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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
leopard,
black panther |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Carnivora |
| FAMILY: |
Felidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Panthera
pardus |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Considerable
color and pattern variation in the species. Colors
range from tawny yellow, to gray, to chestnut with
many variations between. White belly. Covered by
dark colored rosettes, blotches and spots. A melanistic
version is also found (black panther) frequently
in dense forests of the species range. |
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| SIZE: |
Head/body
length = 910-1,910 mm (35.8-75.1 in.)
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| Shoulder
height = 450-780 mm (17.7-30.7 in.) |
| Tail
length = 580-1,100 mm (22.8-43.3 in.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
28-90
kg (61.7-198 lb.) |
| MALE |
37-90
kg (81.6-198 lb.) |
| FEMALE |
28-60
kg (61.7-132 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Hunts
by stalking and stealth. Dispatches prey through
strangulation by seizing at the throat or by a bite
to the back of the neck. Diet is varied but is composed
predominantly of small and medium-sized ungulates.
Monkeys and baboons are also taken as well as rodents
and birds. |
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| GESTATION: |
Lasts
90-105 days; litter size is 1-6 young |
| ESTRAL
PERIOD |
Estrous
cycle averages approximately 46 days; heat lasts
6-7 days |
| NURSING
DURATION |
Weaned
at 3 months; remain with mother for 18-24 months |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Maximum
longevity in zoological setting is upwards of 23
years |
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| RANGE: |
From
western Turkey, Arabian Peninsula to southeastern
Siberia and Malay Peninsula, Sri Lanka, Java, Kangean
Island, most of Africa |
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| HABITAT: |
Highly adaptable to a wide variety of habitats. Found in deseerts, brush and grasslands, and lowland forests. |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
| REGIONAL |
Highly variable by location |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
No
general designation for P. pardus. The following
subspecies are listed as Endangered: P.p. japonensis,
P.p. saxicolor, P.p. melas, and P.p.
kotiya. The following subspecies are listed
as Critically Endangered: P.p. orientalis,
P.p. tulliana, P.p. panthera, and
P.p. nimr. |
| CITES |
All
of P. pardus is listed Appendix I |
| USFWS |
Endangered,
Threatened |
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| 1. |
Nocturnal,
rests on tree branches, under brush and among rocks
during the day. Excellent climber and can decend
headfirst from trees. Known to store recently killed
prey in trees for later consumption. Strong swimmer
but does not possess same affinity for the water
as tigers do. |
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| 2. |
Can
run short distances at more than 60 km/h (37 mph)
and leap more than 6 meters (20 ft.) horizontally
and 3 meters (10 ft.) vertically. |
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| 3. |
Leopards are frequently pursued by lions and periodically
by hyena and wild dogs. |
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| 4. |
Usually
solitary but males have been observed remaining
with females after mating and even assisting with
rearing of the young. |
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| 5. |
Communication
includes vocalizations such as a coughing-type grunt
and a rasping sound. |
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| 6. |
Territory
is established by vocalizations, sent marking, ground
scrapes, and urine. |
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| Adaptable
to the presence of humans, however persecuted as
a predator, for trophy value, commercial demand
for coat, medicinal value of body parts, habitat
destruction and loss of prey. Some subspecies' populations
have been reduced to less than 50 individuals. |
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|
| Nowak,
R. M. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth
edition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,
1999. |
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