Leopard to Sanskrit ("snake", "tiger" or "panther"), and probably derives from a Mediterranean language, such as Egyptian. The name was first used in the 13th century. Other vernacular names for the leopard include graupanther, panther and several regional names such as "tendwa" in India. The term "black panther" refers to leopards with melanistic genes. A term for the leopard used in Old English and later, but now very uncommon, is "pard". The scientific name of the leopard is "Panthera pardus". The generic name "Panthera" derives from Latin via Greek πάνθηρ ("pánthēr"). The term "panther", whose first recorded use dates back to
Indian leopard leopard cat and fishing cat. It also shares habitat with golden jackal, Indian fox, striped hyena, dhole, Indian wolf, sloth bear and Asian black bear. Hunting of Indian leopards for the illegal wildlife trade is the biggest threat to their survival. They are also threatened by loss of habitat and fragmentation of formerly connected populations, and various levels of human–leopard conflict in human–dominated landscapes. Several newspapers reported of leopards falling into open wells and being rescued with the help of Forest Department officials. A significant immediate threat to wild leopard populations is the illegal trade in poached skins and body