Leopards (Panthera Pardus)

Snow Leopards (Panthera Unica)

These facts are discribing the snow leopard.

• The snow leopard is endangered, because they are hunted for their beautiful fur: gray covered with ringed spots of black and brown. Its tail and the bottom of its paws are covered with heavy fur to protect them against the blistering cold.

They are 47 to 59 inches in length, its tail is 31 to 39 inches long. They are very rare due to being hunted. The snow leopard is found in the high mountains of Central Asia, specifically the Himalayas, Altai and Hindu Kush. The snow leopard’s prey includes wild sheep, wild boars, gazelles, hares, marmots, mice and deer. Snow leopards are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. They live in rocky caverns and crevices.

These few facts describe the leopard.

• The leopard is endangered in Asia and parts of Africa.
• Leopards are medium-sized cats found in a range of colors from pale yellow, to gray, to chestnut. A leopard is marked with dark spots in a rosette pattern, but the head, chest and throat are marked with small black spots. Large black spots cover the leopard’s back. The leopard has a white belly.
• Leopards are 1 and a half to 2 and a half feet tall at the shoulder. They are three to six feet long, with a tail that is two to three and a half feet long

• Males weigh between 82 and 200 pounds, females are slightly smaller. Leopards live for up to 20 years. Leopards are found throughout most of Africa and Asia from the middle east to the Soviet Union, Korea, China, India, and Malaysia. Leopards are found in a variety of habitats including forests, mountains, grassland and deserts. Leopards eat small hoofstock such as gazelle, impala, deer and wildebeast. On occasion, they may also hunt monkeys, rodents and birds. Leopards are nocturnal animals, that means they are active at night. During the day, they rest in thick brush or in trees. Leopards like to live alone. They are very agile and good swimmers.

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