Leopards (lat. Panthera pardus). Black leopard: description of the species, where it lives, behavior pattern Black leopard animal

The leopard is a colorful, graceful, incredibly majestic and cunning feline.
This cat is fast and very cautious, with a strong, muscular and strong body. Her vision is excellent. The leopard sees perfectly at any time of the day. The animal's claws and teeth are amazingly sharp.
Modern leopards appeared in Africa approximately 470,000–825,000 years ago (various paleontological dates based on fossil remains are used). The predecessor of the modern leopard most likely disappeared during mass extinctions everywhere except Africa. Then the modern leopard spread from the African continent

Asian leopards appear to be much younger and evolved 170,000–300,000 years ago as a result of migration from Africa to Central Asia, then further east and south, modern-day India, the island of Sri Lanka and into Southeast Asia and beyond. to the north, the territories of northern China, Korea and the Russian Far East.

Leopard habitat

Leopard is one of the representatives of large cats. The body of the animal is elongated, flexible, slender and strong. The length of the body varies from 91 to 180-190 cm. The height at the shoulders is 45-80 cm. A leopard weighs from 15 to 75 kg (depending on the subspecies and sex of the animal), extremely rarely reaching 100 kg or more. Males are 1.5-2 times larger than females.

Head The leopard is round, relatively small, with a noticeably convex forehead, sloping crown and moderately blunt muzzle. The ears are short, triangular, rounded, without tufts. A leopard's eyes are small and the pupils are round. The animal has well-developed vision and hearing, but the sense of smell is weak. The predator's fangs are relatively thin at the base, but high and sharp. The tail is long - 75-110 cm and makes up at least 2/3 of the body.

Legs Leopards are slender, relatively short and very strong. There are soft pads on the paws. The leopard's claws are hidden. He releases them only when it is time to grab prey or when he needs to climb a tree.

Wool The leopard is rough, not long - about 25-30 mm on the back, shorter on the tail. The fur of leopards living in tropical countries is brightly colored, but not fluffy. In winter, Far Eastern leopards are fluffy and denser. The body, legs, head and tail of the animal are covered with clearly defined spots. They can be solid or in the form of rings. The spots are larger on the animal’s belly and paws, and smaller on the head. On the back they are collected into rosettes. The largest leopard spots do not exceed 5 cm in length. In some cases, in the rear region of the back or on the sides they merge into stripes, and on the tail they form transverse rings.

The spotted pattern stands out against the yellowish or reddish color of the leopard's coat, the shades of which depend on the mammal's habitat: from yellow-brown to light yellow.

The pattern of spots is unique to each individual animal and can thus be used to identify individuals, similar to fingerprints in humans. This feature is sometimes used by researchers to identify individual individuals in the wild that are being monitored.

Thanks to their coloring, leopards are well camouflaged, clinging to the ground or hiding in the branches of trees. It is difficult to see them in grass no more than 50 cm high, even if you are several tens of meters away from them.

Young individuals are somewhat lighter than older ones. Their general tone is grayish-yellow or off-white. Summer leopard fur is rarer, shorter and lighter than winter fur. By the way, leopards are characterized by different lengths of yellowish and black hair. The black hairs that make up the spots are longer and thinner than the yellow ones. The degree of spotting and the shape of the spots may vary. Black color may acquire a brownish tint.

To communicate with other individuals, leopards use visual communication, namely: white spots that are located on the ears and at the tip of the tail. For example, by exposing these spots, females convey a message to their cubs while hunting or while in tall grass.

Black leopards

Found in Southeast Asia melanistic leopards, which are called (from the Greek pánther). The skin of a black panther is not completely black; more or less visible spots are always visible on it. Dark fur perfectly camouflages them in dense forest thickets. They are especially common in Java. The recessive gene responsible for melanism is much more common in leopard populations living in forested and mountainous areas, as well as in leopards from tropical Asia. On the Malay Peninsula, almost half of all leopards are black; in other places the prevalence of melanism is much lower.

Black leopard

Black individuals can be born in the same litter with normally colored cubs. Typically, panthers are more aggressive than other leopards.

Lifestyle of leopards

Leopards lead a solitary lifestyle. Their typical day: sleep, hunting and leisurely walks around their property. Leopards hunt mainly at night. Females who have kittens can go hunting at any time of the day.

Thanks to its soft pads, the leopard is able to sneak up on its prey so quietly that not a single leaf rustles, not a single branch crunches. As a rule, it hunts medium-sized animals, which it overtakes with a powerful jump (up to 5-6 m).

Leopards adapt well to living in any terrain, be it mountains, tropical forests, plains, savannas or semi-deserts. The territory of one leopard can range from 10 to 400 km². Females and males may have the same territorial areas, but if a representative of the same sex enters the territory, a fierce fight inevitably breaks out between the rivals, sometimes with a fatal outcome.

When communicating with their relatives, leopards make various sounds. This can be a growl or roar, snorting, rumbling, purring.

The leopard's voice is so loud that it can be heard in the mountains several kilometers away. The growl of a leopard resembles the sound of a saw cutting into a tree. This is how the mother calls her cubs to her, and females call males during estrus. When establishing contact with other individuals and marking the boundaries of its territory, the leopard emits a creaking growl. The frequent cry of males during the rut is similar to a sharp cough that turns into sighs. But, in general, the leopard rarely makes sounds and is silent, even when caught in a trap.

Leopard breeding

Leopards do not have a specific breeding season; mating can occur at any time of the year. The female's pregnancy lasts from 93 to 103 days, then babies are born. Leopard cubs are born blind and only after 8-10 days do they open their eyes. Most often, 1-2 babies are born in one litter, less often 3. Of the entire litter, only one kitten often survives.

The cubs spend the first three months in the den, and then leave it with their mother. From time to time, the mother changes the shelter of her kittens so that they are not discovered by predators. Leaving them in the next shelter, the mother goes hunting.

Only after six months can kittens follow their mother everywhere. The mother raises her offspring for about two years. Young leopards at this age leave their nurse and become independent.

Young animals reach sexual maturity at approximately 2.5 years.

Life activity and habitat

Most leopards live in Africa, and hunting them is even allowed there. But in China, India and Russia, the leopard population is very small, some species are even listed in the Red Book.

