Both the leopard and the cheetah belong to the feline family, both at the top of the food chain and are spotted in color. However, they have several significant differences.
Body structure
Leopard Is a rather large animal. Has a physique typical of cats: relatively short legs, graceful stocky body. With a length of about 180 cm, it reaches a height of 75 cm. It weighs about 75 kg.
Leopard
small head, long legs and protruding chest. By constitution, he resembles a hound dog. Very muscular with no significant body fat. It is significantly inferior to the leopard in size: the height at the withers is about 90 cm with a body length of 140 cm and a weight of 40-60 kg.
Cheetah One more hallmark cheetahs is that they do not retract their claws. They have lost this ability in the process of evolution. Cheetahs use their claws as spikes in tight bends or when braking hard.
Color
Another distinguishing feature of cheetahs is that they do not retract their claws. They have lost this ability in the process of evolution. Cheetahs use their claws as spines on tight bends or when braking hard.
The body of the cheetah is covered with simple round or oval black spots, while the leopard's spots are collected in peculiar rosettes.
Also, the cheetah has black stripes on its face, going down from the corners of the eyes.
Habitat
The habitat of leopards covers African, Asian, Indian and Far Eastern territories.
Cheetahs are found mainly in Africa, found in the Middle East.
Hunting method
Leopards hunt alone. Night is considered the ideal time for this activity. Ambush. They can climb trees, so monkeys often become their prey. Often they drag their prey there so as not to share it with other predators.
Cheetahs can hunt in packs or groups of several individuals, so it is easier for them to catch prey. They hunt exclusively during daylight hours. They have long and well-developed legs, so they run quickly. In three seconds, the cheetah accelerates like a sports car (up to 110 kilometers per hour). They prefer to catch up with prey, and not wait in ambush. These predators do not climb trees, they hunt in open spaces.
Mining
Leopards are mainly prey for large animals. They can attack a person.
Cheetahs choose prey weaker: gazelles, cubs of antelope, hares.
I was recently in a safari park, where I saw a leopard. Rather, I thought it was a leopard, but the guide told me that it was a cheetah. I laughed then, they say, what's the difference, a cheetah or a leopard. And he almost got angry with me and began to explain to me that these are completely different animals. I will share this knowledge with you.
Big cats
Both of these animals belong to the feline family. They are carnivores and are at the very top of the food chain. Nature has provided them with excellent eyesight and keen hearing, powerful jaws, claws, strong and fast paws. These beautiful creatures are created to kill, get their own food and be an orderly in nature, as they adjust the populations of other animals, killing the weak and the old. Only a leopard can attack a person, and only if he is sick or wounded. The cheetah tries not to collide with humans.
What is the difference between a cheetah and a leopard
Outwardly, these two cats appear to be exactly the same. But if you look closely, you will find that they are very different. So, the main differences are:
- The cheetah has clear black tear streaks running from the corners of the eyes to the nose. The leopard does not have such a pattern.
- In a leopard, spots on the skin are arranged in "clusters", forming a rosette, with a dark background inside. In a cheetah, each speck is located separately from the others.
- The leopard is larger in size, with a massive head, with a reserve of subcutaneous fat, while the cheetah is thin, with long legs and a small head.
In addition to external differences, these animals differ in lifestyle and habitat. For example, cheetahs are common in Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia. Leopards are found in India and in Central Asia and, of course, in Africa. Cheetahs get their food thanks to their fast strong legs, catching up with the prey, and the leopard attacks the prey from an ambush.
Amazing facts
The cheetah is considered a noble animal. He never eats carrion, prefers prey caught by himself, does not breed in captivity, is smart, it is possible to train him to hunt with humans. Thanks to these qualities, in ancient times, the cheetah was considered a royal gift.
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish similar animals from each other. But for those who decided to put an end to misunderstandings and gaps in knowledge, our article will certainly come in handy. In it, we will look at the main differences between leopards and jaguars, as well as some other large felines that also have spots.
Who are the panthers?
