What Are the Different Types of Leopard Species?
The leopard is the smallest of the big cats, known for its beautiful spotted pattern. Leopards live throughout Asia and Africa, though numbers have been dropping since the beginning of the 20th century due to habitat encroachment. There are several different types of leopard species, each with its own fascinating habits, behavior, and home. The African leopard species is one of the most variable, dwelling in arid deserts, vast savannahs, and even mountains. Common throughout central Africa, this leopard species has the unique ability of being able to drag carcasses many times the leopard’s size into trees. An opportunistic hunter, the African leopard will eat just about anything, from insects and birds to giant wildebeests and livestock. Unable to match their African cousins’ success, the Amur leopard is a severely endangered leopard species endemic to north Asia. According the the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), their may be less than 3
