The largest canines

Photographer

Lief Keuppens

Category

Nature Photography - Wildlife

Company

Photography Arwin

Submission Group

Professional

Year

2024

Country / Region:

Belgium

We found this leopard in the bushes of Sabi Sands Game Reserve South Africa. She was relaxed, as evidenced by the yawning. The leopard looks like a large cat and is member of the big 5. The head is broad and has very long white whiskers. These whiskers and hairs around the eyes help them with their navigation during hunting by night. The whiskers change position depending on the animal's activities. When the leopard walks they are spread out sideways, when sniffing they are backwards along the head, and when attacking a prey they are pointed forward, allowing it to probe its prey and strike at the right spot. The bulky and extremely strong muscles of the jaw and neck allow leopards to carry preys up high into the tree, even prey that weigh 2 times more than their own body weight. The teeth are impressive: the four long canines are about 5CM long each and are real weapons. Leopards have the ability to kill their prey using one swift bite to the back of the neck with their canine teeth.

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