There are not so many differences between the jaguar and the leopard, since they are close relatives. Both species belong to the panther genus. In addition to them, the genus also includes tigers and lions, which obviously cannot be confused with anyone. The word "panther" has another meaning. This is often the name for all large dark-colored cats. It should be remembered that in this case we are not talking about the species - this is a characteristic of the color.
The increased amount of melanin causes the growth and darkening of the spots, as a result of which the animal gets a dense dark color, sometimes almost black. This happens with jaguars and leopards.
Sizes and shapes
The main difference between a leopard and a jaguar lies in the size and structure of the body. The following photo will help to visualize this.
The jaguar is larger and more massive; against the background of a light-legged leopard, it may even seem fat. And he also does not have a very long tail, unlike the leopard tail.
Area
In the wild, it will not be possible to put these animals side by side and compare, since they live on different continents. Therefore, we will look at other differences as well. But first, we note that the jaguar is the only representative of the panther genus that lives in South and North America. Leopards inhabit Africa and Asia.
Head structure
The jaguar is larger and its head is more massive. When viewed in profile, a sloping, slightly arched nose can be seen. Some say it resembles a pit bull's nose. Unlike a jaguar, a leopard has a slender head. He has a typical feline profile with a concave nose. The part of the muzzle from which the mustache grows is also different: in the jaguar it is pear-shaped, lowered to the mouth, and in the cheetah it is knocked down, diamond-shaped.
Focus on stains
The American beast is not only larger, but also much brighter than the African and Asian counterparts. The color of his skin is red, not light yellow. Another characteristic difference between a leopard and a jaguar is spots. In a jaguar, they are large, in the form of black rosettes with spots inside, and in a leopard they are smaller, with a colored center, but without spots.
Behavioral features
When it comes to lifestyle, there are not many differences. Leopards and jaguars are excellent dart frogs and hunters. They ambush the victim, kill almost instantly. These species do not feed on carrion. Wounded animals can attack people, but in general cannibalism is uncharacteristic for them (although history knows several fierce predators who kept entire settlements at bay).
But there are still differences. Leopards are not very fond of water, and their American relatives are excellent swimmers. It is also believed that jaguars are more aggressive.
Other large spotted cats
It happens that confusion arises with other brothers in the family. Most often, questions arise when it comes to the cheetah, although he is not even a representative of the panther genus.
It has a smaller size, a lean body with strong high legs and a small head. The cheetah's tail is long and thin. Black stripes run from the eyes to the corners of the mouth. Whole spots. Unlike the leopard and jaguar, the cheetah hunts only during the day and never ambushes. This beast is the best sprinter among the planet's predators, but it does not chase after prey for more than 400 meters.
Spots can also be seen on the lynx's skin, but these are, rather, specks. The lynx is also much inferior in size even to a leopard, and it can be easily identified by the shape of its head with high triangular ears crowned with tassels.
The snow leopard, or irbis, is a rather large animal, similar to a fat light leopard. Irbis lives in the mountains, so its color is gray-white, without reddishness. The coat of this animal is thick and very long, and the small fluffy tail looks more like a jaguar.
There are small representatives of the family (servals, ocelots), which look more like large domestic cats, and not like huge jaguars. In addition to spots, these animals do not have any similar signs with representatives of the panther genus.
None of the wild felines has such a vast range as the leopard. This predator has successfully "mastered" a vast territory, including the whole of Africa (excluding the Sahara) and almost all of South Asia. At the same time, he feels great in the forest and in the mountains, he tolerates both heat and cold equally well. In the north, the leopard reached the Transcaucasus and Primorye. True, it is no longer found in the Caucasus, but it was seen on the Far Eastern leopard quite recently. On July 24, 2016, the rarest animal boldly ran across the highway in the Khasansky district of Primorye, and a little later was still hit by a car.
In addition, the closest relative of the leopard, the jaguar, lives on the other side of the globe. They are so similar that an inexperienced eye will not immediately determine who is in front of him - a resident of the Old World or the New? Nevertheless, it is quite possible to distinguish them. Speaking simple language, the leopard is more graceful and "slimmer" than the stockier and more densely built "American".
