Leopard: Profile and Information

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is classified as one of the five still-existing species in the genus Panthera and is also a member of the family Felidae.

It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, in small parts of Central and Western Asia, on the subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia.

On the IUCN Red List, leopards are listed as Vulnerable because the leopard populations are threatened by fragmentation and habitat loss.

The leopard is declining in large parts of the global range.

Leopard populations have already been eradicated in Singapore, Hong Kong, Syria, Kuwait, Tunisia, Libya, and most likely Morocco.

Leopards are hunted illegally in various parts of the world for their body parts and are smuggled for decoration and medicinal practices.

Distinct from other wild cats, the leopard has a long body with a large skull and relatively short legs.

Its coat is marked with rosettes. A leopard has a similar appearance to the jaguar but has a slightly smaller, lighter physique, and its rosettes are also generally smaller, without central spots, and more densely packed.

Both melanistic jaguars and leopards are known as black panthers. The leopard is distinguished by its opportunistic hunting behavior, well-camouflaged fur, strength, and broad diet.

Its adaptability ranges from steppe to rainforest, including montane and arid areas.

Scientific Classification

Subspecies

Characteristics

The leopard’s fur is generally thick and soft, notably softer on the belly than on the back. Its color varies from dark golden to pale yellowish, with dark spots grouped in rosettes.

Its ringed tail is shorter than the body, and its belly is whitish. The shape of its pupils is round. Leopards in arid regions are yellowish to ochraceous, pale cream, and rufous. Those living in mountains and forests are much darker, deep golden. Spots fade away towards the insides & lower parts of the legs and underbelly.

Rosettes are squarish in Southern Africa, circular in East African populations, and larger in Asian leopard populations. The fur tends to be dark golden in rainforest habitats and greyish in colder climates. Each individual has a unique pattern of the rosettes.

The leopard tends to grow longer fur in colder climates. The guard hair protecting the basal hair is relatively short, 1⁄8 to 5⁄32 in (3 to 4 mm) in the face and head, and increases in length towards the belly and the flanks to about 1 to 1/8 in (25 to 30 mm).

Juvenile leopards have woolly fur and appear darker due to the densely arranged spots. Its white-tipped tail is about 24 to 39 inches (60 to 100 cm) long. The leopard’s rosettes are different from the jaguar’s, which have smaller spots inside and are darker.

Similar to most cat species, the leopard has 38 chromosomes (diploid chromosome). The chromosomes include seven submetacentric, five metacentric, four acrocentric, and two telocentric pairs.

Skull

The largest skull was recorded in 1920 for a black panther from India, which measured 11 in (28 cm) in basal length and 8 in (20 cm) in breadth and weighed 2 lb 4 oz (1000 g). The skull of a recorded West African panther measured 11 ¼ in (28.6 cm) in basal length and 7 1/8 in (18.1 cm) in breadth and weighed 1 lb 12 oz (790 g).

Weight and Size

The male leopard is heavier than the female, which means leopards are sexually dimorphic. It is muscular with a broad head and relatively short limbs.

Males stand 23 ½ to 27 ½ in (60 to 70 cm) at the shoulder, while females are 22 ½ to 25 (57 to 64 cm) tall. The head and body length range between 2 ft 11 ½ in and 6 ft 5 in (90 and 196 cm) with a 26 to 40 in (66 to 102 cm) long tail.

However, the size may vary geographically. Males weigh 82 to 198 lb (37 to 90 kg), and females 62 to 132 lb (28 to 60 kg).

Leopards are usually larger in areas without competition from larger predators such as tigers and lions. A wild leopard’s max (maximum) weight is about 212 lb (96 kg), recorded in Southern Africa.

It measured 8 ft 7 in (262 cm). In 2016, an Indian leopard was killed in Himachal Pradesh. It measured 8 ft 7 in (261 cm) with an estimated 173 lb (78.5 kg) weight, perhaps the largest recorded wild leopard.

Habitat and Distribution

The leopard has the largest distribution among all wild cats, occurring widely in Africa, Asia, and the Caucasus, although the population has declined and fragmented. It is assumed to be extinct in North America.

