Far Eastern Amur leopard description in English. Far Eastern leopard or Amur leopard

Far Eastern leopard or whatever he is called Amur leopard, is the rarest representative of the subspecies.

They remained in the southwest of Primorsky Krai.

The first ancestor of the leopard appeared over 3.5 million years ago.

Habitat

These large spotted predators chose mountainous areas with deciduous forests and taiga areas in:

• Far East;
• Korea;
• Northeast China.

Appearance

Far Eastern leopards have a slender, flexible, elongated body, a rounded head and slender, very strong legs. The average body length of these predators is from 100 to 135 centimeters. These feline representatives long tail, reaching a length of up to 90 cm.

Amur leopard in winter photo

Male Amur leopards weigh on average from 32 to 48 kg. Females weigh much less than males - from 25 to 43 kg. The fur of these predators is thick, long and soft. IN winter period the fur is much longer than in summer. On the belly, the fur is longer than on the back of the animal.

Coloring of Far Eastern leopards:

• animal skin of a pale yellow hue;
• paw pads, belly and chest are lighter in color than the body color;
• the skin is decorated with black spots;
• on the sides and back, the spots are closely pressed against each other, and between them there are pieces of yellowish-red color.

In winter, the coat color of the Amur leopard is light, reddish-yellow. But in summer period the wool is dyed in brighter and richer colors. The blue-green color of the eyes of leopards is considered their distinctive feature.

Lifestyle. Nutrition

Far Eastern leopard leading alone night look life. Males meet with female representatives only during the mating season. However, there are cases that after mating the male remains with his female and helps her in raising the babies.

Far Eastern leopards photo

Hearing and vision are well developed, as befits all representatives of the cat family. The claws and teeth are sharp and strong. Each individual has its own territory, quite extensive; the territory of females is 4 times smaller than that of males.

The diet of the Far Eastern leopard consists of: sika deer; raccoon dog; roe deer; badgers; hares. It hunts by sitting in ambush, hiding in tall grass or in the crown of trees. Then he makes a jump; if the victim runs away, he does not pursue her.

Amur leopard in the forest photo

Unfortunately, these giant cats involuntarily change their habitats due to the inability to provide themselves with the necessary amount of food. Amur leopards often die from poachers and starvation. Due to its beautiful spotted fur, the Far Eastern leopard is constantly subject to illegal hunting.

Reproduction

The mating season for these cats usually falls in January. The female carries kittens for 3 months. A pregnant female is looking for a suitable den: a crevice between stones; depression in the ground; cave. In spring, kittens are born.

Usually there are 2-3 cubs in a litter, the weight of one kitten is about 500 grams. They are born blind, but the babies' skin is already covered with spots. The eyes open after a week. In two months they will come out of hiding for the first time.

Amur leopard with kitten photo

They get acquainted with the world around them and the smells. They follow their mother and learn survival and hunting skills. Mothers feed on milk for 5 months, and receive meat supplements at the age of 6 weeks. Young leopards live with their mother for 2 years. At the age of 3 years they enter puberty.

• Each representative of this species has its own unique spotted pattern. Thanks to this fact, scientists can distinguish between these predators.
• Leopards hear 5 times better than people.
• On tall tree these cats can drag prey up to 3 times their own weight.
• Far Eastern leopards do not drink often because they only get enough liquid from their food.
• If a person appears in the leopard’s territory, the predator leaves this territory forever.
• Because the Far Eastern leopard is a very rare animal (the number of which is approximately 35 individuals), and this animal is protected and listed in the Red Book.

Lifespan

IN wildlife The Far Eastern leopard lives 10 - 12 years.

• Class - Mammals
• Squad - Predatory
• Family - Felines
• Rod - Panthers
• Species - Leopard
• Subspecies - Far Eastern leopard

Although a rare subspecies of leopards can be found in the Far East of our country, as well as in northern China. This subspecies is called Far Eastern Amur leopard. It is also known as the Amur leopard.