Leopard.
The legs of the jaguar are shorter and more powerful, the rosette spots are larger and more shaped, and the head is more massive and larger (the Brazilians call it “kangu” - that is, “big head”).
Jaguar.
The beautiful skins of these predators were the desired object of fashionistas of the 1930s and 70s (Jacqueline Kennedy and Gina Lollobrigida loved to flaunt in "leopard" outfits). But even without this, people had enough reasons to kill leopards.
More dangerous than a tiger and a lion
Hunters unanimously argued that a leopard is more dangerous than a lion or a tiger, and it is much more difficult to track down and shoot it. The fact is that it is smaller and lighter than its “colleagues” (the body length of a leopard is 91-180 m, and its weight is from 30 to 90 kg). Consequently, it is more agile and invisible in grass, bushes or tree branches (spots on a yellowish background in these conditions are an excellent disguise).
They write that this predator can sneak up on an unsuspecting victim at a distance of up to 2 meters before making a lethal jump.
R. Kipling "How the leopard got its spots":
“- Make yourself spotted like a giraffe.
- Why?
“Just think how profitable it is. Or maybe you prefer zebra stripes? Both the zebra and the giraffe are very happy with their new designs.
- Hm! - said the leopard. “I don’t want to be like a zebra at all.
“Make up your mind quickly,” the Ethiopian insisted. “I don’t want to go hunting without you, but willy-nilly it will be necessary if you look like a sunflower by a dark fence.
“Well, I choose spots,” said the leopard. - Just don't make them too big. I don't want to be like a giraffe. "
A. Brehm "Animal Life":
“Outwardly, the leopard is without a doubt the most perfect of all cats on the globe... Of the whole family of the latter, the lion, of course, inspires us with respect for its greatness, and we readily recognize in him the king of beasts; the tiger is the most terrible member of the ferocious feline society; the ocelot's fur is, of course, more colorful and colorful than the furs of other pardels; but with regard to the slenderness of the constitution, beauty and pattern of fur, regarding grace and beauty in movements, these cats, like all the others, are far inferior to the leopard. "
The leopard is not only dexterous and cautious, but also silent. Of course, he can rumble dull and rolling and even roar (during the mating season), but not when hunting. They say the leopard is silent, like a partisan, even when trapped or wounded.
It is interesting that such caution of the leopard and his reluctance to engage in "open battle" allowed Aristotle to enroll this predator in the top of the most cowardly animals - along with the mouse, rabbit, hyena and donkey.
However, the inhabitants of Africa and Asia, who knew the leopard firsthand, never shared the assessments of the ancient Greek philosopher. For them, the leopard is a respected beast, a symbol of military valor and royal power (in Dahomey, local kings called themselves “children of the leopard”).
A. Brehm "Animal Life":
“With such ferocity and dexterity of the leopard, it is clear why the victor of a dangerous animal is held in such high esteem by the Kaffirs. Dressed in a "karros" made of leopard skin, with a necklace of the teeth of an animal around his neck and his tail on his belt, the brave man looks down at his comrades, on whose belts only modest tails of monkeys hang sadly. "
However, in Europe, Aristotle's opinion did not take root. Yes, the leopard could be a symbol of anger and ferocity, but by no means cowardice. It is with the leopard (leopard) that the terrible "Beast coming out of the sea" is compared in the "Apocalypse" (13: 1-2). It is the leopard, the wolf and the lion who chase the hero of Dante's Divine Comedy on the way to Hell. And a German tank is not simply called a "leopard".
As I already wrote, the leopard is good at adapting to different habitats, which helped him avoid the mass extermination that lions and tigers underwent. However, the favorite patrimony of this predator is, of course, the forest.
The leopard excellently climbs and jumps on trees, which makes the monkeys incredible. He often hides the remains of his prey in the trees.
The same can be said for the jaguar. In the language of the Guarani Indians, the name "yaguara" has a very eloquent meaning: "a beast that kills in one jump." In a jump, this predator is really swift, but, like most cats at long distances, it quickly fizzles out (do the creators of the Jaguar sports car know about this?).
