Spot On!

There is an interesting account (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11575214 ) that the coats of big cats (including the leopard) reflect their hunting styles. Will Allen from Bristol University has studied the coat patterns of 35 species and has linked these to hunting styles (ambush predators versus animals that chase their prey) and the time of day/night at which the species hunts. Leopards (as suggested by Kipling) seem to have complex, irregular spots because they tend to hunt at night in dense forests.