It inhabits the foremost rainforest, savannah, and areas where woodlands, grasslands, and riverine forests remain largely undisturbed. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is still surviving and numerous in marginal habitats where large wild cats have disappeared.

Leopard populations on the Arabian Peninsula are fragmented and small. In central and western Asia, leopards avoid areas with long snow cover, deserts, and proximity to urban centers. Due to its ability to be stealthy, people often remain unaware of its presence.

In Thailand, leopards are present in the Kaeng Krachan-Kui Buri, Western Forest Complex, and Khlong Saeng-Khao Sok protected area complexes.

In Peninsular Malaysia, leopards exist in Taman Negara, Belum-Temengor, and Endau-Rompin National Parks. In Laos, leopards were recorded in the Nam Kan National Protected Area and Nam Et-Phou Louey National Biodiversity Conservation Area.

In Cambodia, leopards inhabit deciduous dipterocarp forests in Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary. In Java, leopards inhabit dense, dry deciduous forests and tropical rainforests at altitudes from sea level to 8,330 ft (2,540 m).

Ecology and Behavior

The leopard is a territorial and solitary animal. Adult interacts only in mating season. After weaning, the females continue to interact with their offspring.

The females have been observed sharing kills with the offspring. They produce several vocalizations, including snarls, growls, purrs, and meows. Cubs use the urr-urr sound to call their mother.

Leopards are observed to walk ½ to 15 ½ mi (1 to 25 km) across their range at night. They may also wander 47 mi (75 km) if disturbed. They are diurnal in the western African forest, hunting during twilight.

They are also nocturnal in some regions. They can leap horizontally over 20 ft (6 m) and jump up to 10 ft (3 m) vertically. A leopard is known to run up to 36 mph (58 kilometers per hour).

Diet and Hunting

The leopard depends mainly on its acute vision and senses of hearing for hunting. Leopards are carnivores that prefer medium-sized prey with a body mass ranging from 22 to 88 lb (10 to 40 kg).

Prey species of this weight range tend to form small herds and occur in dense habitats. Prey species that develop significant anti-predator strategies and prefer open areas are less preferred.

The most significantly preferred species are ungulates: bushbuck, impala, chital, and common duiker. Primate species preyed on those in the genera Cercopithecus, Cercocebus, and Semnopithecus.

Leopards also kill smaller carnivores like the bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, cheetah, and genet. A prey as heavy as a 1,210 lb (550 kg) giraffe is hunted, especially in areas that lack larger carnivores, such as tigers or lions, since they don’t need to drag their kill up trees to retain it.

In areas such as reserves in Central Asia, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, tropical rainforests, and the mountains of Africa, the leopard remains the top terrestrial predator.

Average daily consumption rates of 7 lb 11 oz (3.5 kg) were estimated for males and 6 lb 3 oz (2.8 kg) for females. It can drag large prey up into trees due to its powerful jaw muscles and massive skull.

A leopard was seen to drag a young giraffe weighing nearly 276 lb (125 kg) onto a tree of 18 ft 8 in (5.7 m). Kills are cached up to 1 ¼ mi (2 km) apart.

Life-cycle and Reproduction

Leopard mating season depends on the region. In Siberia and Manchuria, they mate during January and February. The oestrus cycle lasts about 46 days, and the female usually is in heat for 6 to 7 days.

Gestation typically lasts for 90 – 105 days. Leopard cubs are born in a litter of 2 to 4 cubs. The mortality of cubs is estimated at 41 to 50% during the first year.

Females give birth in crevices among boulders, caves, and thickets to make a den or hollow trees. Cubs are born with their eyes shut, which opens 4 – 9 days after birth. The fur of a young leopard tends to be thicker and longer than that of adults.

The young start to follow their mother on hunts when they reach three months of age. The leopard becomes independent at one year of age but remains with their mother for 18 to 24 months.

The average lifespan of a wild leopard is 12 – 15 years, while in captivity, their lifespan tends to be longer, reaching up to 23 years.