THE LEOPARD The leopard Panthera pardus is a big spotted cat that lives in Africa and Asia Leopards lead very secret lives so they are difficult to see in the wild Leopards can live in many kinds of habitats or homes This ability makes them one of the most adaptable of the big cats Always alert a leopard rests in the snow 5
THE LEOPARD’S RELATIVES The leopard is a member of the feline or cat family Although it is much larger the leopard is related to the common house cat The leopard is one of the big cats that roar It looks something like the jaguar of South America The snow leopard Panthera uncia is not the same as the ordinary leopard The snow leopard does have spots but it does not roar It lives in the cold rocky mountains of central Asia 6 The rare snow leopard is a different kind of big cat than the spotted leopard