Nature has endowed the leopard with acute vision, so it hunts at night. Its diet consists of ungulates, rodents, monkeys, hares, and sometimes the leopard can snack on a snake or frog. The leopard loves to feast on fish, which he catches with his paw, like a bear. A leopard can jump up to 10 meters in length.

The leopard has practically no enemies; it can fight with a tiger or lion, emerging victorious in this fight thanks to its agility and speed. The leopard is a solitary animal that marks its boundaries and fiercely defends them. He leaves his prey in the trees so that other predators do not get to it.

The leopard is nature's best hunter and helps control the monkey population by hunting old or sick individuals. But every year these hunters become fewer and fewer. This is due to the invasion of people into their habitat. Some species of leopards have already become extinct or are listed in the Red Book.

Territorial and social behavior

The leopard is a solitary animal, leading a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. These animals can easily adapt to any living conditions. They can live in forests and mountains, as well as in deserts. The areas of their individual habitat can vary from 8 to more than 400 sq. km. - it all depends on the terrain and the availability of food for the animal. The modest size of the leopard does not prevent it from successfully hunting large prey - their victims can sometimes weigh up to 900 kilograms.

Leopards have unique tree climbing skills. They can climb them for recreation or to hunt monkeys. But more often, nevertheless, leopards engage in ground hunting. As a rule, the predator very quietly and carefully approaches its prey at a distance of one jump, and then pounces on its prey and strangles it. If the jump is unsuccessful, the animal does not pursue the victim. Sometimes a leopard can deliberately noisily approach its prey and then hide. In this case, the hunting victim was confused, not understanding from which side to expect an attack. Often, the leopard lifts the remains of its victims high into a tree in order to protect them from jackals and hyenas.

Leopard food

The leopard's diet usually consists of ungulates - antelopes and deer, as well as roe deer. Sometimes the predator can feed on rodents and monkeys, as well as birds and snakes. May also attack sheep and horses. Domestic dogs, as well as wild foxes and wolves, often suffer from leopards. A leopard, due to lack of food, can steal prey from other leopards. As for people, leopards rarely attack them - to do this you need to disturb the animal. However, a leopard always attacks if it is wounded - in this case the consequences can be the most dire.

As a rule, leopards do not hunt collectively, preferring to hunt alone. The predator sneaks up on the prey or waits for it somewhere in ambush.

Leopard subspecies

The leopard is one of the most common wild cats on the planet. It was previously believed that the leopard species contains 27 subspecies. This was based on the difference in colors and spots. But recent studies of their DNA have proven that there are much fewer of them:

• African leopard (Africa)
• Barbary leopard
• Indochinese leopard (Indochina)
• Javan leopard (Java)
• Indian leopard (India, South-East Pakistan, Nepal)
• Ceylon leopard (Ceylon)
• North China leopard (China)
• Far Eastern leopard (Russian Far East, Northern China, Korea)
• Persian leopard (Foreign Asia, Caucasus)
• Sinai leopard
• Central Asian leopard
• Anatolian leopard (combined with the Persian leopard, since the last mention of it was in 1974)
• South Arabian leopard (Arabian Peninsula)
• European

At the same time, only one subspecies is in relatively no danger so far - the African one. All the rest are more or less at risk, and some are already on the verge of extinction.

Leopard hybrids

Among leopards there are hybrids - such as leopon. Leopon is a hybrid resulting from crossing a male leopard with a female lion. The existence of Leopon was first officially confirmed in Kolhapur in India at the beginning of the 20th century. Later they began to be deliberately bred in zoos in Germany, Japan and Italy.

Leopard hybrids cannot bear offspring. The appearance of the leopon is also quite interesting. Its head is shaped more like a lion's. All other parts of the hybrid's body are more similar to the body of a leopard. The size of the hybrids is usually somewhere between a lion and a leopard. Male hybrids sometimes have a mane similar to a lion's, which can reach 20 cm in length. The color of leopons is distinguished by brown or black spots, and their tail is decorated with a lion's tassel at the end.

Another leopard hybrid is berry parrot- it appeared after crossing a male jaguar and a female leopard.

Leopard conservation

Leopard populations are inexorably declining. The reasons for the extinction of the species are the destruction of the natural habitat of predators, as well as the disappearance of food for animals. There are statistics that indicate that at the time of 2007 there were only 25 to 34 Far Eastern leopards.

Just a few years ago, the main problem with the disappearance of leopards was their shooting in order to take possession of a valuable skin. However, now the reasons for catching them have changed somewhat. With the development of oriental medicine, poachers are shooting leopards with the aim of using them for medical needs. Five species of leopards are included in the Red Book, including the Far Eastern leopard. They are also included in the Red Book of Russia.

Leopard hunting

The leopard, or leopard, has always been a very significant trophy for hunters. They hunted predators exclusively within their habitat areas. Among hunters, there is the concept of the “Big Five,” which includes such dangerous animals as the elephant, rhinoceros, lion, African buffalo and African leopard. Any of these animals is valuable prey and a luxurious trophy for the hunter.

If we talk about hunting for leopards in the period from the 19th to the 20th, we can conclude that in the countries of Africa and Asia this type of hunting was completely random and uncontrolled. It was this factor that became decisive in the issue of the disappearance of such a rare predator in most of its habitats.

In many areas of Asia, even today there are poachers hunting leopards, although this type of hunting is legally prohibited throughout the country.

Unfortunately, the demand for beautiful and valuable leopard skins is still high on the black market, and animal organs are actively used in traditional medicine recipes. Some countries of the African continent allocate a certain quota for the shooting of leopards - this is due to their high numbers in the territory of some countries. It will be interesting to know that the cost of a leopard can range from 4,000 to 12,000 dollars.

The standard scheme for hunting a leopard is the use of bait in the form of the carcass of an animal of interest to the predator (this could be a monkey or a roe deer). It is necessary to use fresh carcasses, because the leopard, like all other representatives of its family, will not come to the smell of carrion.

Usually hunters find a lonely growing tree that is often visited by leopards. The bait carcass is tied to the lower branch of a tree so that it is clearly visible against the sky. The leopard follows the scent of its prey already at dusk, accompanying its arrival with a roar. Such a roar is similar to a cough or the sound of a saw - the hunter will not confuse it with anything. Then the hunter has to act very quickly - the shot is fired at close range. When a leopard is wounded, it is most aggressive and dangerous to a person, trying to attack him instead of running away. Often the leopard only pretends to be killed - as soon as the hunter comes closer, he rushes at him.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the fashion for leopard skins reached its apogee, making this animal its victim. Most of the stars of that time loved to flaunt in a leopard skin coat, and were also photographed for magazine covers in this form. All this led to a significant reduction in the number of leopards on earth. Over the six years of the 60s, the European fur market was replenished with more than 250,000 leopard skins.

