Habitat: From tropical rainforest to arid savanna; from cold mountains almost to urban suburbs. Basically in most areas that has sufficient cover, prey and freedom from excessive persecution.
Geographical spread: Africa S of the Sahara and S Asia; scattered populations in N Africa, Arabia and far East.
Current population: 100,000. The Snow leopard is highly endangered with an estimated 6,000 left in the wild (BBC Wildlife, August 1994).
Status: Of the 7 subspecies, 6 are classified as endangered by the IUCN and 1 is possibly extinct.
Size: Head and body length 100-1 90cm, tail length 70-95cm, shoulder height 45-80cm. Males are about 50% larger than females.
Weight: 30-70kg.
Average life expectancy: Up to 12 years in the wild, 20 years in captivity.
Normal diet: Carnivorous. Catches many small mammals (such as topi calves) and birds by opportunism, stealth and speed. They hunt alone and at night either ambushing or stalking their prey. Leopards are very good tree climbers and often drag their prey up trees so as to get it out of the way of other scavengers. Because leopards prey on smaller prey than the other carnivores, they avoid competition with lions, tigers, hyenas and African wild dogs.
Normal lifestyle: Almost entirely solitary. Females hold territories of 1 0-30sqkm and superimposed over the female territories are larger male territories. Territories are defended in fights and are marked by urine on logs and treetrunks. Leopard s have no particular breeding season. Females give birth to a litter of between 1 and 6 (but usually 3) blind, furred cubs which she will look after and raise on her own. Cubs begin to follow their mother at 6-8 weeks old and she looks after them until t hey are 18-20 months old. Once the young leave the female mates again. Sexual maturity is reached at 2.5 years. Male cubs begin to disperse at 2-3 years whilst female cubs stay and take over part of the females territory.
Previous geographical spread: N/A
Reasons for decline: Declining due to being hunted for their fur and also for attacking domestic livestock. Also killed for sport in Africa where the leopard is one of the 'Big Five' most highly rated prey of the Western sport hunter (along with t he lion, buffalo, elephant and rhinoceros).
Conservation projects: As with the lion their range is often encompassed within parks.
File last modified Thursday, October 3, 1996