Harvey and his friends had another amazing day! Guess which animal they saw today? Here's a hint: It's light in color with dark spots, but it's not a cheetah. It is...
A leopard!
Here are some interesting facts about leopards that Harvey and his friends learned:
The dark spots on a leopard are called rosettes, because they have a shape like a rose. God gave them these spots to help them blend in with the grass and trees of their surroundings, so they can hide from dangers better. There are also some leopards with black fur. They still have rosettes, but it's much harder to see them on the dark fur than it is on the lighter colored leopards. Black leopards are called panthers.
Leopards are not social animals like lions. They prefer to be alone and live most of their adult lives by themselves.
Leopards use their own kind of language to talk to each other. They growl when they're angry, purr when they're happy, and make a raspy coughing noise when they want to let other leopards know they're there.
Baby leopards, called cubs, only stay with their mothers until they are two years old. After that, they are ready to go out on their own and take care of themselves.
Leopards come in a pretty wide range of sizes, but they are smaller than other big cats like lions and tigers. Females usually weigh between 46 and 132 pounds, and males range from 80 to 165 pounds.
Most cats don't like water, but leopards love water! They're actually very good swimmers.
Like lions, leopards are carnivores, or meat-eaters, and they do most of their hunting at night. Some of the animals they hunt are bigger than they are! Leopards crouch close to the ground and keep their head down, allowing to sneak up close to their prey without being seen.
God designed the leopard's eyes especially for seeing in the dark. In fact, they can see seven times better than humans in the dark! All baby leopards are born with blue eyes that slowly change to a golden color over the first 2 or 3 months of its life.
Leopards are expert climbers, and they love hanging out in the branches of trees! Their ability to climb trees helps them stay up above dangers during the day when they're napping. They also like to carry their food up into the trees so they can enjoy their meal without worrying about another animal trying to steal it away.
Leopards are very athletic. They're extremely strong, can run about 36 miles per hour, and can jump 20 feet in the air!
