Question

1. in the article, you learned that leopards are solitary animals. what does the word solitary mean? when do leopards not practice solitary behavior?

Explanation:

1. Meaning of "solitary": In the context of animals, "solitary" means living or moving alone, not in groups or pairs. For leopards, this typically means they hunt, travel, and spend most of their time alone, with exceptions for specific behaviors like mating or when a mother is with her cubs.
2. When leopards do not practice solitary behavior:

• Mating: During the mating period, a male and a female leopard will come together.
• Mother - cub relationship: A mother leopard stays with her cubs to protect and raise them. The cubs also stay together with their mother until they are old enough to fend for themselves (usually around 18 - 24 months). After that, the cubs will start to disperse and become solitary.

Answer:

• Meaning of "solitary": Living or moving alone, not in groups. For leopards, it means they usually hunt, travel, and exist independently, except in specific situations.
• When leopards do not practice solitary behavior:
• During mating, a male and female leopard associate.
• A mother leopard stays with her cubs to raise them; cubs stay with the mother until they mature (around 18 - 24 months) and then become solitary.