A. Milne "Winnie the Pooh and All-All-All":
“- And what are the Jagulars doing? - asked Piglet, in the depths of his soul hoping that now they will not do this.
- They hide in the branches of trees and from there rush at you when you are standing under the tree, - said Pooh ...
- Then we'd better not go to this tree, Pooh, otherwise he will throw himself out of there and hurt himself.
“They don’t hurt themselves,” said Pooh, “they are great at throwing themselves.”
Mine Reed "The Headless Horseman":
“Climbing a tree was useless: the jaguar climbs trees like a cat. The Mustanger knew this.
... Purely instinctively, he rushed straight into the stream and stopped only when the water reached his waist.
If Maurice could reason, he would understand that it is useless - after all, the jaguar not only climbs trees like a cat, but also swims like an otter. It is just as dangerous in the water as it is on land. "
Indeed, the jaguar is an excellent swimmer who manages to successfully hunt even caimans. However, the favorite food of this predator is South American baker pigs (accent on the second syllable) and the world's largest rodents - capybaras, reminiscent of a guinea pig 1.5 meters long.
In the New World, the jaguar is undoubtedly the largest and most dangerous predator, which the alien Spaniards immediately nicknamed "El Tigro". Of course, the Indians also revered the jaguar. Among the monuments of the Peruvian culture of Chavin, stone figures of the gods in the form of half-people-half-jaguars have been preserved.
Left - a jaguar figurine from Monte Alban (200 BC); on the right - an image of an Aztec warrior in a jaguar skin.
True, in South American fairy tales, the jaguar often plays the same role as the wolf in the Russian fairy tales - it appears in the form of a formidable but simple-minded predator, led by a possum or a monkey by the nose. You can also recall the tale of Kipling "Where did the armadillos come from", where a hedgehog and a turtle "breed" a jaguar. By the way, the advice of his jaguar mother - to scratch a turtle out of the shell - is not so fabulous - predators often use this technique in real life.
Previously, the habitat of jaguars was not limited to the South American jungle and reached states such as Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California (it is in Texas that the novel "The Headless Horseman" takes place). However, since the 1940s, this predator has not been seen in the United States, although it is still found in Mexico in some places.
What does a panther smell like?
“I also love the black panther,
When she looks in front of her
Into some non-life sphere,
Like a terrible sphinx in the blue desert ”.
(F. Garcia Lorca)
As soon as I became interested in the origin of the name "leopard", confusion quickly arose in my head. Perhaps more knowledgeable experts will correct me - I have encountered too many conflicting hypotheses while researching this issue.
You do not need to have deep linguistic knowledge to see the word "leo" in the name of a leopard. "a lion". But how is the second part translated - "pard" - more precisely, "pardus"?
In the English-language Wikipedia it is written that this ancient Greek word means "male panther" and is derived from the eastern - Indo-Iranian - languages. Then who is this "panther"?
Bagheera's panther Soviet m-f Mowgli.
Russian-speaking readers will find it easy to answer this question. Many will immediately remember the unforgettable Bagheera from "Mowgli", and the well-read will explain that the panther is not a separate species, but simply a genetic variety of black leopards. Black individuals (in science called melanists) are also found in jaguars, but such individuals have not yet been found in lions and tigers.
By the way, in the original Kipling Bagheera is not a female, but a male. Disney took a lot of liberties in the film adaptation of The Jungle Book, but his panther gender is correct.
The excessively dark color is the fault of the coloring pigment melanin - the one that is responsible for the color of our hair, the color of the iris of the eye, etc. It is its increased formation under the influence of UV rays that manifests itself on human skin in the form of sunburn and freckles.
The first of the medieval Europeans to describe the black leopard, so to speak, "from nature," was Marco Polo. This 13th century traveler managed to get all the way to China. True, in his descriptions Polo calls the panther a "lion."
“There are many different animals here; they are unlike animals of other countries. There are absolutely black lions here without any marks. "
However, look at what Ovid writes in Metamorphoses:
…The God (meaning Bacchus - S.K.) meanwhile, having crowned his forehead with vines in bunches,
He shakes himself with a spear entwined with grape foliage.
