The close soft coat of the leopard is short and sleek in tropical areas, longer in colder climates. The ground color varies from straw or a grayish yellow through to a chestnut brown, with the underside from the chin to belly and the inside of the legs paling to cream or white. The upper parts are patterned with rosettes formed from spots, sometimes with a darkened center, and with solid black spots on the head, neck and underside which on the throat and breast may merge as stripes and on the tail as rings. A white spot on the back of the ears grows larger and gains color with age.
Cubs are grayer, with rosettes appearing solid and more closely patterned.
Melanistic leopards are fairly common and can occur in the same litter as spotted cubs. They still carry the rosette pattern which is visible in certain lights. They are more frequently found in wet habitats, especially in parts of India and south-east Asia. Leopards are found in a wide range of habitat, from desert to savanna and forest. Once found through most of Africa and through the Middle East to Java, they are still fairly common in some parts of central and east Africa and there are scattered populations in east Africa and many parts of Asia.