Spotted Animals

The leopard is a large wild cat distinguished by its well-camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behavior, broad diet, strength, and its ability to adapt to a variety of habitats. The leopard's fur is generally soft and thick, and its skin color varies between individuals from pale yellowish to dark golden with dark spots grouped in rosettes. In East African leopard populations, rosettes are circular, in Southern African populations, they tend ...
to be squarish and are larger in Asian leopard populations. The pattern of the rosettes is unique in each individual. The whitish spots on the back of the leopard's ears are thought to play a role in communication. It has been hypothesized that the white tips of their tails may function as a 'follow-me' signal in intraspecific communication. Less

The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. The coat has dark blotches or patches (which can be orange, chestnut, brown, or nearly black in color) separated by light hair (usually white or cream in color.) Male giraffes become darker as they age. The coat pattern of these beautiful animals is thought to serve as camouflage in the light and ...
shade patterns of savannah woodlands. When standing among trees and bushes, they are hard to see at even a few meters distance. Each individual giraffe has a unique coat pattern and calves inherit some coat pattern traits from their mothers. The fur may also serve as a chemical defense, as its parasite repellents give the animal a characteristic scent. There are at least 11 main aromatic chemicals in the fur of giraffe and because the males have a stronger odor than the females, the odor may also play an important function during the mating season. Less

The Common starling or European starling is a medium-sized noisy songbird with an unmusical but varied song and a gift for mimicry. The coloring and build of the Common starling usually distinguish it from other starlings. Its beautiful plumage is iridescent black, glossed purple or green, and spangled with white, especially in winter. The underparts of adult males are less spotted than those of adult females at a given time of year. The throat ...
feathers of males are long and loose and are used to attract the female. In the winter the bill of this bird is brownish-black but in summer, females have lemon yellow beaks while males have yellow bills with blue-grey bases. After the molting which occurs after the breeding season, the fresh feathers of Common starlings are prominently tipped white (breast feathers) or buff (wing and back feathers) and give the birds their distinctive speckled appearance. The chicks are born grey-brown in color but the following year they acquire beautiful adult plumage and spots. Less

The cheetah is a large cat that lives in Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, being able to run at 80 to 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph), and as such has several adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs, and a long tail. The coat of a cheetah is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff. The chin, throat, and underparts of the legs and the belly are white and devoid of markings. The rest of the body is ...
covered with around 2,000 evenly spaced, oval or round solid black spots, each measuring roughly 3-5 cm (1.2-2 in). Each cheetah has a distinct pattern of spots that can be used to identify unique individuals. Besides the clearly visible spots, there are other faint, irregular black marks on their coat. When cubs are just born they are covered in fur with an unclear pattern of spots that gives them a dark appearance - pale white above and nearly black on the underside. Less

The Fallow deer is a hoofed ruminant mammal that is native to Europe but has been introduced to many countries around the world. The name 'fallow' is derived from the deer's pale brown color. Much variation occurs in the coat color of the species, with four main variants: common, menil, melanistic (black), and leucistic (white, but not albino). Most herds consist of the common coat variation and only bucks (males) have antlers. Fallow deer are ...
grazing animals and prefer to stay together in groups. Agile and fast in case of danger, they can run at a maximum speed of 50 km/h (30 mph) over short distances, also jump up to 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) high and up to 5 m (16 ft) in length. Less

The Spotted hyena, also known as the Laughing hyena, is a "cat-like" carnivoran mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. Its fur color varies greatly and changes with age. The base color generally is a pale greyish-brown or yellowish-grey and has an irregular pattern of roundish spots. These spots are of variable distinction and may be reddish, deep brown, or almost blackish. The spots vary in size, even on single individuals, but are commonly 20 mm ...
(0.79 in) in diameter. Spotted hyenas are highly successful animals because they are the most common large carnivores in Africa. They hunt alone, in small parties of 2-5 individuals or in large groups. During a hunt, they often run through ungulate herds in order to select an individual to attack. Once selected, their prey is then chased over a long distance at speeds of up to 60 km/h! Less

The Snowy owl is a large, white bird of prey that belongs to the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mostly on the tundra. They have a number of unique adaptations to their habitat and lifestyle, which are quite distinct from other extant owls. The Snowy owl is not only one of the largest species of owl, but it is also the only owl with largely white plumage. Males tend ...
to be a purer white overall while females tend to have more extensive flecks of dark brown. Young owlets also have dark markings and may appear similar to females until they mature and turn whiter. Plus, the composition of brown markings about the wing can help to tell the age and gender of a Snowy owl! Less

The Axis deer is a beautiful hoofed mammal found only on the Indian subcontinent. It is also commonly known as Chital or Spotted deer. The name "chital" comes from the Sanskrit language of South Asia and means "variegated" or "spotted". The upper parts of these animals are golden to rufous in color and are completely covered in white spots. Axis deer are cautious animals and typically move in a single file on specific tracks. When carefully ...
inspecting their vicinity, they stand motionless and listen with rapt attention; with any sign of danger, they flee in groups and hide in dense undergrowth. When foraging together they are generally silent and males often stand on their hind legs to reach higher branches with better leaves. Less

The Burmese python is one of the largest species of snakes. It is dark-colored with many brown blotches bordered in black down the back. In the wild, Burmese pythons usually grow to 5 m (16 ft), but may also reach up to 7 m (23 ft). Females are only slightly longer but are considerably heavier and bulkier than males. Burmese pythons are frequently bred in captivity for color, pattern, and more recently, size. The albino form is especially ...
popular and is the most widely available morph. This morph is white with patterns in butterscotch yellow and burnt orange. Also, "labyrinth" Burmese pythons with maze-like patterns, khaki-colored "green", and "granite" with many small angular spots are available. There is also a caramel Burmese python having a caramel-colored pattern with "milk-chocolate" eyes. Less

Tiger quolls are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia. They have a reddish-brown coat with white spots, and colorations do not change seasonally. They are the only among all quoll species with spots on their tails in addition to their bodies. Their fur and skin are covered in orange-brown-colored oil. These cute animals have long pink foot pads that are ridged and help them in climbing trees. They also have bright pink noses and greet each ...
other with nose-to-nose sniffs. Less

Common leopard geckos are small ground-dwelling lizards that derive their name from their spotted coloration. Even their scientific name 'macularius' is translated from Latin as 'spot' or 'blemish. Leopard geckos range in color from a yellow to a brownish-orange base with spots covering all or mostly half of the dorsal region of the body. Their color is derived from pigment-containing cells known as chromatophores that are responsible for an ...
array of coloration seen in all reptiles, amphibians, birds, and some species of insects. Less

The margay can be found only in Central and South America. Its fur is marked with numerous rows of dark brown or black rosettes and longitudinal streaks. The margay is also a skillful climber, and it is sometimes called the tree ocelot because of this ability. It spends most of the time in trees, leaping after and chasing birds and monkeys through the treetops staying almost unnoticed due to its coloration. The margay can turn its ankles up to ...
180 degrees, so it can grasp branches equally well with its fore and hind paws, and it is able to jump up to 12 ft (3.7 m) horizontally. Less

This small spotted cat lives in the forests of Central and South America. It is one of the smallest wild cats in South America. Oncilla has thick and soft fur with numerous dark rosettes across the back and flanks. These rosettes are open in the center and irregularly shaped. This coloration helps the oncilla blend in with the mottled sunlight of the tropical forest understory and during the night to successfully hunt its prey. Less