Leopards

Leopards are capable of running over sixty kmph over small distances. A leopard has the a spring more six m horizontally, and three meters directly upwards. A leopard can be a extremely adept swimmers. The leopard is the littlest member of the 4 "big cats" and more resembles its close relation the Jaguar.

In the wild Leopards, much like any other predators will over feed itself themselves. After game and killing it, leopards would eat as much of the kill as it can at the time.

Reasons for this are that Leopards could easily lose their carcus to a bigger predator alternatively, may not make another kill in the immediate future.

An extraordinary fact is that leopards are one of the very few wild animals (other than man) that will kill for sport

It is not out of the ordinary to see trees in Africa with multiple antelope carcasses hanging in the branchesof the tree. Even though a leopard may have more than enough food in its stomach, leopards cannot ignore the instinct to pounce on vulnerable prey.

These Animals are viewed as "opportunistic" cats which have a very adaptable diet routine.

Leopards carry captured prey up into trees. Leopards have been known to pull double their body mass over 10meters straight up the trunk of a tree by their mouth.

In other words, try to imagine hauling 2 people, your same body mass up a tree gripping them only using your teeth.

They will consume proteins in almost any form it can find. From beetles and lizards to larger antelope about twice the leopards size. Leopards frequently eats any carcasses of a dead animals that it may find and is able to cache bigger game kills in trees away from other predators, venturing back nightly to continue feeding on them.

The Leopards primary food sources comprise of well over 30 different species including: mid sized antelope like Thomson's Gazelle, Reed Buck, Impala, & the young of larger animals (hartebeest, wildebeest, zebra) as the dominant food groups, rabbits, birds, baboons and small carnivores is also in the food chain.

The leopard is truly amazing animals, capable of adapting to almost any location which provides it with sufficient food and shelter.

Originally these animals were widespread and would be located across a vast array of habitats.

Within Southern Africa societal pressures have vastly down sized the populations and in locations, these creatures have become extinct.

Leopards are a highly adaptable species, being found in every landscapes such as forest, savanna, grassland, thick bush and semi arid desert. At ease over sheer cliffs, tropical forests.

Leopards are capable of breeding between 2 and 3 years, and produce 1 - 3 cubs after a 90-100 day gestation. The cubs become independent between 13 - 18 months, and siblings may remain together for several months before separating. Females in captivity have produced offspring as old as 19 years, but the average age of last reproduction is 8.5 years.

In captivity, leopards have lived over 23 years, as compared to 10 - 11 in the wild.

Leopards are solitary cats, and use the same methods as the other cats for defining their territory: scent marking, feces, and scratch marks.