This predator was listed in the Red Book. It belongs to a subspecies that is on the verge of extinction. The population of the Far Eastern leopard today is in critical condition.

At the same time, the fact that the Amur tiger - its famous “cousin” - has increased its population size gives hope for the preservation of this subspecies. There is an opinion that the Amur leopard, the photo of which is presented in this article, can be saved through the implementation of various environmental projects.

Description of the breed

This leopard has many distinctive features from other felines. In summer, the wool reaches 2.5 centimeters in length, and in winter it is replaced by 7 centimeters. In cold weather, the Amur leopard has a light coat color with a reddish-yellow tint, while in summer richer and brighter colors predominate.

The Far Eastern Amur leopard (photos of the animal are presented in this article) has long legs that allow it to walk freely in the snow. At the same time, the weight of males reaches 48 kg, although there are also larger representatives of the breed - 60 kg. Females weigh up to 43 kg.

Habitat

At the beginning of the 20th century, the leopard was found in the south of Sikhote-Alin, as well as in the southwestern part, although in recent years he was not reliably noted there. Currently, the Amur leopard lives in the mountain forest areas of the southwestern part of the Primorsky Territory, where it has a clear preference for pine-black fir-broad-leaved forests. It is less willing to colonize especially pyrogenic oak forests, the area of ​​which is increasing due to annual fires.

This representative of the cat family selects territories with steep slopes of hills, rugged terrain, watersheds and rocky outcrops. Its range has now been reduced to a critical size and covers only a limited mountain forest area of ​​15 thousand km² (in Primorye, from the Razdolnaya River, as well as on the border with the DPRK and the PRC).

Historical distribution

Today, the distribution of the subspecies has been reduced to a small fraction of its historical original range. Initially, the Far Eastern leopard lived throughout the northeastern part of Manchuria, in the provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, including, in addition, on the Korean Peninsula.

and reproduction

The Amur leopard puberty occurs at the age of 3 years. In the wild, life expectancy is about 15 years, while in captivity it is 20 years. The Amur leopard mating season falls in the spring. A litter includes 1-4 cubs. At the age of three months, they are weaned, while the cubs gain independence at 1.5 years, leaving their mother to later lead a solitary life.

Social structure

The Amur leopard (pictures of it are presented in this article) prefers a solitary nocturnal lifestyle. But some males may stay with their females after mating and also help raise the young. It often happens that several males simultaneously pursue one female and also fight for the opportunity to mate with her.

Nutrition

The basis of its diet consists of roe deer, raccoon dogs, hares, small wild boars, badgers, and sika deer.

Main threats

The Far Eastern Amur leopard lost more than 80% of its habitat between 1970 and 1983. The main reasons turned out to be fires, the forestry industry, and the transformation of land for agriculture. But all is not lost. Currently, there are forest areas suitable for animals to live in. It is possible to protect territories from the harmful influence of humans, in addition, to increase the population size.

Lack of loot

It should be noted that in China there are vast areas of suitable habitat, but the level of food supply here is insufficient to maintain the population at the required level. The volume of production may increase due to the regulation of forest use by the population, as well as the adoption of measures to protect ungulates. To survive, the Far Eastern leopard needs to repopulate its original habitat.

Illegal trade and poaching

The Amur leopard is constantly hunted illegally because of its spotted and beautiful fur. In 1999, an undercover investigation team conducted an experiment: they were able to recreate the skin of a male and female Far Eastern leopard, after which they sold it for $500 and $1000.

This experiment demonstrates that there are illegal markets for such products and they are located near animal habitats. Villages and agriculture surrounded by forests where these animals live. This creates accessibility to forests, and poaching is a more serious problem here than in regions remote from people. This circumstance applies to both leopards and other animals that are destroyed for money and food.

Conflict with a person

It should be noted that the Amur leopard (photos of the animal are admired for its beauty) is especially vulnerable, since part of its diet consists of deer. The human contribution to the overall decline in the number of deer, due to the value of its antlers, prevents the leopard from obtaining sufficient food.

