The leopard is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. It is the most adaptable and widely distributed of all the big cats. They have beautiful spotted coats -- even black leopards (also called black panthers) have spots, although they are difficult to see. The black leopard is the same species as the normal golden-colored leopard, differing only in the gene for melanism, or black coloration. Leopards hunt alone at night, stalking their prey until it is close enough to pounce. While they mostly hunt small animals such as monkeys, birds, etc., they can and do kill prey as large as antelope and young zebras. They are known to hide their kill by dragging it up into a tree to prevent it from being "stolen" by other animals such as lions. The leopard is still illegally hunted for its beautiful skin, although its wide range and adaptability has kept the world number of leopards over an estimated 100,000.