leopard

Tortoises are cool. That's an inarguable fact. Tiny tortoises, big tortoises, all tortoises are cool as heck. They can live up to 150 years old, and there's even one who has lived up to 255 years. And tortoises basically carry a shield on their backs all day long and are therefore basically invincible. If that's not cool, we don't know what is. 

But have you ever seen a white leopard tortoise? Now, in the hierarchy of tortoise coolness, they possibly take the first spot. Only possibly though, because, as stated previously, all tortoises are the coolest tortoises.

If you're a cat lover like us, you have a soft spot in your heart not just for house cats but also for big cats. You'd pet them if you could, and you know it. And you wish you could spend more time around big cats like that and get to know them better, learn about each of them - what makes them special and different and what their personalities are like. 

Well, say thank you to tumblr user carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory for deciding to share their big cat knowledge with us and teaching us - unlucky big cat lovers who can't spend time with big cats - about what makes wild cats unique. Reading this has both educated us and made us want to cuddle a snow leopard even more. 

If you're anything like me, then as much as you love them big cats, you can't help but get them confused sometimes. There are dots, there are other dots, and the other kind of dots, then there are the dots that have more dots inside of them, and it's just- all very cute but very, very confusing. 

Tumblr to the rescue! A user who's field of expertise is big cats has decided to explain the differences between them in the easiest, cutest, silliest tumblr way possible, and we. are. thankful. Thank you, biggest-gaudiest-patronuses, you have made our big cat love a bit clearer. Now, we can appreciates these overgrown house cats more properly. 

We love our lil house panthers, and we love our lil house leopards! 

Bengal cats are said to be one of the most intelligent cat breeds around, their hind legs tend to be longer than their front legs which gives them a regal, powerful, yet graceful stride. What Bengal cats are most known for though, is their striking facial markings. Their facial markings are very similar to their Asian Leopard ancestors. 

No doubt about it, Bengal cats are stunning. And we can help but admire these adorable lil kittens, having a Bengal cat is really like having your own smaller house leopard. If you have a Bengal cat, share a pic with us in the comments below!

We must warn you - the animal that you're about to see is the most elusive animal you've ever gazed upon. It is the big cat spider. It is only seen once every blue moon. Spread out across the tress in all its glory, limbs loose and perfectly camaflauged. These spider leopards and jaguars are animals of grace, and they are lethal... in their cuteness. 

Okay, fine, they're not real spiders. That's just our excuse to make the cutest collection of big cats hanging out in trees. Because wanting to climb up is not just a house cat thing. Then again, all big cats have a little house cat energy in them, and that only makes us love them more. 

There's a reason that all of us cat lovers also have a special place in our hearts for big cats, and it is that all big cats are basically regular cats... enlarged. They have the same faces - just bigger, they are just as silly - just bigger, and they have the same habits... just bigger. 

And so, their bleps are also... bigger. And though in this case, bigger is not necessarily better, it is definitely just as cute. Regular cat bleps are some of our favorite all time cat pictures, but they're, of course, not the only animals who can do the blep. Foxes are already strong blepping competition, and now, the big cats are officially entering the race too. You be the judge deciding who you think is the master of the blep. 

Wow, wow, wow. 

Picture this: you're on a safari at the Tadoba Reserve, in India, when all of a sudden you spot a black leopard drinking water from a pond. That's what happened to 23-year-old Abhishek Pangis, who watched the rare black leopard for a total of 40 minutes! 

Can you imagine what a sight that must have been? Luckily, Pangis took some photos so we can see the majestic black leopard for ourselves. In an interview with LADBible, Pangis explains how he felt when first spotting the rare wildcat.

Still, must have been breathtaking to see it in person! 

Story via DailyMail

During the past few months, we've seen a variety of animals wandering about an aquarium and learning about the creatures of the sea! Now, it's time for the land version -- a Zoo!

And two little kittens were able to come face to face with their much larger cat family. It wasn't just tiny kittens that went on this incredible field trip! Two foster pups were invited, too! 

What is the purpose of bringing foster pets to the zoo, you might ask? It's all to raise awareness for animal adoption! The animal shelter that brought in the animals to the San Antonio Zoo is Animal Defense League of Texas. 

Story via Insider

The rare Siberian leopard was snapped at the Land of the Leopard Nature Reserve, a national park set up by the Kremlin to save this species. Can you try and spot him? 

The extremely rare strawberry leopard has been photographed for the very first time up close! The image was caught by a couple, Alan and Lynsey Watson, in Thaba Tholo Wilderness Reserve. The couple had seen the leopard skulking around the reserve before but was never able to capture it on film. 

The strawberry leopard gets its name due to its unusual reddish skin pigmentation. The images the Watson's managed to get show the pink-hued creature feasting on the carcass on a giraffe, which had been kill during an intense thunderstorm. 

Story via Fox News

Living in suburbia, there is nothing like getting away from it all and going into nature, and experiencing everything that urbanization can't offer. Some take it a step further, and seek out foreign lands in order to experience the real wild. So they go on a guided Safari tour with guides and cars that gives them the most authentic experience possible.

But there is no doubt that being up close and personal with animal is an incredible opportunity they probably won't have again. And for some of these people, after their experience, they might never want to again.