• Leopard and panther are the names of the same animal.
• Leopards are very strong. They can lift a victim heavier than themselves into the crown of a tree.
• Panthers climb down from tree trunks upside down.
• Black panthers also have spots on their fur, but they are difficult to see.
• The favorite food of young leopards is baboons.
• Each individual has a unique mottled pattern by which they can be identified.

Our hero has several names - leopard, panther, leopard. In the Russian-speaking environment, this predator is most often called a leopard, while black leopards are usually called a panther. The word “leopard” today is used only in relation to the snow leopard, or irbis. Whatever the name, this magnificent cat, famous for its deadly grace and agility, has been well known to us since childhood. However, in this article I will try to talk about it in as much detail as possible. I hope this increases your knowledge about this beautiful animal.
Leopard. He is as beautiful as he is deadly. The leopard is the embodiment of the very essence of the cat. This predator, like perhaps no other animal, perfectly harmonizes incredible dexterity, cunning, strength and grace.
So, after this brief introduction, let’s move on to the origin.

Origin:

The leopard belongs to the panther subfamily, that is, Pantherinae. This branch, separated from the general trunk of the felines, is the youngest. It is to this subfamily that the most formidable predators among cats belong, and, perhaps, among the order of carnivores as a whole. Unlike cats of the Felinae subfamily, all panthers are adapted primarily for killing prey that exceeds them in size and physical strength. Of course, cats of the subfamily Felinae, in turn, in rare cases can and do deal with prey that exceeds their size, but only among panthers the bulk of the victims are animals larger than themselves. Based on this, cats of the Pantherinae subfamily are the most professional killers among all land predators. They do not specialize in any particular prey. Their physical strength, agility and intelligence allow them to hunt any animal they can overcome, and at any time of the day. Their main activity time is not limited to the dark time of day, unlike cats of the Felinae subfamily, which, as a rule (but not always) are more nocturnal animals than cats of the Pantherinae subfamily. Cats belonging to this subfamily are the largest and strongest, and therefore they do not avoid stronger predators that hunt during the day. For this reason, all panther cats have a round, or at least rounded, pupil, rather than an elliptical pupil, like the vast majority of members of the subfamily Felinae. Another difference between panthers and the latter is that all panthers are capable of truly roaring, which felines are not capable of. The ability to growl is due to the structure of the hyoid apparatus, which externally resembles a curved Latin letter "H". It consists of 11 small bones. In the center they are connected to each other by two elastic ligaments. The growl results from the resonance created by these ligaments. Representatives of the subfamily Felinae have a completely ossified hyoid apparatus, so they are not capable of such powerful and rough sounds. In addition to roaring, panthers can also purr, like cats from Felinae, and even purr. However, they can only purr when exhaling, since felines purr both when exhaling and when inhaling.
The species Panthera pardus formed in Africa approximately 1.5 million years ago (maybe a little earlier). In Asia, the oldest remains of a leopard date back a million years. Now that we have received a more or less clear picture of the origin of the subfamily Pantherinae and the species Panthera pardus itself, let’s move on directly to the classification.

Taxonomy:

The leopard is a typical representative of the subfamily Pantherinae and the genus Panthera itself, which in addition to it includes the most formidable predators of the cat family - the tiger, lion and jaguar. He is the smallest representative of his kind, but the most dexterous and one of the most dangerous. Like its closest relatives mentioned above, the lepard can produce a powerful growl that cats from the subfamily Felinae, which includes all small cats, as well as lynxes and pumas, are not capable of. Below, for convenience, is a clear table of the classification of leopards in the animal world:

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata (vertebrates)
Superclass: Tetrapoda (tetrapods)
Class: Mammalia (mammals, or animals)
Subclass: Theria (viviparous mammals, or true beasts)
Infraclass: Eutheria (placental, or higher animals)
Order: Carnivora (predatory)
Suborder: Feliformia (feliformes)
Family: Felidae (felines)
Subfamily: Pantherinae (panthers)
Genus: Panthera (panthers)
Species: Panthera pardus (leopard, or panther)

Appearance:

The leopard, along with the puma, is the fourth largest living cat. Depending on the subspecies and gender, the weight of a leopard varies from about 20 to 100 kg. Males are larger and more massive than females. On average, the weight of an adult male is 50-90 kg, and only in very rare cases does it reach 100 kg. Heavier animals are also known from zoos. Physically, the leopard is very strong, especially considering the relatively small size of the animal. It perfectly combines qualities such as strength and agility. He can defeat an animal much larger than him in weight.
The leopard is one of the best jumpers in the animal kingdom. Among cats, it is surpassed in this regard only by the puma, and even then only slightly. The leopard feels free, both on the ground and in the trees. In addition, he is an excellent swimmer and can, if necessary, cover huge distances by swimming, for example, swimming across a wide river. Like all cats, the leopard is not capable of long running, as it runs out of energy quite quickly. However, it can reach speeds of approximately 60-65 km/h (or maybe even more), and its reaction speed is simply fantastic. All this makes the leopard an excellent hunter and an excellent fighter, although he tries to avoid direct collisions, since he leads a solitary lifestyle, and serious injuries can mean death for him.
All the leopard's senses are excellently developed. He has acute vision, and he sees perfectly both during the day and in the darkest night. His hearing is unusually delicate, capable of picking up the slightest rustle. Leopards are able to hear high frequencies that are inaccessible to the human ear. The sense of smell is also quite well developed, especially if you take into account the fact that the sense of smell in all cats is not particularly sensitive. In addition, the leopard has well-developed vibrissae, which play an important role as an organ of touch.
The leopard skull can reach more than 28 (almost 30) cm in length. However, on average, the length of a leopard's skull is approximately 23 cm (smaller subspecies may have less). The presence of a rather large cranial crest indicates great power of the jaws. The powerful muscles of the neck and shoulders, in turn, contribute to a strong grip. It should be borne in mind that the leopard always knows exactly where to bite the victim. The leopard has 30 strong teeth in its mouth, among which the huge fangs of the predator are the most striking. All this makes a leopard bite truly terrifying. With his jaws, this successful hunter is able to hold the carcass of an antelope, which far exceeds his own weight.
In addition to its deadly grip and impressive teeth, the leopard is armed with sharp retractable claws and powerful paws, the blow of which is quite dangerous in itself. The length of the claws on the front paws, on average, is about 5 cm. Moreover, not only the claws on the front paws are deadly, but also on the hind paws. For example, if the enemy managed to press the leopard to the ground and grab onto its throat, then with its hind paws it can easily rip open the enemy’s belly. As already mentioned, the leopard and the puma are cats of equal size. However, with the same size as the puma, the leopard is almost always stronger than it. Because, firstly, he has stronger jaws. Secondly, he has a more powerful skeleton, and therefore more powerful muscles. And finally, thirdly, he is much fiercer and more aggressive than the puma. Well, it also seems to me that the leopard is smarter than the puma, since it belongs to the subfamily Pantheridae, and panthers are the youngest branch of felines and are considered the most highly intelligent among cats.
Leopards living in tropical and equatorial zones have brighter and more contrasting colors, with more frequent spots, than leopards living in temperate climates. Leopards from jungles and forests have darker and richer colors than animals living in savannas, mountains or semi-deserts. The length and thickness of the coat also depends on the climate.
In addition to the typical spotted color, among leopards there are also completely black individuals, popularly called black panthers. This is not a separate species, as previously thought, or even a subspecies. The black color of the leopard is the result of a certain mutation. Such individuals have an excess of melanin, the pigment responsible for black and brown colors. Black leopards even have a blackish tongue, and their eyes are usually green. It is interesting that the spotted pattern in such individuals is still preserved, and in the light you can see the black spots characteristic of all leopards, which are darker than the general black color. Melanists are found among all subspecies, but most black leopards live in tropical forests. This is due to the fact that in a dense tropical forest, it is easier for individuals with such an unusual color to survive than, for example, in the savannah.

