Leopard (Panthera Pardus)
Introduction.
As one of the 5 members of the Panthera genus, a leopard is classified as a big cat. It’s is a highly adaptable and extremely elusive, ambush predator. A strong swimmer and withs anatomical adaptations, that not only makes these cats great climbers, they can also carry up to 1.5 times their own body weight up a tree, to cache their kills, away from other predators and scavengers.
As ambush predators, stealth is paramount, they can stalk and follow their prey for long distance, silently, patiently, keeping out of sight, until the right moment, when they burst into action for the ambush attack. Despite their incredible hunting skills, they have a success rate of around 38% of catching their prey.
Appearance.
The leopard is a sleek and powerful cat with an agile build. With a muscular yet lean body they are built for stealth and strength. They have relatively short, powerful limbs and a long tail, which helps with balance while climbing trees or stalking prey. Their head is broad with strong jaws, and they have sharp, retractable claws ideal for gripping and killing prey. Their eyes are large and usually a shade of green or gold, well-adapted for seeing in low light.
The leopard is known for its striking marking, the rosettes that over its body. Melanistic leopards, "black panthers", still have rosettes, but they may only be visible under certain lighting conditions.
Size.
Height range:
Leopards typically stand 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 inches) at the shoulder, with males generally being 50% larger than females. Their body size varies depending on the subspecies and habitat.
Weight range:
Leopards typically weigh between 17 to 90 kg (37 to 198 lbs), with males being larger than females. Males usually range from 30 to 90 kg (66 to 198 lbs), while females weigh between 17 to 60 kg (37 to 132 lbs)..
Cubs.
Leopards generally have litters of between 1-3 cubs. Cubs stay with their mother for 12 to 18 months. During this time, she teaches them essential survival skills like hunting and climbing.
Scent Marking.
Leopards use scent marking as a form of communication, to show their reproductive availability and to mark their territory.
They use a variety of methods that include, spraying urine (eg. on shrubs, trees, dirt patches), rub their cheeks on objects, claw trees, scape the ground with their hind feet and leave deposits of faeces.
Diet.
Leopards are not fussy eaters, but they are strict carnivores, they will eat just about anything they can catch and will also scavenge if the opportunity arises. Every UK native wildlife species will be on the menu, from snakes and fish, to birds, rabbits and deer.
Subspecies.
There are 9 subspecies of Leopard. The African Leopard (Panthera Pardus Pardus), Indian Leopard (P. p. fusca), Javan Leopard (P. p. melas), Arabian Leopard (P. p. nimr), Persian Leopard (P. p. tulliana), Indochinese Leopard (P. p. delacouri), Sri Lankan Leopard (P. p. kotiya), Amur Leopard (P. p. orientalis) and the North Chinese Leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis).
All Leopards share the same features, but there are some difference between the sub species, including size differences - The Persian leopard is the largest, with a body length (excluding tail) of up to 6’2” long. The Arabian Leopard is the smallest, with a maximum length, including tai,l of 5’ 9”. Coat colours and coat lengths vary, between the subspecies as do the size and density of rosettes. Melanism is common in the Indocshinese Leopard.
Tail length also varies between subspecies. Relative to thier body size, the Armur Leopards have the longest tails, whilst the Javan Leopards have the shortest tails.
African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus)
Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)
Javan Leopard (Panthera pardus melas)
Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr)
Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana)
Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya)
Armur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
Indochinese Leopard (Panthera pardus delacori)
North Chinese Leopard (Panthera pardus japonesis)
Melanism.
Melanism in leopards is a recessive genetic trait, meaning that when two black leopards breed, they will only produce black offspring. In addition to genetics, environmental factors also play a significant role in the prevalence of melanism. While melanistic leopards make up only about 11% of the global leopard population, in certain regions, such as dense forests, they can account for over 90% of the local population. This suggests that melanism may provide a survival advantage in low-light environments, improving camouflage and hunting success.
Melanism has been documented in several leopard subspecies. The subspecies with confirmed melanistic individuals include:
African Leopard (P. p. pardus), Indian Leopard (P. p. fusca), Javan Leopard (P. p. melas), Indochinese Leopard (P. p. delacouri), Sri Lankan Leopard (P. p. kotiya).
Its melanistic leopards that are seen in the UK.
