Leopards are excellent climbers. A leopard's long tail helps it balance when it climbs. A leopard can climb down a tree head first.

Leopards eat many kinds of animals. A leopard carries its food up into trees.

Leopards also rest in trees.

A leopard's coat is covered in spots called rosettes. A rosette is a spot shaped like a flower. The spots help it hide in grass and trees.

Some leopards are black, with spots that are hard to see.

A leopard can run in short bursts of up to 36 miles per hour.

A leopard's call is a rough rasp, like a handsaw cutting wood.

Leopards live in Africa and Asia. They can live in many kinds of places. These go from deserts to jungles to mountains.

Male leopards usually weigh more than female leopards. San Diego Zoo and PBS Nature say adult female leopards weigh 46 to 132 pounds. They say males weigh 80 to 165 pounds.

Leopards mostly live alone.

Words to know

• rosette: flower-shaped spot
• rasp: rough sound
• balance: stay steady
• bursts: quick rushes