The African continent has a diverse fauna. One of its most beautiful predators is the African leopard. He is smaller than a lion in size, but is a more dexterous and swift beast.
Habitat
The African leopard, whose photo is striking in its beauty and grandeur, is the most common subspecies of wild cats. This beast is found throughout the continent, with the exception of the Sahara and arid Namibia. A small number of leopards live in Morocco, Egypt, Somalia. There is a predator in Niger, Sudan, Kenya. A small population lives in southeastern Algeria, eastern Nigeria and the Cape.
Habitat
The African leopard prefers moist and impenetrable tropics, savannahs and semi-deserts. He also lives in mountainous areas, where there are ravines overgrown with shrubs and convenient crevices. Wherever leopards live, there is a prerequisite - there should be at least a small pond nearby. Predators do not like to swim, but they often hunt at the watering place, where the victims come themselves.
African leopard: appearance description
Habitat greatly affects the size, color and weight of leopards. Forest predators are much smaller and lighter than their "mountain" counterparts. Their color is distinguished by bright and rich colors. The smallest Somali predator is considered the smallest. All leopards have common features.
Predators have highly developed muscles, the body is elongated, slightly flattened from the sides. Its length along with the tail reaches 2.5 meters. The height of the predator at the withers is from 50 to 70 cm in males and not more than 45 cm in the opposite sex. The weight of an adult male is not more than 60 kilograms, for a female - up to 40 kg.
The head of the leopards is massive, with a powerful jaw, filled with sharp and strong fangs. On the muzzle flaunt a 10-centimeter mustache, white and black. The eyes are small, with round pupils. The ears are small, bent at the ends. Paws are quite powerful, feet are wide with retractable claws.
The coat is short and coarse, tight to the body. Color varies from sandy yellow to reddish red. There are also completely black leopards. In color variations, tones are more saturated on the upper body (head, back, neck). The belly and the inside of the limbs are white.
On the wool there is a clear pattern in the form of ring and solid black spots. Each individual has an individual pattern. Smaller black spots adorn the neck and face. Ears are painted in the same color. The tail is also spotted.
Lifestyle
The African leopard character is active, but it is a lone beast. The predator does not stray in flocks and leads a separate lifestyle, mainly nocturnal. Leopard runs well, speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour. Always marks its territory. Communicates with relatives through a growl and a roar. In order to report its presence, the predator coughs hoarsely. After saturation it reproduces purring sounds.
While tracking prey, it moves very quietly, slowly, clinging to the ground. Leopards can jump up to three meters in height, and up to 6 meters in length. They have remarkable hearing and vision. Predators do not drink a lot of water, since most of the liquid they receive from their prey.
Food
African leopard eats quite diverse. Its menu includes both beetles and giraffes. The predator tries to fill up ungulates that weigh about 20-80 kilograms. When a large individual comes across, the leopard eats it for two weeks. The smallest predator manages to hunt giraffes and zebras. In extreme cases, he can eat carrion.
A leopard drags caught prey onto a tree, often up to six meters high. In this case, the weight of the carcass is often over 100 kilograms. Leopards track down their victims, then attack from shelter with lightning speed and strangle or bite their neck. With other predators try not to engage in fights. In the event of poor hunting, a hungry beast can attack livestock.