Behavior:

The leopard leads a terrestrial lifestyle, but is an excellent climber and even hunts in trees. He often goes hunting under the cover of darkness, but often hunts during the day. Like all panthers, it is active both at night and during the day.
The leopard is a solitary hunter. This animal prefers solitude, with the exception of the mating season, during which the male and female remain together for a short time. Therefore, he was accustomed to relying solely on his own strength. In this regard, he does not like to take unnecessary risks and always soberly assesses the situation. If he has the ability to escape, he can escape even from an opponent who is weaker than him. But this beast is by no means timid. If necessary, he always takes a fight and he is terrible in anger. Cold-blooded and calculating, strong and surprisingly fast in its movements, the leopard is an extremely dangerous opponent and, as mentioned above, it is able to defeat an animal much larger than itself.
The leopard is a territorial animal. Each individual has its own individual area. The size of individual plots largely depends on the abundance of food. If there is a lot of prey, then the area, of course, is smaller. If prey is rare in the area where the leopard lives, then, accordingly, the animal requires a larger territory. The individual areas of males partially or completely include the areas of one or more females. Males jealously defend their territory from the encroachments of another male. The female's territoriality is less developed, however, she also tries not to enter lands belonging to other females.
Leopards mark their areas with odorous urine. These scent marks contain information for other leopards, so another animal can find out the sex of the animal that left the mark, its approximate age and readiness to mate. In addition to such odorous signals, leopards also leave purely visual marks - marks from their own claws on tree trunks.
In addition to beauty, grace and strength, the leopard is very smart, and is one of the most intelligent animals (not counting, of course, the great apes). Tracking a leopard is an extremely difficult task even for a professional hunter. No wonder the famous hunter John Hunter considered the leopard the most dangerous animal in Africa. When a leopard becomes a man-eater, he becomes the very embodiment of a nightmare. Man-eating leopards are one of the most bloodthirsty and successful cannibals in the animal world. Thanks to the books of another famous hunter, Jim Corbett, we know about two, perhaps, the most legendary man-eating leopards - the Panar man-eater, which killed about 400 people, and the Rudraprayag man-eater, with 125 registered victims. This cunning and calculating killer terrorized Rudraprayag for 8 long years before Corbett finally managed to shoot him. Actually, it must be said that leopards and people did not have a good relationship from the very beginning. The enmity between the genus Panthera and Homo goes back thousands of years. Even in prehistoric times, the ancestors of leopards and the leopards themselves hunted our ancestors. And our ancestors, getting together, sometimes dealt with the nightmare cat. This is probably why, even now, of all the predatory animals, civilized people experience the greatest fear of representatives of the cat family. Big cats have a tantalizing effect on our subconscious. Who knows, maybe it's genetic memory...
Despite its intellectual abilities, the leopard is difficult to train. It is much more difficult to train it than a lion or a tiger, but it is still possible. The main thing is to understand the animal and find your own special approach to it. But, in fairness, it must be said that a tame leopard is always potentially more dangerous to humans than, say, a tiger. Look closely at the leopard. There are shards of ice in his eyes, an arrogant, proud look. This cat will not tolerate familiarity. She will always be devoted to her instincts, her innate qualities. In the section on the origin of panthers, it was already said that the leopard is not strictly a nocturnal animal. This is a lone hunter in which absolutely everything is perfect. It’s not for nothing that the leopard is called a super cat.

Hunting and competition with other predators:

