The leopard {lep'-urd} is one of the largest members of the cat family. A large male may weigh more than 200 pounds, and may stand 28 inches high at the shoulders. He may be nearly 5 feet long, plus 35 inches of tail. The leopard's color varies from a pale yellowish gray to a yellowish red, with whitish underparts. Spots are present over the entire body, but on the back and sides they are formed into circles, or rosettes. Black leopards, or panthers, occur in the same litter with yellowish leopards. Leopards can be found, in the wild, over most of Africa south of the Sahara and from the Middle East and India north into central Asia and south into the East Indies.

The snow leopard (shown in the picture) is similar in size and general appearance to the leopard. Its coat, however, has a dense woolly underfur and a long, thick outer coat. It is generally light yellowish gray to cream colored, with black to grayish rosettes on the upper parts of the body. The snow leopard has become quite scarce mainly because of overhunting for its beautiful fur.