Tigers - around the deity: ghosts of lynxes appear,
The wild ones immediately lay down with the spotted skin of a panther ...
The Roman god of wine - Dionysus - riding a leopard.
And here is what Mephistopheles says in Goethe's Faust, referring to the freckled blonde:
"My soul! With whiteness such
Be spotted like a panther for six months
Can ruin a woman's career. "
Indeed, even on the blackest panther, spots always appear. E. Gee in "Wild Animals of India" wrote that there are even special "under-panthers", in which black spots are clearly visible on a light chocolate background. No wonder in English language an analogue of our proverb "Only the grave will fix a humpbacked one" sounds like "Can leopard change its spots?" ("Can a leopard change its spots?").
"The book of the prophet Jeremiah" (13:23):
“Can an Ethiopian change his skin and a leopard his spots? so can you
to do good, accustomed to doing evil? "
Women in leopard dresses.
Left - a painting by C.E. Perugini. On the right is Italian actress Marie-Angela Melato.
R. Kipling "Mowgli":
“A black shadow fell in the middle of the circle. It was Bagheera, a black panther, all black like ink, but with marks that, like all panthers, are visible in the light, like a slight pattern on moire. "
If, however, someone inattentively read the book, then in the Soviet cartoon "Mowgli" literate creators quite clearly indicated the species of Bagheera, when in the mating season they depicted her running with a spotted leopard.
Cubs in such a family can be very different - both spotted and black. But the latter is less common because the black gene is recessive and is often suppressed by the spotting gene. To get 100% black offspring you need two black panthers, but the "black buildings" can be born in spotted parents, if there were black in their ancestors. In addition to color, spotted leopards and panthers are no different from each other.
Nevertheless, the spectacular image of the panther (a black cat with burning eyes) made the panther a real symbol of a formidable, beautiful, dexterous, insidious (and when treacherous) woman (the song "Agatha Christie" and the film about a werewolf girl "People -cats "with Nastassja Kinski).
Nastassja Kinski with her "alter ego".
True, the Nazis managed to call a rather square (but still formidable) tank by this name. On the coat of arms of the African country of Gabon, two panthers hold a shield and personify (I quote) "the vigilance and courage of the head of the Gabonese state."
A radical nationalist Negro group is widely known under the name "Black Panthers".
As you can see, in the West, an ordinary leopard can also be called a "panther", and the epithet "black" - "black panther" will be added to the melanists.
However, all this does not clear up the above statement from Wikipedia that “pardus” means “male panther”. In this case, nonsense comes out - "leopardus" turns out to be a hybrid of a "lion" and ... the same "leopard"!
However, there are also more logical interpretations. For example, the assumption that the words "panther" and "pardus" are derived from the Sanskrit "pundarikas" (tiger), which, in turn, comes from pandarah - "light yellow". And in the article "tiger" from Dahl's dictionary, we can find the following phrase: "the scientific name of the beast Pardus."
That is, the "leopard" in ancient times was perceived as a kind of cross between a lion and a tiger ...
With the third name of the leopard - "leopard" - things are not so confusing. It is believed to be derived from the word "prassum" from the Hittite language (the alleged ancestor of the Abkhaz and Adyghe languages). It took root in our country in the 16th century and meant, first of all, Caucasian leopards. Although it was also used in relation to other large and spotted ones - like a cheetah or a snow leopard (the latter will eventually be called a "snow leopard").
But back to the word "panther", the origin of which is also not unambiguous. In ancient times, it was interpreted more simply, without delving into Sanskrit. They say, "pan" is in Greek "everything, universal", and "theros" - "beast". That is, the "panther" is a kind of "all-beast" - a beast over all beasts.
Isidore of Seville:
"The panther is called by this name, either because she is a friend to all animals except the dragon, or because she likes the community of her kind, and what she receives, she returns with equal uniformity."
