Was at the taxidermist the other day and they were blow drying a tom leopard. I just happenned to ask them about are the claws real or part of the manikin? Yeah, they're real they come with the skin and they're like fish hooks. Sure enough they were like fish hooks. The cougar mount, not nearly so much and the leopard claws had more robust bases. So, I'm thinking leopards are more agile than cougars in trees but I think what really explains this adaptation is them having to haul heavy prey up a tree for their survival. They can't afford a slip, the fish hook claws providing a better grip. That's my conjecture.

I bet that you are right.

Leopards and Cougars are pretty much the same size and generally prey on animals of the same size, so I bet that the Leopards more robust claws are an adaptation for climbing.

Even though Lions and Tigers live far apart their claws look identical so I think that you are on to something.

Nature is PERFECT isn't it??