Leopard (feline)

(Jrt)

Leopard (feline)
Characteristics

The weight of the leopard (Panthera pardus) adult ranges from 35 to 80 kg and its length ranges from 90 cm to 1.60 m and 1.90 m up for the African sub-species. His height at between 50 and 70 cm and its tail can grow up to 100 cm, its tail using a pendulum when moving in the trees. Females are generally smaller than the male. Its longevity is a decade in nature while some panthers easily reach 20 years in captivity.

The leopard is a solitary animal exclusively except during the breeding season (about 15 days a year), the male and female bear during that short time to mate. The gestation period is three and a half months and females can save bottom 2 to 3 small.

Some leopards can be black and are then called "black panthers, but it is not a separate species and the same thing happens to other felines (cats, jaguars ...). This genetic mutation is called mélanisme. The fur retains its spots, but they are no longer visible in the hair. The panthers with this genetic mutation are mainly found in tropical forests of the island of Java and Sumatra and especially in Malaysia, where a two panther is black.

The body of the leopard conducive to climb trees: it has a powerful chest and legs well developed. The power of his shoulder blades assistance also to rise.

It eats into the trees, where it is safe from scavengers.

Two other feline species may also be called Leopard:

* The spotted leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) or clouded leopard living mainly from Nepal to the south of China, Borneo, Sumatra and Taiwan.
* The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) ounces or present in Pakistan, Afghanistan and in the Himalayas.

Diet
The leopard is an animal in its eclectic menu, it feeds prey-sized (antelopes, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeest juveniles ...), its diet includes monkeys (baboons, monkeys vervets, chimpanzees ...), as well as all kinds of small animals (rodents, rabbits, snakes, insects and even fish).

The leopard killed by strangulation or a bite to the neck, and suspended his victim in a tree beyond the reach of hyenas and lions.

The panther of China

Also called "Panther of Love" (named after a river of China, China of the panther (Panthera pardus orientalis) is on the brink of extinction.

Smaller than its African cousin, the panther survives today only in a small area along the border between China and Russia. She lives in the forests and rocky areas of Love and the Oussouri.

Unfortunately, the Chinese medicine attributes to his body of medicinal virtues, and as such, she is driven to oversimplify. She has lost 90% of its vital area due to deforestation.

According to the American and Russian scientists, that there would be 25 people living in the region, in 3 parks along the Amur.

One of the last individuals of the species was killed in mid-April 2007 in the nature reserve of Barsovy, leaving only 7 females alive.

The zoo (where 150 to 200 animals are identified in the 2000s) might be the last refuge of the sub-species in the near future, unless there is a hypothetical reintroduction.

The other sub-species
Here are some other sub-species, some of which are in danger of extinction (not exhaustive):

* Leopard Africa - panthera pardus pardus
* Leopard Arabia - Panthera pardus nimr
* Leopard Java - Panthera pardus meas
* Leopard Sri Lanka - Panthera pardus kotiya
* Indian Leopard - Panthera pardus fusca

The number of sub-species has been reduced to eight.

An animal discrete
Hard to observe, the leopard hidden lives. So much so that nobody can move reliable statistics on the actual level of the people. However, scientists agree that this nocturnal carnivore, powerful enough to climb onto a tree carcass of an antelope to make it safe from other predators, is not in danger. His hunting is regulated, and the fee for a trophy in Tanzania has risen from 2,500 to $ 12,000 since July 2007 government decision.

A hunter
The leopard, when tamed, is deemed effective for hunting.

Its main assets are a devastating acceleration associated with the element of surprise, it kills with frightening ease its prey, it is according to what some trainers the killer ideal.

This use of the leopard appears to date back to ancient times, legends in Persian mention (see article "Nimrod").

Eaters men
Although most of the leopards tend to avoid people, they can be an exceptionally prey. These are usually leopards wounded, sick or having no longer other prey; leopards can get in the habit of attacking humans. In the most extreme cases, in India, a leopard named to the leopard Rudrapayag reportedly killed more than 125 people, and similarly, a female leopard named Panar Leopard reportedly killed more than 400 people but was unable to hunt their prey usual following injury by a poacher. These two leopards were killed by the famous hunter Jim Corbett.

The leopard eaters men tend to be more reckless than the lions and tigers and, in particular, they often enter in dwellings of men. However, leopards remaining with small prey, they rarely resorted to human prey as lions and tigers.

Symbolic
In heraldry, the panther is a lion passing: the body is horizontal profile, and the head of the face (like a lion, which passes in front of the observer), the lion's body he was standing (it is said rampant) and the head profile.

Culture
The panther is present in African legends, instinctive symbol of evil that is stalking its prey maliciously.

In some Bantu tribes and especially in Zaire, the leopard was seen as an animal cunning, powerful and resilient. That is why President Mobutu wearing the toque and leopard certain attributes that made him powerful in the eyes of the population. It is now part of the coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is commonly called "Simba", which means lion in Kiswahili.

The panther pink cartoon character created in 1963 surrealist.

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