Panthera pardus kotiya
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The Sri Lankan leopard (''Panthera pardus kotiya'') is a
leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
native to
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. It was first described in 1956 by Sri Lankan zoologist Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala. Since 2020, the Sri Lankan leopard has been listed as
Vulnerable Vulnerable may refer to: General * Vulnerability * Vulnerability (computing) * Vulnerable adult * Vulnerable species Music Albums * ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997 * ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003 * ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...
on the IUCN Red List, as the population is estimated at less than 800 mature individuals, and is probably declining.


Characteristics

The Sri Lankan leopard has a tawny or rusty yellow coat with dark spots and close-set rosettes. Seven females measured in the early 20th century averaged a weight of and had a mean head-to-body-length of with a long tail, the largest being with a long tail; 11 males averaged , the largest being , and measured with a long tail, the largest being with a long tail. The Sri Lankan leopard has possibly evolved to become a rather large leopard subspecies, because it is the apex predator in the country. Large males have been suggested to reach almost , but evidence for this is lacking. Melanistic leopards are rare. Few records exist, including from Mawuldeniya, Pitadeniya, and Nallathanniya. In October 2019, the Department of Wildlife Conservation recorded live footage of a melanistic individual for the first time, a male.


Distribution and habitat

The Sri Lankan leopard is still found in all habitats throughout the island in both protected and unprotected areas. These habitat types can be broadly categorised into: *Arid zone with < rainfall *Dry zone with rainfall *Wet zone with > rainfall In Sri Lanka's central hills, leopards have been recorded in forest patches,
tea estate Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
s, grasslands, home gardens, and pine and eucalyptus plantations.


Ecology and behaviour

In Yala National Park, the Sri Lankan leopard as in other locations, is a solitary hunter, with the exception of females with young. Male's ranges typically overlap the smaller ranges of several females, as well as portions of the ranges of neighboring males, although exclusive core areas are apparent. They are more active and prefer hunting at night, but are also somewhat active during dawn, dusk, and daytime hours. They rarely haul their kills into trees, which is likely due to the lack of intraguild competition and the relative abundance of prey. In 2001 to 2002, adult resident leopard density was estimated at 12.1 mature individuals and 21.7 individuals of all ages per in Block I of Yala National Park. The Sri Lankan leopard hunts by silently stalking its prey, until it is within striking distance, when it unleashes a burst of speed to quickly pursue and pounce on its victim. The prey is usually dispatched with a single bite to the throat. Like most
cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
, it is pragmatic in its choice of diet, which can include small mammals,
birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
, and
reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsid, sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, Squamata, squamates (lizar ...
, as well as larger animals.
Sri Lankan axis deer The Sri Lankan axis deer (''Axis axis ceylonensis'') or Ceylon spotted deer is a subspecies of axis deer (''Axis axis'') that inhabits only Sri Lanka. The name chital is not used in Sri Lanka. Its validity is disputed, and some maintain that th ...
make up the majority of its diet in the dry zone. The animal also preys on sambar, barking deer, wild boar, and
monkeys Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
. No birth season or peak is apparent, with births occur across the year. Its lifespan ranges from 12 to 15 years in the wild, and up to 22 years in captivity. The leopard is
sympatric In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...
with the Sri Lankan sloth bear.


Threats

The survival of the Sri Lankan leopard is primarily threatened by increasing habitat loss and fragmentation, together with an increasing risk of human-induced mortality. Leopards are killed by people either accidentally in wire snares set for other species, or as retaliation after livestock depredation (usually through poisoning the livestock carcass). They are also occasionally shot. Since 2010, over 90 leopards are known to have been killed by people in Sri Lanka. Three individuals were killed by snare traps in the Sinharaja conservation area, one of which is stuffed and displayed at the Giritale Wildlife Museum. In May 2020, the melanistic leopard filmed in 2019 was found caught in a snare at the Lakshapana Estate in Nallathanniya, Hatton. Later, it was transported to Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawa for treatment, where it died. The snare had heavily injured its neck. Even in large, contiguous protected areas, human encroachment in the border areas is impacting leopard distribution and reducing the effective size of these protected areas.


Conservation

Ongoing research into the Sri Lankan leopard is needed to ensure that conservation measures are targeted and effective. The Leopard Project under the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), founded by Anjali Watson, and Dr. Andrew Kittle is working closely with the
Government of Sri Lanka The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජය, Śrī Lankā Rajaya; ta, இலங்கை அரசாங்கம்) is a parliamentary system determined by the Sri Lankan Constitution. It administers the is ...
to ensure this occurs. The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society will also undertake some studies. The WWCT is engaged throughout the island with targeted work ongoing in the central hills region where fragmentation of the leopard's habitat is rapidly occurring.


In captivity

As of December 2011, 75 captive Sri Lankan leopards were in zoos worldwide. Within the European Endangered Species Programme, 27 male, 29 female and 8 unsexed individuals are kept.


Local names

The leopard is colloquially known as ''kotiyā'' ( si, දිවියා) and ''chiruthai'' ( ta, சிறுத்தை). ''Panthera pardus kotiya'' is the ''kotiyā'' proper.


See also

* Leopard subspecies *
Chinese leopard The term Chinese leopard refers to any of the following three leopard (''Panthera pardus'') subspecies occurring in China: *Indian leopard (''P. p. fusca'') in southern Tibet, where leopards have been recorded in Qomolangma National Nature Preserve. ...
*
Zanzibar leopard The Zanzibar leopard is an African leopard (''Panthera pardus pardus'') population on Unguja Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, Tanzania, that is considered extirpated due to persecution by local hunters and loss of habitat. It was the island's ...


References


External links

* * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q475046 Leopards Endemic fauna of Sri Lanka Mammals of Sri Lanka Endangered fauna of Asia Apex predators