Leopard in its natural environment, showcasing its distinctive spotted coat.

- Leopards are majestic wild cats with beautiful spotted coats.
- These spots help them blend in with plants and shadows.
- Since leopards are one of many wild cat species with spots, it is pretty easy to mix them up with other spotted wild cats, especially jaguars and cheetahs.
- There are a couple important differences between leopards and cheetahs.
- First is the size difference between them. A leopard’s head and body is smaller than the more muscular, stocky jaguar. Both cats are heavier than the slender, longer-legged cheetah.
- Second is the type of spots they have. A leopard’s spots are rosette shaped (resembling a rose), just like a jaguar’s. However, a leopard’s rosettes do not have dots in the center, while jaguar rosettes do.
- Cheetahs do not have rosettes, but smaller, solid spots.
- Leopards are champion tree-climbers. They climb trees for several reasons. One is protection. Like most wild cats, leopards are solitary animals. African leopards climb trees to avoid predators that hunt in groups, such as lions and hyenas.
- The many subspecies of Asian leopards climb trees to avoid tigers, which are much larger.
- Leopards also climb trees to wait for their prey. After catching prey, a leopard often drags it high up in a tree so other predators won’t get it.
- You might be surprised to know that leopards are good swimmers. They are also pretty fast runners. They can reach speeds of 36 miles per hour and make leaps as much as 20 feet long and 10 feet high.
- Even so, leopards rarely race after prey. They either wait in a tree, or