The Leopard or Panther ( Panthera pardus

The Leopard or Panther ( Panthera pardus ) is a species of felines from the pantherina subfamily . This feline has a fawn coat spotted with rosettes ; a melanistic form also exists. An excellent climber and jumper, the leopard has the particularity of hoisting its prey to the fork of a tree to put them out of reach of other predators.

A solitary and opportunistic feline, the leopard is widely distributed in Africa and Southeast Asia over many types of habitats. The population size is, however, perceived to be declining by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature , which classifies the species as near threatened. Five subspecies are endangered or critically endangered: the Arabian leopard , the Amur leopard , the panther of Java , the panther Ceylon and Panther Persia .