Distribution and Habitat.

Leopards have the largest distribution of any wild cat, occurring widely in eastern and central Africa, although populations have shown a declining trend and are fragmented outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Within sub-Saharan Africa, the species is still numerous and even thriving in marginal habitats where other large cats have disappeared. But populations in North Africa may be extinct.

Data on their distribution in Asia are not consistent — populations in southwest and central Asia are small and fragmented; in the northeast, they are critically endangered; but in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and China, leopards are still relatively abundant. Of the species as a whole, its numbers are greater than those of other Panthera species, all of which face more acute conservation concerns.

Leopards live mainly in grasslands, woodlands, and riverine forests. They are usually associated with savanna and rainforest, but leopards are exceptionally adaptable: in the Russian Far East, they inhabit temperate forests where winter temperatures reach a low of −25 °C (−13 °F).

Distribution of Subspecies.

Since Carl Linnaeus published his description of leopards in the 10th edition of Systema Naturaein 1758, as many as 27 leopard subspecies were subsequently described by naturalists from 1794 to 1956. In 1996, according to DNA analysis carried out in the 1990s, only eight subspecies are considered valid. Later analysis revealed a ninth valid subspecies, the Arabian leopard (P. p. nimr). Because of limited sampling of African leopards, this number might be an underestimation.

The nine subspecies recognised by IUCN are:

• African leopard (P. p. pardus), (Linnaeus, 1758) — inhabits sub-Saharan Africa;
• Indian leopard (P. p. fusca), (Meyer, 1794) — inhabits the Indian Subcontinent;
• Javan leopard (P. p. melas), (Cuvier, 1809) — inhabits Java, Indonesia.
• Arabian leopard (P. p. nimr), (Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833) — inhabits the Arabian Peninsula;
• Amur leopard (P. p. orientalis), (Schlegel, 1857) — inhabits the Russian Far East, Korean Peninsula and Northeast China;
• North Chinese leopard (P. p. japonensis), (Gray, 1862) — inhabits northern China;
• Caucasian leopard (P. p. ciscaucasica), (Satunin, 1914), later described as Persian leopard (P. p. saxicolor), (Pocock, 1927) — inhabits central Asia: the Caucasus, Turkmenistan and northern Iran;
• Indo-Chinese leopard (P. p. delacouri), (Pocock, 1930) — inhabits mainland Southeast Asia;
• Sri Lankan leopard (P. p. kotiya), (Deraniyagala, 1956) — inhabits Sri Lanka.

A morphological analysis of characters of leopard skulls implies the validity of two more subspecies:

• Anatolian leopard (P. p. tulliana), (Valenciennes, 1856) — inhabits Western Turkey;
• Baluchistan leopard (P. p. sindica), (Pocock, 1930) — inhabits Pakistan, and possibly also parts of Afghanistan and Iran.

Physical Characteristics.

Leopard are agile and stealthy predators. Although smaller than other members of the Panthera genus, they are able to take large prey due to their massive skulls that facilitate powerful jaw muscles. Head and body length is between 125 and 165 cm (49 and 65 in), and the tail reaches 60 to 110 cm (24 to 43 in). Shoulder height is 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 in). The muscles attached to the scapula are exceptionally strong, which enhance their ability to climb trees. They show a great diversity in size. Males are about 30% larger than females, weighing 30 to 91 kg (66 to 200 lb) compared to 23 to 60 kg (51 to 130 lb) for females. Large males of up to 91 lb (41 kg) have been documented in Kruger National Park in South Africa; however, males in the South Africa's coastal mountains average 31 lb (14 kg). This wide variation in size is thought to result from the quality and availability of prey found in each habitat. Smaller sized leopards also are known in the deserts of the Middle East. Its body is comparatively long, and its legs are short.

Population Of Leopard.

The number of sightings of leopards near and around villages has continued to rise as their natural habitats and food sources shrink related to development. There have been sightings in developed areas of India, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, China, Saudi Arabia, even the United Kingdom. In a study conducted by the WWF in Pakistan, between 2005 and 2007, the majority of leopard sightings – 97 out of 125 – were in and around the small group of villages that were being monitored. Generally leopards do not harm humans, but there have been cases of leopards attacking people. In 2004, fourteen people in Mumbai were reported to have been killed in attacks. Ongoing efforts are focused on educating affected communities to minimize leopard-human conflicts and to conserve natural habitats to deter leopards from moving into urban areas.

Did You Know?

• The elegant, powerfully built leopard has a long body, relatively short legs and a broad head. Its tawny coat is covered with dark, irregular circles called "rosettes."
• Both lions and hyenas will take away a leopard's kill if they can. To prevent this leopards store their larger kills in trees where they can feed on them in relative safety.