Animals that start with L

Leopard

Leopards are some of the coolest cats around. Discover their secrets, habits, and more in this fun-filled guide made just for curious kiddos! Ready to join Albert as he explores amazing leopard facts for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners? Click on the images to hear silly sounds and then read about fun leopard facts like what do leopards look like?, what sound do leopards make?, how big are leopards?, what do leopards eat?, where do leopards live?, and more fun facts about leopards for kids!

What do leopards look like?

Leopards are mammals which means that they are warm-blooded, have fur and they feed milk to their babies, or cubs.

They are big cats with special markings on their fur. They are yellowish-brown with white bellies and black “rosette” spots that look a little like flowers. This coloring helps to keep the leopards camouflaged, or hidden, so they can sneak up on prey without being seen.

Like human fingerprints, leopards have their own unique spot pattern on their fur.

What sound do leopards make?

Click the the image to hear the sound!

Leopards growl when they’re angry, cough to tell others where they are, and purr when they are happy.

Leopard also roar which sounds like sawing wood.

How big are leopards?

Leopards can grow to about 7 feet long (2 meters) with a 3 foot (90 centimeters) tail. That’s the length of a bed – not including its tail!

What do leopards eat?

Leopards are carnivores which means that they only eat meat.

They hunt and eat a lot of animals including antelopes, fish, birds, monkeys, and sometimes jackals, foxes and other cats.

Where do leopards live?

Leopards live in more places in the world than other big cats. They live throughout both Africa and Asia. Leopards like to live and hunt in savannah and rainforest, with lots of grassland and trees.

More fun facts about leopards for kids

Leopards are fast and can run at 36 mph (58 kph). That’s faster than your car driving through town! They can leap 20 feet forwards (6 meters)! That’s as far as 3 grownups lying head to toe. They can also jump 10 feet (3 meters) up into the air!
Leopards like to live on their own. They tell other leopards to stay away by leaving scent marks. They make scent marks by scratching trees, peeing and pooing! Smelly!
Leopards are very good at climbing trees. Do you like climbing trees too? Leopards often sleep and rest in tree branches. They are super strong and can lift an antelope up into a tree so they can eat it without other animals stealing it.
Leopards are mostly nocturnal which means they sleep in the day and are awake at night. When it’s dark, they hunt their prey by stalking. Once they are close enough, they will pounce and grab they animal by its neck.
Unlike most cats, leopards love to swim. They are excellent swimmers and often catch fish to eat. They even dive underwater to catch fish.
Although leopards are carnivores, in the desert, they sometimes eat juicy plants to get water.
Female leopards usually give birth to 2-4 babies, or cubs. The cubs can’t see anything for the first week! They stay with their mother for 2 years. They drink their mother’s milk and learn from her how to hunt.
Female leopards move their cubs every few days from nursery to nursery. This stops predators from finding them. Imagine if you had to move to a new house every other day!
Leopards are mostly solitary but if you do see a group of them, then they are called a prowl or leap.

Sources: Wikipedia, Live Science, Creative Commons, Britannica.com and Freesound.org