Indochinese Leopard
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Panthera pardus delacouri
Population size
Bnelow 2,500
Life Span
10-20 years
Top speed
58
36
km/hmph
km/h mph 

The Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) is a leopard subspecies. In Indochina, leopards are rare outside protected areas and threatened by habitat loss as well as poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. The historical range of these animals has decreased by more than 90%.

Appearance

The skin of the Indochinese leopard was described as almost rusty-red in ground color but paler at the sides. It had small rosettes that were mostly 3.8 cm × 3.8 cm (1.5 in × 1.5 in) in diameter and so closely set that it looked dark. The fur was short with less than 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long hair on the back. Records from camera trapping studies conducted at 22 locations in southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia between 1996 and 2009 show that Indochinese leopards recorded north of the Kra Isthmus are predominantly spotted. South of the Isthmus, only melanistic leopards were recorded. Melanism is quite common in dense tropical forest habitats, and black leopards are thought to have a selective advantage for an ambush.

Distribution

Geography

Indochinese leopards occur in Southeast Asia, where today small populations remain only in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and southern China. In Laos, Vietnam, and Singapore they are suspected to have been extirpated. Peninsular Malaysia and the Northern Tenasserim Forest Complex on the Thailand-Myanmar border are at present considered strongholds, and eastern Cambodia is a priority site. Indochinese leopards inhabit lowland tropical rainforests, evergreen mountain forests, and dry evergreen and mixed deciduous forests with flat slopes near water courses. In southern China, these leopards are found in Changqing National Nature Reserve in the Qinling Mountains where they inhabit the temperate mixed forest.

Indochinese Leopard habitat map

Climate zones

Indochinese Leopard habitat map
Indochinese Leopard
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Habits and Lifestyle

Little is known about the behavior of Indochinese leopards. In general, these leopards are solitary and avoid other leopards. When they accidentally encounter each other, they can engage in a fight. Usually, the animal emits a rasping or sawing cough, to inform other leopards of its presence. Home ranges of leopards usually overlap with each other. Thus, the home range of a male leopard can often overlap with the territories of multiple females. Females live with their cubs in home ranges that overlap extensively and continue to interact with their offspring even after weaning; females may even share kills with their offspring when they can not obtain any prey. Leopards are active mainly from dusk till dawn and rest for most of the day and for some hours at night in thickets, among rocks, or over tree branches. In some regions, they are nocturnal. Leopards usually hunt on the ground and depend mainly on their acute senses of hearing and vision for hunting. They stalk their prey and try to approach it as closely as possible, typically within 5 m (16 ft) of the target, and, finally, pounce on it and kill it by suffocation. Leopards produce a number of vocalizations, including growls, snarls, meows, and purrs. Cubs call their mother with an 'urr-urr' sound. To warn intruders, leopards usually scratch trees, leaving claw marks. In addition, due to having a highly developed sense of smell, they often use scent marks.

Group name
Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Indochinese leopards are carnivores. Within their native range, they hunt mainly Indian muntjac, Wild boar, Long-tailed goral, Dusky leaf monkey, Malayan porcupine, Indian hog deer, Red muntjac, Malayan porcupine, gaur, and Lesser mouse deer.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
year-round
PREGNANCY DURATION
90-105 days
BABY CARRYING
2-4 cubs
INDEPENDENT AGE
18-24 months
FEMALE NAME
leopardess
MALE NAME
leopard
BABY NAME
cub

Information about the reproductive behavior of Indochinese leopards is scarce. As a whole, leopards are polygynandrous (promiscuous) and both males and females mate with several mates. They breed throughout the year. The gestation period lasts for 90-105 days, yielding from 2 to 4 cubs. Females give birth in a cave, crevice among boulders, hollow trees, or thicket. Cubs are born with closed eyes, which open 4 to 9 days after birth. Being extremely vulnerable in the wild, the cubs remain hidden, living in a secluded place, covered with dense vegetation. By the age of 6-8 weeks, the young attain their dark, woolly coat, covered with blurry patches, which serves young leopards as camouflage, allowing them to follow their mother around. Reaching the age of 3 months, the cubs are weaned, accompanying their mother on a hunt. On the whole, they remain with their mother for 18-24 months, after which they leave to find their own territories. Young leopards start breeding when they are between 2 and 3 years old.

Population

Population threats

Indochinese leopards are threatened by habitat destruction following large-scale deforestation, and prey depletion through illegal hunting. An increasingly growing threat to these animals is hunting for the illegal wildlife trade; leopards are increasingly being used as substitutes for tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine, with the price of leopard parts rising as tiger parts become scarce.

Population number

According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Indochinese leopard is less than 2,500 individuals for all of Southeast Asia. Currently, this subspecies is potentially classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List due to a small declining population.

Ecological niche

Leopards are top predators of their habitat and play a very important role in their native ecosystem. Due to their diet habits, these animals control the numbers and health of the populations of wild ungulate species.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Indochinese leopard Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochinese_leopard
2. Indochinese leopard on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/124159083/163986056

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