As mentioned above, a leopard can hunt at any time of the day, however, where its more formidable relatives - the tiger and lion - live side by side with it, in order to avoid competition, the leopard is often forced to hunt under the cover of darkness. The prey of this lucky hunter can be any animal from a frog to a small buffalo. In the African savannah, he most often hunts impalas, gazelles, wildebeests, hares, warthogs, etc. In Asia - for deer, wild boars, mountain goats, etc. A leopard, unlike a lion and a tiger, almost never eats carrion. The fact that the leopard can professionally deal with such dangerous prey as a porcupine speaks in favor of the fact that the leopard is a very skilled hunter. For example, tigers are often injured by the terrible quills of this large rodent. Sometimes they even become crippled, since porcupine quills get stuck in the predator’s body, causing infection and severe pain. For this reason, predators can become cannibals. For example, in the body of the famous man-eating tigress from Muktesar, which was shot by the already mentioned Jim Corbett, many porcupine quills were found. A leopard kills a porcupine, as a rule, much more skillfully than a tiger. According to Jim Corbett, he quickly grabs the porcupine by the weak spot - the head - and kills it. Thus, leopards are injured by porcupines much less often than tigers.
Having killed his prey, he must drag it up a tree as quickly as possible, since stronger predators, such as a lion or a pack of hyenas, can take away his rightful prey. I think largely for this reason, the victims of the leopard most often are relatively small antelopes such as impala or hartebeest. After all, he still needs to drag the dead carcass up the tree. It should be noted that the strength of this cat is such that it is capable of dragging an animal twice its own weight up a tree. In addition to antelopes, the leopard often hunts monkeys, most often baboons, and, like the tiger, has a certain weakness for dogs. There are many cases where leopards snatched dogs right from under the noses of their owners so quickly that by the time they came to their senses, it was often too late.
In the savannas of East Africa and in the Asian jungles, the leopard is full of enemies. His stronger cousins, the lion and the tiger, can easily take his prey and, on occasion, even kill him. So the leopard tries to avoid meeting its scary relatives.
In addition to lions, other worst enemies of the leopard live in the African savannas - spotted hyenas. A leopard can easily finish off even the largest hyena, but a lone leopard cannot do anything against a pack of such predators. If he did not manage to drag his victim up the tree in time, then the prey he gained with such difficulty is lost. The leopard also avoids collisions with a pack of hyena dogs. But, in fairness, it is worth noting that the latter do not cause him as much trouble as spotted hyenas, which the leopard simply cannot stand.
In Asia, leopards have clashes with red wolves. These predators, gathered in a large flock, pose a serious threat to the leopard. Sometimes the leopard has to escape from them in the trees. Unlike them, gray wolves do not pose a serious threat to the leopard and try to avoid encounters with this animal.
Sometimes there are clashes with the Himalayan and brown bears. However, such encounters are quite rare, especially with a brown bear. Yet these animals occupy completely different ecological niches. And besides, in any case, a leopard can easily dodge a bear and run away.
However, in the tropical forests of Central Africa, the leopard is the apex predator. There are no lions, no hyenas, and, of course, tigers. The leopard is the largest and most powerful predator of the African jungle. Here he hunts duikers and other forest antelopes, as well as monkeys. In addition, even such a large animal as a bongo antelope or a young buffalo can become its prey (forest buffaloes are much smaller than their counterparts living in the savannas). There are cases where leopards have dealt even with adult gorillas. However, as a rule, the leopard does not hunt gorillas and tries to avoid them. Whatever one may say, the gorilla is still much larger and stronger than the leopard.
Now I’ll tell you briefly about the very method of hunting this extraordinary beast. Like all cats, the leopard uses ambush hunting. Having identified the victim, he quietly creeps up to her at an acceptable distance, then makes a lightning-fast attack. The leopard overtakes its prey in a few seconds. If the pursuit drags on, then he interrupts the chase, since he does not have the endurance that antelopes, deer, etc. have. A leopard can hide anywhere, for example in tall grass or in rocks. Often a leopard attacks its prey directly from a tree.
Having overtaken its prey in the blink of an eye, the leopard, like all cats, first digs into it with its sharp claws, and then inflicts a fatal bite on the neck, thus gnawing the trachea, or simply suffocating the animal. If the prey is small, then it can immobilize it with a bite on the scruff of the neck.
A leopard kills its prey, in my opinion, much more gracefully than a lion. For example, impala, it often catches you right in the air. These antelopes are incredibly jumpy and, when running away, they rush in almost 10-meter leaps. Sometimes, a leopard, which jumps just as well, overtakes them while both animals - the hunter and the prey - are soaring in the air. During such collisions, the leopard, clinging to its prey, does a real somersault with it. This is a terrifying and yet somehow beautiful sight.

Procreation and care for offspring:

For leopards that live in hot climates, such as Africa or India, the breeding season is not clearly defined. Animals can breed throughout the year. However, in countries with temperate or cold climates, the breeding season occurs at a certain time of the year. For example, in the Far East, the mating season occurs around January-February. During this period, the male and female spend all their time together. The couple copulates many times a day. Each time copulation lasts a few seconds. During mating, the female, like all cats, lies on her stomach, and the male, covering her, bites her scruff, like that of lions or tigers. After the female goes into heat (estrus), the male leaves her. All care for the offspring falls on the female. Males do not take any part in raising their offspring. On the contrary, on occasion, adult males can even snack on small kittens. Therefore, the mother fiercely protects her offspring from attacks from any side. And the mother leopardess is something terrible. She can, on occasion, put even a bear to flight, so it’s better not to mess with her.
Pregnancy lasts on average about 90 days (plus/minus about 10 days). As the birth approaches, the female begins to look for a reliable shelter for childbirth. This could be a cleft in the rocks, a cave, or even a hollow in the trunk of a large tree. There can be from 1 to 6 cubs in a litter, but most often there are 2-3. Newborn kittens weigh about 500-700 g, they are blind and very vulnerable. In case of danger, the female can move her cubs to a new den.
Kittens grow quite quickly, and around the 10th day their eyes open and other senses become more acute. Closer to three months, the mother begins to slowly wean them off milk. By this time, they usually already know the taste of meat and begin to show great interest in the environment. Like all predator cubs, little leopard cubs are very curious. Following their mother, they try to imitate her in everything and take the first steps towards independent life. By about 5-6 months they are already able to catch small prey. However, they acquire complete independence only by the age of two years, sometimes a little earlier. Males reach sexual maturity at approximately three years of age, females a little earlier. Life expectancy is about 20 years or more. The life expectancy of animals living in captivity is, as a rule, longer than the life expectancy of their fellow tribesmen living in natural conditions.

