{{Short description|Spotted color pattern}} {{About|general leopard patterning|leopard patterning in horses|Leopard complex }}[[File:Leopard (Panthera pardus).jpg|thumb|A leopard, the animal with a classic leopard hair coat pattern]] {{redirect|Leopard spot|the historical novel|The Leopard's Spots}}

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.<ref name="inside"/><ref name="verily"/><ref>{{cite web |date= |title=How To Wear Leopard Print |url=https://yoper.com/how-to-wear-leopard-print/ |accessdate=2022-01-31 |publisher=yoper.com}}</ref>

== In animals == In the animal world, leopard pattern refers to the black and gold spotted coat of the leopard,<ref name="leopardspots"/> but is used to describe many color combinations that result in spots scattered 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.<ref name="eel"/> Examples of plants that use the term include the leopard lily, and the leopard flower.<ref name="flower"/> 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,<ref name=spon82/><ref name=sponenbergbook/> 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.

== Gallery == {{Gallery |align=center |File:Knabstrupper Baron.jpg|alt1=A leopard-patterned Knabstrupper horse|A leopard-patterned Knabstrupper horse |File:Giant leopard moth 20050612 173823 1.1300x1210.jpg|alt2=The giant leopard moth|The giant leopard moth |File:Rana sphenocephala.jpg|alt3=Southern leopard frog|A southern leopard frog |File:Lamb jacket with leopard print.JPG|alt4=Leopard print jacket|A leopard print jacket }}

== See also == *Animal print *Turing pattern

==References== <references> <ref name="eel">{{Cite web | title = Leopard eel -Myrichthys pardalis (Valenciennes 1839) | url = https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Myrichthys-pardalis.html | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210414051314/https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Myrichthys-pardalis.html | archive-date = 2021-04-14 | access-date = 2021-04-14 | website = fishbase.se }}</ref> <ref name="flower">{{Cite web | title = Plants Profile - Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. Blackberry Lily | url = https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BECH | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130531042410/http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BECH | archive-date = 2013-05-31 | access-date = 2021-04-14 | website = plants.usda.gov }}</ref> <ref name="verily">{{Cite web | url = https://verilymag.com/2018/11/womens-leopard-print | title = The New Neutral: How to Incorporate Leopard Print into Your Wardrobe | first = Kelsey | last = Chun | website = Verily | access-date = 2021-04-14 | archive-date = 2021-04-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210414051002/https://verilymag.com/2018/11/womens-leopard-print | url-status = live }}</ref> <ref name="inside">{{Cite web | url = https://www.theinside.com/blog/leopard-vs-cheetah-prints/ | title = Leopard vs. Cheetah Print – Know the Difference for Decorating &#124; The Inside | date = April 7, 2020 | access-date = April 14, 2021 | archive-date = April 14, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210414050634/https://www.theinside.com/blog/leopard-vs-cheetah-prints/ | url-status = live }}</ref> <ref name="leopardspots">{{Cite web | url = https://phys.org/news/2010-10-stripes-odyssey-big-cats.html | title = Why the leopard got its spots | website = phys.org | access-date = 2021-04-14 | archive-date = 2021-04-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210414050407/https://phys.org/news/2010-10-stripes-odyssey-big-cats.html | url-status = live }}</ref> <ref name="sponenbergbook">{{cite book | last = Sponenberg | first = Dan Phillip | title = Equine Coat Color Genetics <!-- access-date = 2008-11-04 --> | edition = 2 | date = 2003-04-11 | publisher = Wiley-Blackwell | isbn = 978-0-8138-0759-1 | pages = 93–4 | chapter = 5/Patterns Characterized by Patches of White | orig-year = 1996-01-15 }}</ref> <ref name="spon82">{{cite journal | title = The inheritance of leopard spotting in the Noriker horse | last = Sponenberg | first = D. Phillip | year = 1982 | journal = The Journal of Heredity | issue = 73 | volume = 5 | pages = 357–359 | publisher = The American Genetic Association | doi = 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109669 | url = https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article-abstract/73/5/357/791830 | access-date = 2021-04-14 | url-access= subscription }}</ref> </references>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leopard (Pattern)}} Category:Animal coat colors Category:Leopards