Leopards use chemical messages to avoid fighting each other.

Leopards live alone in territories that range from 11 square miles to over 170 square miles. They use a special part of their body called the Jacobson's organ to read chemical signals. This organ is located in the roof of their mouth and detects pheromones in urine.When a leopard smells a mark, it curls its lip in a move called the Flehmen response. This helps the leopard figure out the age and health of the animal that left the scent. Research shows leopards can tell how fresh a scent is within a few hours. This helps them time their movements to stay away from others.Leopards also scratch trees as high as they can reach. These claw marks show other leopards how large the resident is. Avoiding fights is a survival strategy. Since leopards hunt alone, even a small injury from a fight could make them unable to catch food.