Indian Leopard

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Indian Leopard

Indian Leopard

Conservation status

Least Concern ^[1]

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Panthera
Species:	P. pardus
Subspecies:	P. p. fusca

The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is a subspecies of leopards native to the Indian subcontinent.

1 Habitat and Range
2 Biology/Behavior
3 Threats
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Habitat and Range

The Indian leopard is one of the most successful members of Indian big cats. The animal is distributed throughout the subcontinent, including in the border nations of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and southern China. Habitat varies from dry deciduous forests, desert ecosystems, tropical rainforests, northern coniferous forests, to near human habitation.

[edit] Biology/Behavior

The leopard is usually a solitary creature. Females live in territories of 10-30 square kilometers or more, which sometimes overlap. These such areas are defended in fights and are marked by urination on logs, branches, and tree trunks.

Females are sexually receptive for 3-7 week intervals and the period continues for a few days, in which mating is involved. These animals breed all year round. Normally a leopard gives birth to two cubs per litter, but occasionally 3 or 4. A female produces the first litter aged 2 and a half to 3 years. The cubs' eyes open between the fourth and eighth day after birth and are weaned at about four months of age. Mother usually cares for the young. She continues until her cubs are about 18-20 months old, during when she mates again.

The leopard's diet varies on all sorts of creatures from small animals, to larger quarry such as, monkeys, deer, and antelope. The animal silently stalks its prey, ending with a quick bite to the throat. It then stores its prey up in the tree to keep it safe from scavengers.

[edit] Threats

Despite being the most widespread cat, the Indian leopard has faced several types of threats. The animal shares its habitat with other predators, which include lions, tigers, bears, wolves, hyenas, and wild dogs. These animals would kill the cubs when given a chance. But in case of lions and tigers, it often results to a full-grown leopard falling prey. Apart from its natural enemies, the leopard's main threat are people. For years, it has been threatened, due to loss of habitat and poaching. In some parts of India, the animal thrives alongside people. There, it would go about searching for an easy meal of domestic livestock. Thus, resulting to a man-leopard conflict. This problem, however, is due to leopard's population growth during recent years. In order to prevent such havocs, the Forest Department sets up traps in the conflict area, or a town. After capturing the animal, they release it in an appropriate habitat faraway from humanity.