In China and southern Siberia, leopards mainly breed in January and February. Females are in estrus for 7 days and have a 46 day long cycle. Gestation last 96 days and females usually give birth once every 15 to 24 months. Typically, females stop reproducing around 8. Friedman and Case, ; Macaskill, Leopard cubs weigh less than 1 kg at birth, and their eyes remain closed for the first week. Mothers leave their cubs in the protection of dense bush, rock clefts, or hollow tree trunks for up to 36 hours while hunting and feeding.
They move den sites frequently, which helps prevent cubs from falling prey to lions and other predators. Cubs learn to walk at 2 weeks of age and regularly leave the den at 6 to 8 weeks old, around which time they begin to eat solid food.
Mothers share less than a third of their food with their cubs. Cubs are completely weaned by 3 months old and independent at just under 20 months old. Often, siblings maintain contact during the early years of independence. Territories are flexible and young may linger in their natal area. Hunter and Hinde, ; Macaskill, ; Stander, et al. In captivity, leopards can live to be 21 to 23 years old, with the oldest known individual being 27 years old.
Wild leopards may live to be 10 to 12 years old, with the oldest known individual being 17 years old. Guggisberg, ; Hunter and Hinde, Leopards are solitary, nocturnal carnivores. Although they sometimes hunt during overcast days, they are less diurnal in areas close to humans in comparison to uninhabited areas.
They mark their territory with urine, feces, and claw marks and communicate with conspecifics by growling, roaring, and spitting when aggravated and purring when content. They also make a rasping cough to advertise their presence to conspecifics. Leopards are most comfortable in the lower forest canopy, where they often feed, and descend from the canopy head-first.
They are comfortable in water and are adequate swimmers. When hunting, leopards move with a slow, crouching walk. Leopards are facultative drinkers and obtain much of their water requirements from ingested prey. Leopard's have advanced vision and hearing, which makes them especially adept at hunting in dense forests. Similar to other mammalian species, the home ranges of male's are larger and tend to overlap with those of multiple females.
Home ranges tend to be larger in arid conditions. Although leopards are silent most of the time, they may give a hoarse, rasping cough at repeated intervals to advertise their presence to conspecifics. Males use this unique call to announce territorial boundaries. If another leopard is in the vicinity, it may answer with a similar vocalization and continue vocalizing as it exits the area.
Males also grunt at each other and females call to potential mates when in estrous. Some leopards may purr while feeding. Leopards are ambush predators, pouncing on their prey before it chance to react.
They approach potential prey by crouching low to the ground, getting as close as 3 to 10 m to prey before pouncing. Leopards are not likely to chase prey after the first pounce. Once a prey item is captured, they immediately break the prey's neck, causing paralysis. After breaking the prey's neck, leopards asphyxiate them and carry the carcass to a secluded feeding location, typically in a nearby tree.
They may also cover prey carcasses in leaves and soil. Their tremendous strength allows them to tackle prey up to 10 times their own weight. Leopards generally prey upon mid-sized ungulates, which includes small antelopes Bovidae , gazelles Gazella , deer Cervidae , pigs Sus , primates Primates and domestic livestock. They are opportunistic carnivores and eat birds Aves , reptiles Reptilia , rodents Rodentia , arthropods Arthropoda , and carrion when available.
Leopards prefer prey that weigh between 10 and 40 kg. They are also known to scavenge from cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus , solitary hyenas Hyaenidae , and smaller carnivores as well. They are known to cache food and may continue hunting despite having multiple carcasses already cached. Humans are the primary predator of leopards. Leopards are hunted as trophy animals for their fur, and retaliatory killings by farmers protecting their livestock are not uncommon.
Lions Panthera leo , tigers Panthera tigris , spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta , and African wild dogs Lycaon pictus prey upon leopard cubs and are capable of killing adult leopards. Typically, when an adult is killed it is due to a territorial confrontation. Many of the characteristics that make leopards great predators also serve as excellent predator defense mechanisms.
For example, a leopard's spots allows them to travel inconspicuously and avoid detection. Leopards compete for food with lions Panthera leo , tigers Panthera tigris , spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta , and African wild dogs Lycaon pictus.
To avoid attacks from potential predators, leopards tend to hunt at different times of the day and avoid areas where potential predators are most populous. When competition for larger prey items is high, leopards prey on smaller animals, which reduces interspecific competition.
Leopards are host to many common felid parasites, including lung flukes Paragominus westermani , flat worms Pseudophyllidea , spirurian nematodes Spiruroidea , hookworms Ancylostomatidae , lung worms Aelurostrongylus , intestinal and hepatic parasites Capillaria , and parasitic protozoa Sarcocystis. Friedman and Case, ; Macaskill, ; Patton and Rabinowitz, Leopards can be seen in National Parks throughout Asia and Africa. They help control baboon populations and disperse seeds that stick to their fur.
Chiefs and warriors from tribal cultures throughout the leopard's geographic range wear their fur as a symbol of honor and courage. Tribal medicine men and women suggest leopard skins as a remedy for bad omens. You'll also need to remember:. To mimic your leopard gecko's natural environment, you'll need to provide hiding places and low, sturdy branches or rocks for climbing. The floor covering, known as the substrate, also needs to be natural to minimise the risk of impaction - a potentially fatal issue where particles become lodged inside your gecko's belly and cause a blockage.
Never use 'caci-sand' or beech wood chips, as your leopard gecko can't safely eat these. Read more about set-up and vivariums in our leopard gecko care sheet. Leopard geckos eat a diet of live insects, which can include crickets, 'calci worms', waxworms and small locusts no bigger than the size of your gecko's head.
You'll also need to provide fresh vegetables and clean water to keep these insects hydrated. You should feed young geckos every day and adults every other day. You'll need to top up your gecko's nutrients with supplements, too. Ask your vet for advice on the best ones to give your pet. Read more about feeding, supplements and hydration in our leopard gecko care sheet.
Information on keeping a non-domestic animal as a pet, plus care sheets for more common species. We have concerns about the trade and keeping of wild animals as pets, known as 'exotic' pets. Donate now. Learn how we're protecting Africa's species each and every day so we never have to live in a world without elephants, rhinos, and other precious wildlife. Breadcrumb Wildlife Conservation Leopard. What are leopards? Scientific name. Panthera pardus. Life span. Average 10 to 12 years in the wild.
Up to 23 years in captivity. Listed as 'vulnerable' in. There are. Native to more than. African countries. Leopards can be a nuisance to locals. Solutions Our solutions to conserving the leopard:.
Community Empowerment. Work with communities that live near leopards:. Behaviors They are strong climbers. Leopards like their space.
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