The African leopard exhibits great variation in coat color, depending on location and habitat. Coat color varies from pale yellow to deep gold or tawny, and sometimes black, and is patterned with black rosettes while the head, lower limbs and belly are spotted with solid black. Male leopards are larger, averaging 130 lbs, with 201 lbs being the maximum weight attained. Females weigh about 77 to 88 lbs on average. The species' success in the wild is in part due to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to habitats, its ability to run at speeds approaching 36 mph, and its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass.