In this episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, a Kalahari leopard, one of the most elusive and secretive cats in existence, struggles to raise her cubs in the unforgiving Kalahari Desert. This dramatic film offers valuable insight into both leopard behavior and their interaction with other big cats in this harsh environment.
Ask Peter Gros — special adviser to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and co-host of the original series — your questions about Kalahari leopards now. He'll answer them shortly after Kalahari Supercats, which premieres Sunday, March 19, at 7:00 p.m. EST. Get a reminder.
I read that leopards can climb 50 feet up a tree with a kill in their mouth that can weigh much more than his/herself. Which muscles do leopards use to climb with all this excess weight? Are these muscles larger than normal to help them be able to do this??? Thanks
Leopards have a life spand of 12-15 years. Why do carnivores like leopards have much shorter life spans then herbivores like elephants or omnivores like chimpanzees? Is it because of their diet???
Dear Peter, I have a question about leopards. I cant tell the difference between a leopard and a jaguar. Can you tell me there differences? Also, I have seen a photo of a leopard, it had whiskers on top of its eyes.(They aren't eyelashes)The whiskers were a few inches on top of its eyes. Do you know why they need whiskers on top of there eyes? - Cathy
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Hi Peter, George Borgardt here from Kids Summit 2004! I was wondering about the tracking collar on the leopard. I would think that with today's technology the collar could be smaller. Maybe even a microchip put under the skin. Is there any work being done to improve on this and make it less intrusive for the animals?
I look forward to chatting with you again about one of the most widespread carnivores of all the large cats. I've worked with leopard conservation reproduction for 20 years. I think they're some of the most mysterious creatures in the world.
Re: "I read that leopards can climb 50 feet up a tree with a kill in their mouth that can weigh much more than his/herself. Which muscles do leopards use to climb with all this excess weight? Are these muscles larger than normal to help them be able to do this?" africanlioness
Leopards are amazingly powerful animals and have unbelievably strong muscles in their hind legs. They're actually able to carry antelope weighing 160 pounds into a tree, which is quite a feat considering that leopards weigh 50 to 60 pounds. They also have unusually powerful jaw muscles and long, hooked, retractable claws to help them climb trees with their prey.
The muscles in their hind legs are unusually large, yes.
Re: "Leopards have a life spand of 12-15 years. Why do carnivores like leopards have much shorter life spans then herbivores like elephants or omnivores like chimpanzees? Is it because of their diet???" africanlioness
Chimpanzees are a highly developed species, like elephants, both living to be more than 60 years old, and are so intelligent they even use tools. Intelligent animals traveling in large herds or family groups with a varied diet do seem to live much longer. The leopard's life expectancy of 12 to 15 years in the wild can reach 20 to 23 years in captivity, where they have a constant food source and no predators. I do think that solitary hunting carnivores', like leopards, life expectancy is so dependent on the prey population base and the lack of herd numbers for protection that that may contribute to their shorter life span.
Re: "Do leopards see in color or do they see in black and white, or are there certain colors they could be able to see???" africanlioness
Leopards do see in color, especially up close. Their eyes have both rods and cones, like people, and the number of cones distinguishes how well they see in color. From my personal experience, they don't see well at a distance unless there's motion. Their eyesight is extremely keyed to quick-moving objects. I used to exercise leopards in an open field, and if you were motionless at a distance they continued to look for you. As soon as you move slightly in any direction, you were immediately spotted. So I think at a great distance they see silhouettes and dark images.
Re" I have a question about leopards. I cant tell the difference between a leopard and a jaguar. Can you tell me there differences?" Cathy
Since wild leopards live only in Africa and Asia, and wild jaguars live only in the Americas, there's no possibility of confusing them in the wild. There are also visual markings that set them apart. Leopards do not have spots within the rosettes that jaguars always have, and the jaguar's spots are larger than the leopard's. The Amur leopard and the north Chinese leopard are occasional exceptions. The leopard is also smaller and less stocky than the jaguar. Besides appearance, the leopard and jaguar have similar behavior patterns. Jaguars can adapt to a range of habitats, from rainforest to ranchland, while leopards are even more adaptable, ranging from deserts and mountains to savannah and woodlands. But the leopard is only native to Asia and Africa.
Re: "Also, I have seen a photo of a leopard, it had whiskers on top of its eyes.(They aren't eyelashes.) The whiskers were a few inches on top of its eyes. Do you know why they need whiskers on top of there eyes?" Cathy
It's true, leopards do have whiskers on the top of their eyes, and they aren't eyelashes. Since leopards are often times nocturnal hunters, all their whiskers help to guide them through the thick, thorny brush where they hunt in Africa.
Re: "What precautions are being taken in order to enhance the survival of leopards, and which countries are doing that?" africanlioness
Precautions are being taken in both Africa and Asia to protect leopards in the form of national parks and anti-poaching patrols. The most recent survey showed that there were almost 600,000 leopards surviving in the wild presently. However, they are still increasingly under the threat of habitat loss and poaching pressure. Because of their stealthy habits and camouflage they can go undetected even in close proximity to human settlements, which is one of the reasons they are holding their own in some locations. Several subspecies are endangered, namely the Amur, the Anatolian, the Barbary, the north Chinese and south Arabian leopards. About half the countries where leopards reside are trying to save this magnificent species.
Re: "How good is a leopards sense of smell and hearing compared to humans?" africanlioness
Leopards have a fairly good sense of smell and a fairly good sense of hearing, but their strongest sense is their keen eyesight for any movement. There are cats that seem to rely more on their hearing: the African serval cat and the African caracal, with their huge cone-shaped ears. The canines seem to have a greater sense of hearing and keener sense of smell with their long noses than the cat family.
Re: "Hi Peter, George Borgardt here from Kids Summit 2004! I was wondering about the tracking collar on the leopard. I would think that with today's technology the collar could be smaller. Maybe even a microchip put under the skin. Is there any work being done to improve on this and make it less intrusive for the animals?
Love the new season line-up!"
Hi George! Great to hear from you again. You are absolutely right. Technology has changed and collars are getting smaller and smaller. In many cases, researchers' budgets dictate what type of technology they're able to use. Many of the larger collars like that are designed to simply fall off after a year or so. Montrosse won't be wearing that collar for the rest of her life.
I too look forward to the day where a small chip could be planted subcutaneously to keep track of research animals.
Thanks again for all the fine work that went into your Wild Kingdom Kids Summit essay!
Hey Peter, I am currently attending the U of M and I'm writing a paper on the behavioral as well as physical characterists of Leopards. I am having difficulty though finding information pertaining to the animals weight. Most of what I have read say that leopards can weigh up to 180 pounds. i was wondering what the average range is for females as well as males.
