The leopard is the smallest of the four “big cats” in the genus Panthera. It’s similar in appearance to the jaguar but it’s smaller and more slightly built. It’s fur is marked with rosettes similar to the jaguar but the leopard’s rosettes are smaller and more densely packed and do not have the central central spot in the rosettes like jaguars. It’s success in the wild is in part due to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to habitats, its ability to run at speeds approaching 36 mph, its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass. The leopard is also notorious for its stealth. Its habitat ranges from rainforests to desert terrains of sub-Saharan Africa, west Asia, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to Siberia.