Leopards have long bodies with short legs, broad heads, powerful jaws, and specialized scapulas for climbing.
Leopards have short legs relative to their long body. The leopard’s scapula has specialized attachment sites for climbing muscles.
They have a broad head, and their massive skull allows for powerful jaw muscles. They have small round ears, long whiskers extending from dark spots on the upper lip, and long whiskers in their eyebrows that protect their eyes while moving through dense vegetation.
• Image | © Michael Jansen, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (African Wildlife Foundation, 2009; Hunt, 2011; Hunter & Hinde, 2005; Nowell & Jackson, 1996)
