Leopard pattern

This article is about general leopard patterning. For leopard patterning in horses, see Leopard complex.

A leopard pattern is a spotted color pattern, particularly in the hair coat or skin of animals, but can also describe spotting patterns in plants and a distinctive print appearing on clothing and other fabrics.^[1][2][3]

A leopard, the animal with a classic leopard hair coat pattern

Leopard pattern in animals

In animal world, leopard pattern refers to the black and gold spotted coat of the leopard,^[4] but is used to describe many color combinations that result in spots scattered randomly across the skin or hair coat of other animals. Examples of animals with coloring patterns termed leopard include many great cats in the genus Panthera, the leopard frog, the "leopard" spotting pattern in the Appaloosa and Knabstrupper breeds of horses, the leopard seal, insects such as the giant leopard moth, and fish species such as the leopard darter, leopard shark, and the leopard eel.^[5] Examples of plants that use the term include the leopard lily, and the leopard flower.^[6] Other animals with leopard patterns include the leopard cat, snow leopard, clouded leopard, leopard gecko and the leopard tortoise among some others.

The Lp (leopard complex) gene is responsible for the leopard color pattern in horses,^[7][8] which not only produces a spotted coat color but also causes mottling of the skin, a white sclera around the eye, and striped hooves. Horses with the Lp gene may be spotted all over, or may have concentrations of spots in various patterns.

Some other animal breeds like dogs, such as Dalmatians, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and American Leopard Hounds also have similar leopard color patterns.

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  A leopard-patterned Knabstrupper horse
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  The giant leopard moth
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  A southern leopard frog

References

1. "Leopard vs. Cheetah Print – Know the Difference for Decorating | The Inside". April 7, 2020. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
2. Chun, Kelsey. "The New Neutral: How to Incorporate Leopard Print into Your Wardrobe". Verily. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
3. "How To Wear Leopard Print". yoper.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
4. "Why the leopard got its spots". phys.org. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
5. "Leopard eel -Myrichthys pardalis (Valenciennes 1839)". fishbase.se. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
6. "Plants Profile - Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. Blackberry Lily". plants.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
7. Sponenberg, D. Phillip (1982). "The inheritance of leopard spotting in the Noriker horse". The Journal of Heredity. 5 (73). The American Genetic Association: 357–359. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109669. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
8. Sponenberg, Dan Phillip (2003-04-11) [1996-01-15]. "5/Patterns Characterized by Patches of White". Equine Coat Color Genetics (2 ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 93–4. ISBN 978-0-8138-0759-1.