壁虎山莊 ™ Geckos' Lair

A leopard never change it's...

Rosettes!




The leopard, Panthera pardus, is very adaptable and the most widely distributed of the big cats, found across Asia and Africa in habitats ranging from open savannah to dense jungle. The base colour of its coat varies from pale yellow to deep gold, patterned with black spots arranged in small rings called rosettes. Its legs are shorter than a cheetah's but longer than a jaguar's. Its muzzle is longer than either of the others', and it has a long tail. It is an excellent climber and often stores its kills in trees, out of reach of larger predators. The 'black panther', often thought to be a separate species, is in fact simply a melanistic (black) leopard.

The cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is found mainly in Africa (outside of this continent there is only a small, relict population in Iran). Its whole body is designed for speed - it is the fastest-running animal in the world. It is the tallest and slimmest of the three, with long legs and a long, slightly flattened tail which acts like a rudder, helping it make tight turns at high speed. Its head is small and rounded, with a short muzzle, and unlike other cats its claws are only partially retractile, so they are always visible outside the paw - they act like spikes on running shoes, helping the cheetah grip the ground when running. Its background colour is tawny, covered with small, solid black spots. A very distinctive feature of the cheetah are the 'tear-marks' on its face - two black lines running from the inner corner of the eyes down to the corner of the mouth.

The jaguar, Panthera onca, is found only in the jungles of South America. It resembles a leopard, but is much stockier and more muscular, with shorter legs and tail. The head is broader with a shorter muzzle, and the spots are larger and arranged in bigger rosettes. It is also more richly coloured. Unlike the other two, it is fond of water and often hunts turtles and fish. It is the third largest of all cats, after the tiger and lion.

Posted by 壁虎 at 12:49:00 AM