Habitat:

The leopard is one of the most widespread cat species. Among the subfamily Pantherinae, it today has the widest habitat (among panther cats, only the lion was more widespread than it, but its range has long been greatly reduced). This cat easily adapts to a wide variety of biotopes. It can be found in dense tropical jungles, open savannas, snow-covered taiga, semi-deserts and high mountains. It withstands both merciless heat and extreme cold. The only thing is that he does not particularly like deep snow, which makes it difficult for him to move, since the leopard is not adapted to walking in deep snow, like a lynx or a puma. For this reason, hunting leopards in the Far East is relatively easy. The fact is that animals use the same well-trodden paths, avoiding snowdrifts.
Nowadays, the original range of the leopard has decreased, some subspecies have been completely exterminated, and some are on the verge of extinction. However, the leopard is the most numerous cat species of the subfamily Pantherinae. Its population ranges from approximately 500 thousand to a million, according to various estimates.
I will not list all the countries where the leopard lives. This area map will tell you this better than me:

Subspecies:

Due to the fact that the leopard has spread across the globe very widely, this species has developed many subspecies, in other words, geographical races. It must be said that there is confusion with the subspecies of the leopard, as with the subspecies of many other animals. There is no consensus on this matter. Some tend to distinguish many subspecies, others less. Today, scientists count about 30 subspecies of the leopard. Some of them can be easily distinguished from each other, others are very similar to each other, and doubt arises as to whether it is worth distinguishing one or another subspecies at all. I do not set myself the goal of talking about all modern subspecies of leopard, but I will tell you about those subspecies that are best known to me.
Panthera pardus pardus is one of the largest subspecies. It lives in Central and Eastern Africa. It is called the African leopard, although this name is not entirely accurate, since in Africa, in addition to it, several other subspecies live. Its color is contrasting, its spots are abundant, and the overall background of its coat is lighter than that of leopards living in the jungle. This subspecies is still quite numerous.
The Barbary leopard (Panthera pardus panthera) inhabits North Africa. The subspecies is endangered. The sizes are large.
The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) lives, as its name suggests, in India. Sizes are medium and large. The color is contrasting and rich.
Panthera pardus kotiya lives in Sri Lanka. Similar to the Indian subspecies, but usually smaller. The coloring is contrasting, the colors are saturated, like those of the Indian leopard.
The Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) originally lived in many other countries of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, in addition to Iran. However, to date it has been exterminated in many places of its original habitat, and in others its numbers are catastrophically low. For example, in Armenia there are only a few of them left. Needless to say, this subspecies is endangered. The Persian leopard can reach the maximum size for its species, being one of the largest subspecies of leopard, but individuals of medium size are also found. The coloring is not as contrasting as that of tropical subspecies. The general background of the fur is sand-colored, and in appearance this leopard looks a little like a snow leopard. The eyes are usually lighter than those of tropical leopards. The Persian leopard tolerates both heat and cold well, and can go without water for a long time.
The Anatolian or Central Asian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana) lives in Turkey. Previously lived, also, in the north of Israel. Externally it is very similar to Panthera pardus saxicolor, and I am not sure whether it is worth distinguishing it as a separate subspecies.
Panthera pardus ciscaucasica, in other words Caucasian leopard. There are only a few of these leopards left in the Caucasus. This subspecies, in turn, is also similar to Panthera pardus saxicolor. Maybe this is the same subspecies. In any case, the leopards that are still preserved in the mountains of Armenia belong to the subspecies Panthera pardus saxicolor.
The Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) lives in the Middle East. There are still a few individuals left in Israel. The subspecies is on the verge of extinction. The color is quite pale. This is one of the smallest subspecies of leopard. Previously, a subspecies was identified - Panthera pardus jarvisi (Sinai leopard), but in fact it is the same subspecies as Panthera pardus nimr.
The Far Eastern or Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is the northernmost form of leopard. The coat is long and fluffy. The eyes are usually bluish in color. The color is quite rich, especially considering that this is not a tropical subspecies. The Far Eastern leopard is easy to distinguish from a number of other subspecies, as it has a strong personality. The sizes are usually medium, sometimes large. The subspecies is in critical condition. There are about 30 individuals left in the wild, and surprisingly, this population is very stable.
The North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) is very similar to the Far Eastern subspecies. The dimensions are approximately the same as the last one. Perhaps there is no need to separate these two subspecies.

Photos:

African leopards:

Barbary leopards:

Persian leopards:

Indian leopards:

Sri Lankan leopards:

Arabian leopards:

Far Eastern leopards:

North China leopards:

Melanistic leopards:

African leopard skulls:

African Leopard Claw:

So, leopard...

He is also a leopard, he is also a panther - he belongs to the cat family. Most often it can live in the Middle East, Southeast, South and West Asia, South Africa and Siberia.

Most often black leopards can be found in savannas, grasslands and meso-forests. And also the favorite places of the so-called African cats are mountain, bush and desert areas.

Environment and area

There are 9 subspecies of black leopard:

• African (panthera pardus pardus) - habitat Africa.
• Indian (panthera pardus fusca) - range India.
• North China (panthera pardus japonensis) - native to northern China.
• Ceylon (panthera pardus kotiya) - range of Sri Lanka.
• Indochinese (panthera pardus delacourii) - native to southern China and Southeast Asia.
• Javanese (panthera pardus melas) - native to the island of Java.
• South Arabian (panthera pardus nimr) - range Arabia.
• Persian (panthera pardus saxicolor) - range Central Asia.
• Far Eastern (panthera pardus orientalis) - range of the Korean Peninsula, Northeast China and the Russian Far East.

Females occupy a territory of approximately 4 square kilometers, and males - 12. That is, there are approximately 3 males per female.

Description

Compared to its long body, a leopard's legs are relatively short. They have a wide head and a massive skull with powerful jaw muscles. The head is crowned with small round ears. On the eyebrows of wild cats there are long whiskers that protect the eyes from dense vegetation, among which the predator is a big fan of moving. The color ranges from light yellow to reddish-orange depending on the animal's range. The shape of a leopard's spots depends on their habitat - in East Africa it is round, in South Africa it is square.

Predators have solid black spots on the chest, legs and face, and ring spots on the tail. Babies have a solid color - smoky gray, no spots are visible on it. The drawing of each individual is unique, like human fingerprints - never repeats. The black leopard or panther is an individual with recessive melanistic genes.

Male wild cats weigh from 30 to 65 kilograms, while females weigh from 16 to 57 kilograms. The length of the first ranges from one and a half to two and a half meters, while the second - from one and a half to two meters.

Lifespan

Under natural conditions, that is, in the wild, leopards live from 10 to 12 years. In captivity, the lifespan is much longer, averaging 21 to 23 years. Like all other living creatures, there are long-livers here too - 17 years is the record lifespan of a wild cat living in the wild and 27 years in captivity.

Unfortunately, African leopard cubs survive only 40–50% of the time.

