Panthera pardus is one of the five genera of Panthera (Felidae). Leopards are widely distributed in sub Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. They are listed as vulnerable groups in the IUCN Red List because they are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and they are declining in most parts of the world. In Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, and most likely Morocco, the leopard population is extinct. Contemporary records show that leopards occur only 25% of their global history. Leopards are hunted illegally, and their body parts are smuggled for trade in wild animals and plants for medicinal use and decoration.

Compared with other wild cats, leopards have shorter legs, long bodies and large skulls. Its appearance is similar to that of Jaguar, but it is generally smaller and lighter. Its fur is marked with a rosette similar to that of a Jaguar, but the rosette of a leopard is smaller, packed more intensively, and usually has no central spot of a Jaguar. Melancholy leopards and jaguars are known as Panthers. The leopard is characterized by its well camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behavior, extensive and intensive diet (used to move heavy bodies into trees), as well as its ability to adapt to a variety of habitats from rainforest to grassland (including drought) and mountain areas, with a speed of up to 58 km (36 mph).

The fossil record shows that the late Pleistocene took place in Europe and Japan.

On this page, you can download free pictures: Leopard pictures