Leopard Playing With Snow

Biology and behavior
The leopard is known for its ability in climbing, and it has been observed resting on tree branches during the day, dragging its kills up trees and hanging them there, and descending from trees headfirst. It is a powerful swimmer, although not as strong as some other big cats, such as the tiger. The leopard is also very agile, and can run at over 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph), leap over 6 metres (20 ft) horizontally and jump up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) vertically. Leopards produce a number of vocalizations, including grunts, roars, growls, meows and "sawing" sounds.
Leopards are generally considered to be nocturnal; however, the animal has primarily been studied in open savannah habitats, which may have biased common descriptions. Activity level may vary depending on the habitat and the type of prey it hunts. For instance, radio-tracking and scat analysis in West Africa has found that rainforest leopards are more likely to be diurnal and crepuscular. Forest leopards are also more specialized in prey selection and exhibit seasonal differences in activity patterns.