Due to the decline in deer populations, leopards often enter reindeer herding farms in search of food. The owners of these lands often kill animals to protect their investments.

Inbreeding

The Amur leopard is also in danger of extinction due to its small population, which makes it vulnerable to a variety of disasters, including diseases, forest fires, changes in mortality and fertility rates, sex ratios, inbreeding depression. It should be noted that in nature there were also observed family ties This means that this can lead to various genetic problems, including a decrease in fertility.

Similar matings occur in certain populations of large cats, although outbreeding is not allowed in small populations. Studies have demonstrated that the average number of offspring of an adult female has decreased significantly.

Unfortunately, at the present moment the situation with the Amur leopard can be considered truly catastrophic - for example, over the past twenty years, its habitat area in our country has almost halved, while its number has decreased several dozen times. Due to this, the Amur leopard is protected today.

She classified the animal in the first category as a rare animal, which is on the verge of extinction, with a very limited range, whose main population is located within our country. At the same time, the leopard was included in the Appendix of the First CITES Convention and in the Red Book of the Union for Conservation of Nature.

The leopard is a colorful, graceful, incredibly majestic and cunning cat. This is a fast and careful animal. Has a strong, muscular, strong body. Has excellent vision, sees perfectly in different times days. The leopard's main weapon: very sharp claws and teeth that feed it. The animal’s body length reaches 80-180 cm, and its weight is 50 kg (female) and 70 kg (male). The main advantage: elegant fur that easily hides the predator, making it invisible to the prey. Today, leopards are listed in the Red Book as an endangered species.

They feed mainly on roe deer, antelope and zebra, although they can also eat rodents, monkeys or birds in times of famine. Leopard is an incredibly skillful fisherman! Leads a solitary lifestyle, peak activity occurs at night.

Of all the cats, the leopard is the best athlete. He is excellent at climbing trees and mountains, and easily overcomes high barriers. The duration of pregnancy is 3 months. On average, three beautiful kittens are born, which are fully cared for by the leopard mother. The lifespan of leopards is 10-11 years.

Leopards are very valuable in the fur market due to their delicate skin. Every hunter dreams of having a leopard trophy. Unfortunately, people very often persecute these predators as dangerous animals, which has led to a significant reduction in their numbers. The leopard is indispensable for nature: it inhibits the proliferation of pests such as monkeys.

Far Eastern leopard ( Panthera pardus orientalis) is considered the rarest cat in the world. Previously, it was assumed that leopards form up to 35 subspecies, which differ in color and location of spots. But recently scientists have shown that only 8-9 can be considered sufficiently isolated. All leopard species are under the auspices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The black panther is not a separate species, but just a leopard or jaguar with dark coloring. We have not seen black pumas alive, but it is possible that they exist.

The snow leopard or snow leopard lives in the mountains of central Asia.

Film: "The Challengers."

The Amur leopard or leopard is the rarest breed of leopard and the rarest cat found in the wild. In total, no more than 40 individuals of this breed remain in nature, and several specimens are kept in zoos, but due to their close relationship, they practically cannot reproduce. Interesting facts about the Amur leopard

The average body length of a leopard is about 120 cm; however, it can reach up to 140 cm. Leopards have a very long tail, the length of which can reach 1 m.

The average weight of a female is 40 kg, average weight male - 50kg.

The fur on the belly of leopards is 3-4 cm longer than in other places, which allows it to easily carry cold weather and lie on the snow and cold stones.

Average life expectancy in the wild is 12-15 years, in captivity up to 20 years (record 21 years)

The halo territory of one male is on average 5 times larger than that of females and can reach 500 sq. km. Leopards very zealously protect their territory from other individuals of their species, unlike Ussuri tigers, and conflicts over territories and leopards are particularly brutal, even resulting in death.

Strange as it may seem, the main reason for the disappearance is not man’s hunting of the leopard, but its destruction natural environment habitat. One leopard needs a lot of food to feed itself. And for example in North Korea There are no suitable areas left for the Amur Leopard to live in, and leopards often die from starvation.

