The African leopard is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa, but the historical range has been fragmented in the course of habitat conversion. Leopards have also been recorded in North Africa as well.
African leopard
A taxidermied specimen at the Scientific Institute of Rabat, Morocco. The Barbary leopard of Northwest Africa used to be classified under Panthera pardus panthera, before being subsumed to P. p. pardus.
A dark-coloured leopard skin from Central Africa (Kongo)
A leopard in the Serengeti
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species have subspecies, but for those that do there must be at least two. Subspecies is abbreviated subsp. or ssp. and the singular and plural forms are the same.
Ceylon paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis), an Indian paradise flycatcher subspecies native to Sri Lanka
African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), the nominotypical (nominate) leopard subspecies native to Africa
Sunda Island tiger (P. tigris sondaica), a tiger subspecies native to the Sunda islands
The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is a monotypic species.
