Leopard and cub. Black leopard, or panther. (
Panthera Pardus)
The leopard is found in southern and central Africa, and in some parts of Asia and the middle east. The cat that is usually referred to as a panther is in fact, a melanistic leopard. Melanism refers to having an an usually amount of dark pigment, melanin, in the fur. Panthers are a not a subspeces, merely a variation of the normal species.
Leopard can subsist on an extremely wide range of prey but when available, show a marked preference for small to medium-sized hoofed mammals. When their prey is too large to eat all at once, the leopard is known to drag it away and stuff it into a tree to eat later.
Despite its relatively small body size, the leopard is still capable of taking large prey. Its skull is massive, giving ample room for attachment of powerful jaw muscles. Its whiskers are particularly long and there are often several extra long hairs in the eyebrows, protecting the eyes and assisting movement through vegetation in darkness (Skinner and Smithers 1990). Its scapula is adapted for the attachment of powerful muscles that raise the thorax, enhancing its ability to climb trees (Hopwood 1947). Leopards can live independent of water for periods of time, obtaining moisture requirements from prey (Bothma and Le Riche 1986). (
http://lynx.uio.no/lynx/catfolk/ssaprd02.htm)
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