Diet

Mostly these predators prefer to feed on ungulates: antelopes, gazelles, wild boars, deer and livestock- this is the main diet of the African leopard. They can also eat birds, rodents, arthropods, reptiles, and carrion. The weight of prey ranges from 10–40 kilograms.

Wild cats hunt by setting up an ambush - they lie in wait and pounce on their prey - in most cases, the victim does not even have time to react, because this predator sneaks silently like a cat and attacks with lightning speed. The leopard immediately bites into the neck of the victim, which causes instant paralysis in the second, then strangles her and takes her to a quiet, secluded place. The great strength of African cats allows them to hunt prey that is 10 times their weight.

Reproduction

Female leopards attract males with pheromones contained in their urine. Calling for mating, the female strolls invitingly in front of the male, periodically slapping him with her tail. Mating lasts an average of 3 seconds, but the number of matings can reach 100 times per day, with an interval of about 6 minutes.

African cats are capable of breeding all year round. The female's estrus lasts 7 days, and the gestation period is 96 days. Females usually lose their ability to reproduce at the age of 8–9 years.

Cubs at birth weigh less than 1 kilogram. The eyes of small leopards open 1 week after birth, at 2 weeks the babies already learn to walk. They begin to regularly leave the den and eat food familiar to leopards at the age of 6–8 weeks. Before this period, the mother can separate from the babies while going hunting for up to 36 hours, leaving the cubs in well-protected places. At three months of age, breastfeeding ends and the cubs switch to solid food. At 20 weeks, the cubs usually leave the den, becoming completely independent.

Behavior

• These wild cats are nocturnal predators. They communicate with their relatives using roars, growls, and purrs. Like all felines, they mark their territory with urine and claws.
• These predators are capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h, jumping to a height of more than three meters, and making jumps 6 meters long. They have excellent hearing and vision. They feel great both on land and in water.

Leopards are relatively tolerant of humans, but can attack them as easy prey if they are wounded.

A very big threat to these predators represents the person- people kill leopards for their valuable fur. Lions, tigers, hyenas and African wild dogs are very dangerous for wild cat cubs.

Leopard numbers are declining in many regions due to habitat fragmentation and loss. Leopards have a conservation status of “near vulnerable.” Even though leopards are the most common predator of all big cats, five of the nine subspecies are already listed as endangered and endangered.

A leopard (leopard) is an animal that belongs to the class mammals, the order Carnivora, the cat family, the subfamily big cats, and the genus panther.

International scientific name: Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758).

The Greek word πάνθηρ, from which the word “panther”, another name for the leopard, comes, consists of two stems: πάν (everything, everywhere) and θήρα (beast, predator), that is, literally “full-fledged predator”. Although there is an opinion that the word “panther” comes from the Sanskrit pundarikam - “tiger”, “yellowish beast”. Prefix leo from Greek Λέων indicates a relationship with a lion. In Rus', the leopard was known as the leopard, pard and pardus, although the last two names also applied to another animal - the cheetah. The word leopard, which is also used to call this type of mammal, is of Turkic origin.

A leopard can also attack a person. But man-eating leopards are much less common than tigers and lions that attack people. Only an old or sick animal can do this. A healthy and young animal attacks a person only if it is wounded.

A leopard eats up to 20 kg of meat per day. Having killed large prey, it feeds on it for another 4-5 days. Only after this does the leopard go on its next hunt.

Leopards drink a lot, especially after eating. In this regard, they always settle in places where there is constant water. Cats usually go to water at night.

In addition to animal meat, leopards eat grass to clear their gastrointestinal tract of hair that they ingest while grooming their fur.

Cheetah on the left, leopard on the right

What is the difference between a jaguar and a leopard?

The body structure of both animals is similar. But the body of a jaguar is more massive, stocky and strongly built: the animal looks more solid and strong-boned compared to a leopard.

The jaguar has a shorter tail - 70-91 cm. In the leopard it reaches 110 cm.

Unlike a leopard, a jaguar's head is larger and looks more massive.

The leopard's jaws are smaller and narrower than those of the jaguar.

The difference between a leopard and a jaguar can be seen in the animals' spots. The spots on the skin of a jaguar are similar to those of a leopard, but are larger in size. In addition, the jaguar's coloring seems brighter. What unites the animals is that they can both be melanistic, that is, black (though with spots slightly visible against the black background), and the name “black panther” can be applied to both the jaguar and the leopard, because both of these animals belong to the genus panther.

The leopard's maximum speed is 60 km/h. The Jaguar is faster: it can reach speeds of up to 90 km/h.

The jaguar differs from the leopard in its habitat: it lives in southern North America, Central and South America, and the leopard lives in Africa and Asia.

The diet of both animals is approximately the same, but the jaguar is an excellent swimmer and supplements its diet with fish, frogs, turtles and even small alligators. The leopard swims well, but reluctantly, and rarely eats fish. But, in addition to land dwellers, it eats monkeys and other animals that live in trees.

Another difference between a jaguar and a leopard is that the leopard hides its uneaten prey in a tree or grass, while the jaguar buries it in the ground.

Pregnancy in a female leopard lasts up to 90 days, in a jaguar it lasts 100-110 days.

Above is a North Chinese leopard, below is a Brazilian jaguar. Top photo credit: Rufus46, CC BY-SA 3.0. Bottom photo credit: Charlesjsharp, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Leopard hunting

Leopards, like other predators, are useful in that they destroy sick animals and curb the growth of pest populations, such as monkeys.

People hunt the beautiful spotted cats for their valuable fur, and also destroy them due to predators attacking livestock. But, basically, leopard populations are decreasing due to human economic activities and, accordingly, changes in the leopards’ usual habitats. In some areas the leopard is on the verge of survival, and in others it has been completely destroyed. But, nevertheless, in most of its range the animal successfully survives thanks to its ability to successfully hunt and adapt to any living conditions. In some countries, leopards are also killed for fun.

This mammal is one of the so-called “big five” animals - favorite objects of sport hunting, among which are the lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard. To achieve this, an international organization that monitors issues of trade in endangered wild species of animals and plants allocates quotas for the shooting of leopards. This does not reduce the population of these predators. States receiving these quotas care about the conservation of the species.

