Anatolian leopard, Caucasian leopard, Balochistan leopard, Asia Minor leopard
The Persian leopard is a leopard subspecies native to Western and Central Asia. Since 2016, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the wild population is estimated at less than 1000 mature individuals.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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Apex predatorAn apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain and has no natural predators. These animals usually occup...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withPersian leopards have grayish, slightly reddish fur with large rosettes on the flanks and back, smaller ones on the shoulder and upper legs, and spots on the head and neck. They vary in coloration; in Iran, both pale and dark individuals occur.
Persian leopards are found in the Iranian Plateau and surrounding areas encompassing Turkey, the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and possibly Pakistan. In the Greater Caucasus leopards inhabit subalpine meadows, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and rugged ravines; and in the Lesser Caucasus and Iran, they prefer rocky slopes, mountain steppes, and sparse juniper forests. They avoid areas with long-duration snow cover and areas near urban development.
Little is known about the behavior of Persian leopards. In general, these animals are solitary. Moreover, when leopards accidentally encounter each other, they can engage in a fight. Usually, the animal emits a rasping or sawing cough, in order 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. In order 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.
Persian leopards are carnivores and their diet varies depending on their habitat. In southern Armenia and Iran, they prey mostly on wild goats, mouflons, wild boars, Roe deer, Goitered gazelle, Indian crested porcupines, and European hares. They occasionally attack livestock and herding dogs. In Iran, the presence of leopards is highly correlated with the presence of wild goats and wild sheep. In Turkey, they also prey on chamois.
Information about the reproductive behavior of Persian leopards is scarce; however, it is known that their mating season lasts from mid-January to mid-February. Generally, leopards have a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system, where both males and females mate with several mates. 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.
Persian leopards are threatened by poaching, depletion of prey base due to poaching, and human disturbance such as the presence of military and training of troops in border areas. They also suffer from habitat loss due to deforestation, fire, agricultural expansion, overgrazing, and infrastructure development. In the 1980s, anti-personnel mines were deployed along the northern part of the Iran-Iraq border to deter people from entering the area. Leopards roaming the area are safe from poachers and industrial development, but at least two individuals are known to have stepped on mines and been killed. The main threat in northern Iraq is deforestation, which in the early 2020s is being worsened by an economic crisis. Droughts in wide areas of leopard habitats affected the main prey species such as wild goats and wild sheep.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Persian leopard is 800-1,000 individuals. Currently, it is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and the number of leopards today is decreasing.
Leopards play a very important role in their native ecosystem because they control the numbers and health of the populations of their prey species.