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The leopard which is scientifically known as Panthera pardus is an associate of the Felidae family. Such types of Animals are considered as the smallest of the four big cats in the genus Panthera. The other three cats that are known to belong to the genus Panthera are the tiger, lion and jaguar. There are also fragmented populations of such big cats in Pakistan, India, Indo china, Malaysia, and China. Due to the loss of range and declines in population, it is graded as a Near Threatened species.
Once distributed across southern Asia and Africa, from Korea to South Africa, the leopards range of division has decreased thoroughly due to hunting and loss of habitat, and the greatest absorption of leopards now occurs chiefly in sub Saharan Africa. It is a matter of fact worth mentioning that the numbers are greater than other Panthera species, all of which face more acute conservation concerns.
The leopard is generally known to have relatively short legs and a long body. Such types of big cats are known to have a large skull. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar. The only main point of distinction is in the fact that it is of smaller and slighter build. Its fur is generally known to be marked with parallel rosettes to those of the jaguar, though the leopards rosettes are smaller and more densely crammed, and the leopards rosettes do not more often than not have central spots as the jaguars do. Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic completely black or very dark are known as black panthers.
The species success in the wild owes in part to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to habitats, and its ability to move at up to approximately 58 kilometers per hour. The leopard consumes virtually any animal it can hunt down and catch. Its preferred habitat ranges from rainforest to desert terrains. Its ecological role is similar to the American cougar.