prey ripping them to shreds. Do those two scenes give

Transcription

1 Leopards By: Julia Martini March 2015

2 1. Introduction 2. Physical Features a. Spot difference b. Weight and height c. Strength 3. Habitat a. Solitary animal b. Where they live c. Territory d. Worst Enemy 4. Prey a. Carnivores b. How the kill their prey Outline c. Where they take their prey to d. Do they kill humans 5. Endangered? a. What is causing their extinction b. What are people doing to help c. What are they hunted for 6. Cubs a. Pregnancy/Born b. Time with Mother c. Teaching the Cub 7. Relationships a. Relationship with other animals b. Relationship with humans 8. Conclusion

3 Introduction Imagine a leopard playing with her cubs and rolling on the ground, many people would think it s cute but also imagine a leopard jumping on top of its prey ripping them to shreds. Do those two scenes give you the same feeling? Probably not. Many people don t know enough about Leopards to understand leopards need to do these things in order to survive. Leopards have two different sides to them, they can be playful and cute, but also they can be aggressive and strong. Cubs Mother leopards protect and teach their cubs to survive the wild world outside in some ways like human mothers and kids but mostly in their own leopard ways. Female leopards are pregnant for about three and a half months with usually litters of two to three. When cubs are born they usually are grayish cubs with barely noticeable spots. Leopards stay with their mother for about two years

4 raising them alone. As a single parent the mother must leave her cub unguarded to hunt. Some male leopards kill cubs that aren't theirs so the female can care and help their cubs. Some leopards move their cubs every fews days to keep the predators guessing. From their mothers they learn to hunt, climb trees, and to hide. Although leopards are different they kinda act like people too, like they teach their cubs stuff and so do humans teach their kids things. When a leopard hisses at their cub its like a mom yelling at a kid. They carry their cubs and help them when their cubs need it. Prey Leopards need food for themselves and their cubs to survive in the wild even though it means killing other animals. Leopards are carnivores also known as meat eaters. Leopards hide in treeslooking for their prey and then jump down onto it. They will eat almost anything they catch. The leopards bite the prey s neck until it can t breathe and die, then the leopard brings their prey into the trees so other animals can t smell or take their food. Sometimes other animals will eat prey

5 killed by other animals. Some people are probably scared that leopards will attack them but, luckily leopards don t usually attack or kill humans. Relationships Leopards have relationships with humans and other animals, some are good and some are bad relationships like a friend or enemy. Leopards usually avoid other leopards and they don t like to be near other animals. Lions are probably leopards worst enemy and unlike other animals, lions can climb. When humans are near, leopards will often attack dogs but rarely humans. Sometimes humans use leopard sounds to leopards when they sometimes try to teach them something. Habitat Leopards need a place to live just like everyone else. Leopards usually live forests, grasslands, deserts, and mountains. They live in countries like, Africa, Central Asia, India, Russia, and China. Leopards live in more climates than any other big cat, they can survive warm and cold temperatures Leopards have a territory, their territory is around 6 miles and

6 sometimes a female and male will share part of their territory. Physical Features Leopards have their own special features to make them a leopard. They are strong and amazing animals. Leopard spots are clusters that look like rosettas because they kinda look like roses. Jaguar spots are patterned with black spots and have a dot in the middle. Cheetah spots are solid, evenly spaced, and don t look like rosettes. Leopards have sharp claws and teeth and they have good eyesight and sense of smell. A leopard can drag animal twice it s weight up a tree, they are very strong Endangered Many animals are being a killed and becoming endangered, unfortunately leopards are one of those animals. Many people don t follow the rules like killing leopards illegally without a permit. Leopards are being killed for their valuable fur coats, tails, claws, whiskers and people are using a snow leopards bones, skin and organs for asian

7 medicine. Also people have damaged the snow leopard s habitat by leaving less food from wild sheep, that s their prey. To go along with that, one of the reasons leopards are going down is the loss of habitat. The rarest leopard is the Amur leopard, now extinct in South Korea. Luckily some people do help leopards like, most of them are going against hunting and many people help protect the big cats. Now conservationist estimate 50,000 mature leopards in the wild. Conclusion Leopards are unique animals, and they are an important part of wildlife. Many people don t like leopards maybe because they think leopards are mean and they kill other animals and people but, other people like leopards and I know why they would. Leopards are strong and smart animals that care for their cubs. I think many people underestimate leopards, and should view them from a different perspective

8 Works Cited 1. Joubert, B., & Joubert, D. (2009). Face to face with leopards. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. 2. Welsbacher, A. (2000). Leopards. Edina, Minn.: Abdo Pub.