• Female leopards keep their cubs with them for quite a long time, especially the male ones. They stay with their mother for 2 months longer than girls. The longer a female is followed by her brood, the fewer kittens she will give birth to during her life.
• Because leopards love to eat dogs, scientists fear the spread of distemper, a disease that affects dogs, among them.
• The leopard, or leopard, has always been a cult animal among ancient peoples. In Asia, idols and sanctuaries were erected in his honor. For many African tribes, the leopard is considered a sacred totem. But the predator achieved its greatest reverence in the society of leopard people. This secret society existed, and perhaps still exists, in Africa.
• African tribal kings usually wear leopard skin. By this they show that they have the strength, agility, and speed of this animal. They inspire terror in their enemies. Other members of the tribe cannot wear this robe, as it threatens them with death.
• The leopard has a “namesake” among marine mammals - a predator from the genus of seals, which is called the leopard seal for its characteristic spotted coloring and fame as a dangerous hunter.
• The white leopard (also known as the snow leopard) is not a light-colored leopard at all, but a separate species of mammal. It is called the snow leopard and lives in the mountains of Central Asia.
• The Bengal cat breed, which is a hybrid of a domestic and a Bengal cat, is very similar to a leopard. By the way, this breed has a very developed hunting instinct, and the cat’s character combines the temperament of a domestic animal and a wild animal.
• In medieval heraldry, the image of a camelopard, a hybrid of a camel and a leopard, was often used. The animal, symbolizing courage and zeal, was depicted with the body of a leopard and the head of a giraffe, on which 2 horns grow.
• Clouded leopards also belong to the cat family. They live in southeast Asia and represent a separate genus within the family.

The leopard is one of the most common wild cats on the planet. Today, there are 9 subspecies living in the wild, which is more than other feline species. At the same time, only one subspecies is in relatively no danger so far - the African one. All the rest are more or less at risk, and some are already on the verge of extinction.

Leopards can be found from South Africa to our Far East. If in East Africa it is quite easy to meet a leopard, then on the Arabian Peninsula, in Asia and in our Far East this is hardly possible.

So, below I present to your attention all representatives of the species.

African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus)

Let's start with the most common one. The ancestor of the leopard came to Africa from Asia, but it arose and developed into the modern leopard on the black continent about 500-800 thousand years ago. Later (about 300,000 years ago) it spread to Asia.

The size and weight of leopards depend on the geographic area of ​​their habitat and vary greatly. Individuals inhabiting forests are usually smaller and lighter, while those living in open areas are, on the contrary, larger than their forest counterparts.

The leopard is an excellent climber in trees, often settling there for a daytime rest or in ambush, and sometimes even catching monkeys in trees. However, the leopard mainly hunts on the ground. It sneaks up on prey within a jumping distance. Jumps on prey and strangles it.

In Africa, it lives both in the humid jungles of the central regions of the continent, and in the mountains, savannas and semi-deserts. The leopard avoids large deserts and arid areas without water and is therefore absent from the Sahara and the driest regions of Namibia.

Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)

This is the second largest subspecies. Today, according to rough estimates, there are about 11,000 individuals.

This is a large cat the size of the African subspecies. It differs from it in a more contrasting fur color, the general background of the fur is darker. The muzzle is wide, the ears are short.

Found in dry deciduous forests, tropical forests, and northern coniferous forests. In the mountains they rise to heights of up to 2,500 meters above sea level.

In the 1920s in Northern India, in the Rudraprayag district, a leopard killed 125 people in 8 years.

Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr)

This is an almost extinct subspecies. The last count was carried out more than 10 years ago and showed that there are no more than 200 individuals left in the wild, plus about 50 live in zoos.

It is the smallest subspecies of leopard. The weight of males is up to 30 kg, females - only up to 20 kg. This does not prevent the leopard from being a strong predator and hunting medium-sized prey: gazelles, Nubian ibex, for example.

Previously, it was widespread throughout the Middle East. Now the range has been greatly reduced, and in many regions it is on the verge of extinction.

Central Asian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica)

The largest of the leopards. It is also called “Caucasian” or “Persian”. One of two subspecies living in Russia. However, it was introduced into Russia artificially. Now scientists are trying to restore the population, which disappeared in the middle of the last century. This subspecies mainly lives in Iran, where there are about 800 individuals.

There are light and dark color types of this leopard.

In July 2016, three Central Asian leopards were released into a specially selected territory of the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve; they were raised and trained to live in the wild by specialists from the Reintroduction Center in Sochi. As scientists explained, the animals will become the founders of a new population of a species that was once practically extinct in the Russian Federation.

This is a truly significant historical event; for the first time in more than half a century, the Central Asian leopard has actually returned to the Caucasus.

Let us recall that the Sochi Center for Breeding and Rehabilitation of the Central Asian Leopard was opened in 2009 on the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation. To restore the population of animals included in the Red Book, five leopards were brought here from Iran and Portugal. All of them were born in the Sochi Center, built back in 2009. Here the predators underwent special training for independent life.

North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis)

From the name it is clear that the habitat of this subspecies is northern China, where about 1000-1200 individuals live.

The leopard's spots are more reminiscent of the jaguar's, and its fur is one of the longest of all leopard subspecies.

Far Eastern leopard (Panther pardus orientalis)

This the rarest subspecies of leopard. There are about 50-60 individuals left in the wild. The main part lives in Russia in the Land of the Leopard Nature Reserve.

In size, it is average among leopards and is the northernmost subspecies of leopard. Due to this, it has the longest and thickest fur of all subspecies.

The rarest, most elusive and mysterious predator on the planet. Its numbers are so small that the likelihood of encountering it in the wild can be equated to the chance of encountering Bigfoot or space aliens.

Indochinese leopard (Panther pardus delacouri)

This is a subspecies found in southern China. Last year, scientists calculated their approximate number and found that there were no more than 1,000 individuals left.

Javan leopard (Panther pardus melas)

It lives on the Indonesian island of Java and is on the verge of extinction. Today the population does not exceed 250 adult individuals.

The species is able to thrive in various ecological niches from mountainous areas to tropical forests, which was recorded by scientists in the 1990s. The species is threatened by a reduction in food supply and habitat due to deforestation and agricultural use of new lands, as well as conflicts with local residents. Java is one of the world's most populous islands, home to 59% of Indonesia's population and a population density higher than that of other island nations. 90% of the vegetation on Java has already been destroyed, and primary forests are preserved only in mountainous areas, so there is less and less space for leopards on the island.

Ceylon leopard (Panther pardus kotiya)

Lives only on the island of Sri Lanka. Presumably there are no more than 800 individuals left.