Leopards, Panthera pardus, belong to the Felidae Family. Leopards are mammals that are classified in the Carnivora order and suborder Feliformia. Leopards are physically the smallest of the Patherinae, which is comprised of the tiger, lion, and the jaguar species. Although they are smaller, they are able to take down large prey and and have powerful jaw muscles that allow them to bite into it's prey. Male leopards are usually thirty percent larger than females; both are strong enough to climb trees and can run up to 36 miles per hour.
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Leopards can be found in the wild mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia but are also located in East Russia. They are very adaptive to their environment, most of them live in warm climates like grasslands and rainforests but some live in cold climates like that of the mountainous terrain of Russia. Leopards compete with other predators in any habitat they are in. They have to hunt prey and can fall victim to have their kill taken away from them by larger animals. To combat this, leopards hide their kills in tall trees so that bigger animals cannot steal their food.
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Leopards have a life span of 21 to 23 years in captivity. Their life span in the wild is only 12 to 17 years. They have an infant mortality rate ranging 40% to 50%. Although leopards face competition from other predators and run a high risk of their young being devoured, they have been greatly effected by losing their natural habitats and reduction of their prey from humans destroying their habitats. Other actions, such as hunting leopards for medicinal ingrediants and for trophy has added to the reduction of some subspecies of leopards; causing them to be on the endangered animal list.
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