Such a strange interpretation will become clear if we recall one ancient (and no less strange) idea of this animal. Even in the ancient world, it was believed that the panther (then called "pardom") is capable of exuding a fragrant and enchanting aroma, before which no animal can resist. No wonder the ancient Greeks called "pardalis" not only leopards, but also hetaira - professional "priestesses of love" who abundantly anoint themselves with incense.
Aristotle "History of Animals":
“It is also said that the pardus, knowing that his smell is pleasing to the animals, hunts, hiding himself: he comes close and thus seizes even deer.”
If at least some pragmatic logic was present in this description, then it also disappeared in the Christian era. In a theological presentation, the predator already exudes a scent just like that, not pursuing any insidious benefit.
"Physiologist" (II-III century):
"In a dream, she exudes a fragrance, and all other animals gather around her to this smell, and rejoice at the scent, and having rejoiced, they disperse in joy and contentment through the thickets and fields."
The panther attracts all animals, but frightens the dragon, which is hiding in the hole. Drawing from the "Bestiary" (XII century).
At first, this smell was compared to the Word of Christ, which attracts the souls of people to faith. In courtly culture, the Beautiful Lady began to be compared with the fragrant panther.
"Bestiary of love in rhymes", unknown poet of the 13th century:
I follow her like animals walk,
The accompanying panther.
I followed her and I follow her,
I am escorting the lady.
The beloved attracts, beckons,
Intoxicates with a sweet breath.
Painted with all the motley
The panther is more beautiful than all animals.
Enchants with a beautiful appearance.
Waking up, crying loud
Bestial delights the ear
And an unspeakably sweet spirit
The forest fills the thickets,
And there is no sweeter fragrance.
This smell is pleasant to animals.
Only snakes are afraid of him,
Escapes, as if from a chase,
From these heavenly incense.
But everyone but the snake is glad
Breathe in a wonderful aroma
And so other beasts
Always accompany the panther ...
J. Boschius, “Decoration is created by spots”. 1702 g.
But in the mystical novel "Angel of the West Window" by Gustav Meyrink, an insidious seducer is already associated with a panther.
“The naked princess with the most natural look emerged from her mother-of-pearl shell. Her wonderful, impeccably proportional body of a light bronze shade, which retained its chaste elasticity, even next to the stone Isais looked like a real masterpiece. The dress thrown on the floor exuded a predatory scent, or so it seemed to me; this well-known, nerve-tickling smell of a panther in my already overexcited state was simply deafening. "
If in medieval Europe, ideas about leopards were very abstract (after all, they were not found there), then at the time of Meyrink they already knew very well how dangerous this predator was.
But I will dedicate to the cannibals in the cat family.
Leopard (leopard) is an animal that belongs to the class of mammals, the order of carnivores, the feline family, the subfamily of big cats, the genus of panthers.
International scientific name: Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758).
The Greek word πάνθηρ, from which the word “panther”, another name for the leopard, comes from, consists of two stems: πάν (everything, everywhere) and θήρα (beast, predator), that is, literally “full-fledged predator”. Although there is an opinion that the word "panther" comes from the Sanskrit pundarikam - "tiger", "yellowish beast". Leo prefix from Greek Λέων indicates kinship with a lion. In Russia, the leopard was known as the leopard, pardus and pardus, although the last two names also referred to another animal - the cheetah. The word leopard, which is also called this type of mammal, is of Turkic origin.
The leopard is capable of attacking humans as well. But man-eating leopards are much less common than tigers and lions attacking people. Only an old or sick animal can do this. A healthy and young animal attacks a person only if it is injured.
The leopard eats up to 20 kg of meat per day. After killing large prey, he feeds on it for another 4-5 days. Only after that does the leopard go on the next hunt.
Leopards drink a lot, especially after eating. In this regard, they always settle in those places where water is constantly available. As a rule, cats go to watering places at night.
In addition to animal meat, leopards eat grass to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract of fur, which they swallow when cleaning their fur.
Left cheetah, right leopard
What is the difference between a jaguar and a leopard?
The structure of the body in both animals is similar. But the body of the jaguar is more massive, stocky and strong-built: the animal looks more monolithic and strong-boned in comparison with the leopard.
