Animal Anatomy & Biology

The Leopard has a long and slender body that is supported by short, stocky legs and a long tail that is used to aid balance whilst in the trees. Leopards can vary greatly in their colouration and markings depending on their surrounding habitat, with those found on open grasslands having a light yellow background coat where those that are found in forests tend to be darker in colour and with more markings. The dark, ring-like patterns that cover the Leopard's coat are called rosettes, but these turn to solid spots on the face and limbs (and rings on the tail) and provide the Leopard with camouflage into the surrounding environment. Leopards are incredibly strong and muscular and are able to pull themselves up trees using their legs and retractable claws. Like a number of other large feline species, the Leopard is able to draw their claws into folds of skin on their paws to ensure that they are not blunted whilst the animal is walking about. Their keen hearing and sight coupled with their long and very sensitive whiskers, means that Leopards are also incredibly well adapted for hunting under the cover of night. Weight: 30kg - 90kg (66lbs - 198lbs) Life Span:How long the animal lives for: 10 - 15 years Respiration System Respiratory systems in mammals, like the Leopard, rely on a single organ found at the base of the lungs. This organ is called the diaphragm. They diaphragm expands, causing air (Oxygen) to rush into the lungs. Then, it contracts, pushing what is left, or Co², back out into the environment. This is how it takes in it's oxygen. After the Oxygen is in the lungs, it is moved into the blood stream. This blood that is now carrying oxygen is pushed or pumped through the body to get oxygen to the places the animal needs it, like muscles, or their brains. After depositing the oxygen, the blood will be returned to the lungs to pick up more, and repeat the cycle. Depending on the environment, or factors like altitude, mammals will sometimes breath only through their noses or mouth. Mammals have a very diverse selection of respiration to choose from, like us, humans who breath through our mouths and noses. But Leopards breathe through their nostrils because of the altitude they live in. They also have very deep nasal cavities which helps them in their thin-aired environment.