Dark Leopard and Orchid
by Stephanie Grant
Title
Dark Leopard and Orchid
Artist
Stephanie Grant
Medium
Mixed Media - Mixed Media Drawing/digital
Description
Part of the "Barely There" collection, this is a composite of two drawings, the leopard and orchid are transformed into metal with a little digital magic. Both the leopard and many orchids are endangered , this art tries to express how they are slowly disappearing. In this version, the orchid is transparent and the background dark to give a different effect.
The leopard /ˈlɛpərd/ (Panthera pardus) is one of the five "big cats" in the genus Panthera. It is a member of the Felidae family with a wide range in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to Siberia.
Compared to other members of the Felidae, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. It is similar in appearance to the jaguar, but is smaller and more slightly built. Its fur is marked with rosettes similar to those of the jaguar, but the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and do not usually have central spots as the jaguars do. Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic are known as black panthers.
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 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph), its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass,[2] and its notorious ability for stealth. The leopard consumes virtually any animal that it can hunt down and catch. Its habitat ranges from rainforest to desert terrains.
It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List because it is declining in large parts of its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and hunting for trade and pest control. It is regionally extinct in Hong Kong, Singapore , Kuwait, Syria, Libya and Tunisia
Rare Orchids
Endangered and Rare Orchid Species
Orchids are found in one of the most genetically diverse families of flowering plants, with approximately 20,000 species. From deserts to tropical climates, the orchid species has the unique ability to adapt to different environments. Unfortunately, in the last few decades, an increasing number of orchids have found a place on the endangered species list. Orchids are facing a decline in the amount of available habitat, particularly in the tropical and subtropical regions and tragically, some orchid species are on the verge of extinction. In fact, over 120 orchid species are severely endangered and an unknown number are already extinct.
Uploaded
September 13th, 2014
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