The jaguar has a shorter tail - 70-91 cm.In the leopard, it reaches 110 cm.
Unlike a leopard, a jaguar's head is larger and looks more massive.
The leopard's jaw is smaller and narrower than that of the jaguar.
The difference between a leopard and a jaguar can be traced in the spots of the animals. The spots on the skin of a jaguar are similar to leopard, but are larger in size. Plus, the jaguar's coloration appears to be brighter. What unites animals is that they can both be melanists, that is, black (though with slightly visible spots against the black background), and the name "black panther" can be applied to both the jaguar and the leopard, because both of these animals belong to the genus panthers.
The maximum speed of the leopard is 60 km / h. The Jaguar is faster: it can reach speeds of up to 90 km / h.
The jaguar differs from the leopard in terms of habitat: it lives in southern North America, in Central and South America and the leopard in Africa and Asia.
The food of both animals is about the same, but the jaguar swims well and replenishes its diet with fish, frogs, turtles and even small alligators. The leopard swims well, but reluctantly, and rarely uses fish. But, in addition to terrestrial inhabitants, he eats monkeys and other animals living in trees.
Another difference between a jaguar and a leopard is that the leopard hides its half-eaten prey in a tree or in the grass, and the jaguar buries it in the ground.
Pregnancy in a female leopard lasts up to 90 days, in a jaguar 100-110 days.
Above is a North Chinese leopard, below is a Brazilian jaguar. Photo by above: Rufus46, CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo by below: Charlesjsharp, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Leopard hunting
Leopards, like other predators, are useful in that they destroy sick animals, restrain the growth of the population of pests, such as monkeys.
People hunt beautiful spotted cats in order to obtain valuable fur, and also destroy them due to the fact that predators attack livestock. But, in general, leopard populations are decreasing due to the economic activity of people and, accordingly, changes in the usual habitats of leopards. In some areas, the leopard is on the brink of survival, and in some it has been completely destroyed. But, nevertheless, in most of its range, the animal successfully survives due to its ability to successfully hunt and adapt to any conditions of life. In some countries, leopards are also killed for fun.
This mammal is one of the so-called "big five" animals - the favorite objects of sports hunting, among which are the lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. To this end, an international organization that monitors trade in endangered wild species of animals and plants allocates quotas for shooting leopards. The population of these predators is not reduced by this. The states receiving these quotas take care of the preservation of the species.
- Leopard females keep their cubs with them for quite a long time, especially males. They stay with their mother for 2 months longer than girls. The longer her brood follows a female, the fewer kittens she will give birth to during her life.
- Due to the fact that leopards love to eat dogs, scientists fear the spread of distemper, a disease that dogs are susceptible to.
- The leopard, or leopard, has always been a cult animal among the ancient peoples. In Asia, shrines and shrines were erected in his honor. For many African tribes, the leopard is considered a sacred totem. But the predator reached the greatest reverence in the society of leopard people. This secret society existed, and possibly still exists in Africa.
- The kings of African tribes are usually dressed in leopard skins. By this they show that they have the strength, dexterity, speed of this animal. They instill terror in their enemies. Other members of the tribe cannot wear this garment, as it threatens them with death.
- The leopard has a "namesake" among marine mammals- a predator from the genus of seals, which is named the sea leopard for its characteristic spotted coloration and fame as a dangerous hunter.
- The white leopard (aka the snow leopard) is not a light-colored leopard at all, but a separate species of mammal. It has the name irbis and lives in the mountains of Central Asia.
- The leopard is very similar to the Bengal cat breed, which is a hybrid of the domestic and Bengal cat. By the way, this breed has a very developed hunting instinct, and the character of a cat combines the temperament of a pet and a wild animal.
- In medieval heraldry, the image of a camelopard, a hybrid of a camel and a leopard, was often used. The animal, symbolizing courage and zeal, was depicted with the body of a leopard and the head of a giraffe, on which 2 horns grow.
- Clouded leopards also belong to the feline family. They live in southeast Asia and represent a separate genus within the family.