This colophon was written by Clairemarie Fisher O'Leary. The animal featured on the cover of Advanced Perl Programming is a black leopard. Most leopards are easily recognized by the rosette patterned spots on their coat. Black leopards are born into the same litters as the more common yellowish leopards. They occur most frequently in the wet, forested areas of India and southeast Asia, where the dark color aids in camouflage and hunting.
Leopards are among the most widely distributed wild cats.
Their range extends throughout most of Africa and India and into much of Asia, the Middle East, and the East Indies. Highly adaptable, leopards are able to hunt almost any animal, and can live in both very wet and arid conditions. Because they almost always share their range with bigger cats, such as lions or tigers, leopards are very cautious. After catching its prey, the leopard will carry it high up into a tree to devour it. The incredible strength of the leopard enables it to climb while carrying animals up to three times its own body weight.