Leopard | BANDIPUR TIGER RESERVE AND NATIONAL PARK | KARNATAKA |

   THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY MY FATHER IN AN SAFARI AT BANDIPUR TIGER RESERVE , KARNATAKA , INDIA .

Leopard

The Leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus panthera , a member of the felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa , in small parts of Western and Central Asia , on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia . Leopards are the smallest of the large cats (to include lions , tigers , and jaguars ) . They have a body structure similar to jaguars and are covered with flowers -shaped spots on their backs called rosettes , with no dot in the center . This profusion of spots helps leopards hide from their prey , breaking up their body outline in forests or grasslands . Leopards living in dry grasslands are a lighter color than those found in rain forests . 

Although a powerful and clever hunter , leopards are not always at the top of the food chain . In Africa , lions and packs of hyenas or wild dogs can kill leopards ; in Asia , a tiger can do the same . Leopards go to great lengths to avoid these predators , hunting at different times and often pursuing different prey than their competitors , and resting in trees to keep from being noticed .