

Habitat: Leopards are found nearly anywhere there is sufficient food and cover, including wooded savannah, temperate and tropical forest, and desert.

Primary prey: Leopards are generalist predators that eat all sorts and sizes of prey, ranging from small mammals and birds to young giraffes. Most often, they prey on medium-sized ungulates, such as deer and gazelles. .

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (endangered in parts of Asia).

Principal threats: Lack of prey; persecution by livestock ranchers; illegal hunting.

Distribution: Most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, India, China, Siberia, and southeast Asia.

Notable Features: The leopard has the widest distribution of the wild cats and is highly variable in habitat and prey choice. It also varies greatly in size and coat color over its range, probably in response to local conditions.

Select this text for information about the Amur subspecies of the Leopard.


North Chinese Leopard Subspecies


Asian Leopard Subspecies


African Leopard Subspecies


Produced by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
© Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation

This page was made possible by a grant from Friskies Pet Care Corporation and the National Science Foundation.

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Leopard photographs by Nancy Vandermey, © Nancy Vandermey, Exotic Feline Breeding Compound.

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