Leopard Tail

The leopard’s long, thick tail can measure up to 3 feet (0.9 meter) long. Sometimes, the tail is just as long as the whole rest of its body. It has dark rings near the tip. The upper side of the tip is usually covered with black fur and the underside with white.

A leopard can walk on tree branches with the ease of a tightrope walker. The tightrope walker uses a long stick for balance; a leopard uses its tail. The leopard swishes its tail back and forth before it leaps or runs. This movement helps the leopard keep its balance. The leopard also throws its long tail from side to side to help it keep up with the sharp turns when it chases a prey. To hide its tracks from predators, the leopard uses its tail to brush away its paw prints in the dirt or sand.

As a mother leopard leads her cubs through thick undergrowth, she holds her tail upright, high in the air. The leopard cubs can keep track of their mother by watching the white tip of her tail, even in tall grassland during the night time. A mother leopard strokes her cubs with her tail. She also encourages them to play by waving it in front of them. Leopard cubs are particularly attracted to the tip of their mother’s tail and use it to pounce on while practicing hunting.