Leopards are polygamous; one male can care for several females at the same time.

Over the past 50 years, there have been no recorded cases of attacks on humans (possibly due to its low population)

The only place where this species of leopard breeds is the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve. On at the moment up to 8 individuals constantly live in the reserve, which regularly bear offspring and continue to live outside the reserve. Moreover, if animals settle near the reserve, they are practically doomed to death due to the lack of sufficient food supply.

China carries the death penalty for killing an Amur leopard

The basis of its diet is ungulates - Siberian roe deer and sika deer, but sometimes the leopard can also feast on small animals, such as a raccoon dog, a badger or a hare. This will not be difficult for him, since this animal has perfectly developed hearing and vision. A leopard is able to detect very high sounds - with a frequency of up to 80 kilohertz (while a person hears only sounds with a frequency of up to 20 kilohertz). The spotted cat prefers to hunt at night, although sometimes it pursues prey during the day.

Interestingly, despite their predatory nature, leopards do not attack livestock that may wander into their territory. However, you should not come to the reserve with your pets: caretakers warn that these cats actively attack stray dogs.

It is worth noting that Far Eastern leopards are very peaceful, and throughout history there has not been a single case of a predator attacking a person. And young individuals, when meeting a person by chance, are in no hurry to run away, studying him with interest.

The spotted color of each predator is unique, like human fingerprints - scientists use it to distinguish these cats from each other. A motley (or camouflage) pattern covers the entire body; there are single spots on the head and paws, and on the sides, back and tail they form rings, so-called rosettes.

In general, these cats prefer to live alone. Each leopard has its own territory, through which the predator regularly moves to leave its marks. The only exceptions are females raising offspring. They live with their kittens until they reach adulthood, teaching them hunting and other useful skills for independent living.

Far Eastern leopards differ from their southern counterparts only in their thicker fur, since they have to face harsher weather conditions. This is not surprising, because the habitat of these predators is in the southwest of Primorsky Krai and on the Russian border with China.

The area in which they live wild cats, dictates its conditions: forests and mountainous terrain Far East force the leopard to be very mobile and dexterous. The spotted predator can jump to a height of at least 5 meters to drag its prey up a tree, the weight of which can be twice its own.

Toshiji Fukuda: Amur tiger more careful than a leopardJapanese wildlife photographer Toshiji Fukuda, in an interview with the Far Eastern Leopards ANO, spoke about his first meeting with the Far Eastern leopard, why it is more difficult to photograph a tiger, and about his future project.

Leopards move with ease not only through trees. Territories with rugged terrain, hills with steep rocky slopes are their native element, so these cats can be considered natural climbers.

Historically, leopards also lived on the Korean Peninsula, in the eastern provinces of China and the southern part of Sikhote-Alin (Primorsky Krai). The reason for the decrease in the population of spotted predators was the destruction of habitats, a reduction in food supply, poaching and the development of infrastructure in the region. Currently, these cats are the rarest subspecies of leopard, with about 80 individuals living in the wild and more than 200 predators in zoos around the world.

The restoration of the Far Eastern leopard population in Russia began in 2011, it was then that an autonomous non-profit organization Far Eastern Leopards, whose supervisory board is headed by Sergei Ivanov, special representative of the president Russian Federation on environmental issues, ecology and transport.

The main goal of the Far Eastern Leopards ANO is the study, conservation and restoration of the spotted population. In 2012, by decree of the government of the Russian Federation, it was formed in Primorye. And in 2013, an amendment was made to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, providing for criminal punishment for illegal hunting, keeping, transportation and sale of especially valuable wild animals, including the Far Eastern leopard.

Concern for the conservation of the leopard is shown both in Russia and abroad. In the Red Book of the Russian Federation, it belongs to category I as a rare, critically endangered subspecies with an extremely limited range, the main population of which is located within Russia. The Far Eastern leopard is also included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Species wild fauna and endangered flora (CITES). Leopard hunting has been prohibited since 1956.