Persian Leopard
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| Panthera pardus saxicolor Pocock, 1927 |
The Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor), or Iranian leopard, is one of the leopard subspecies native to western Asia. It is endangered throughout its range in the Middle East.
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[edit] Description
The Persian leopard is said to be the largest of all the subspecies of leopards in the world. It can grow to up to 1.5 to 2.7 feet tall at the shoulder, and weigh as much as 155 lbs. Before 1990, when Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Turkmenistan were the Soviet republics, the scientific names of the leopard used in these countries were P.p. tulliana and P.p. ciscaucasica, whereas the name P.p. saxicolor had been traditionally used by the western specialists for the cats in Iran and, partially, Afghanistan. There are currently a few hundred left in the world.
[edit] Range and Habitat
It is found in Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and northwestern Afghanistan. Habitat varies from mountain steppe to grasslands, or anywhere having a reasonable amount of cover and a supply of prey. Unconfirmed reports of big cats in the far southeast of Turkey might also pertain to these animals; see the Caspian Tiger article for details.
[edit] Persian Leopard in Armenia
In Armenia, the Persian leopards live in the juniper sparse forests and, to a lesser extent, in arid and mountain grasslands, subalpine and alpine meadows. Their haunts are extremely rough and rocky places with plenty of cliffs. This predator uses the same trails during regular movements, so knowing where they are, the researcher can find the evidence of leopard existence such as scats, tracks and scrapes. The leopard in Armenia is threatened by disturbance, poaching, and wild fire, but which of these factors are most stressful for this cat is still unclear. The leopard can also be found in the Shikahogh State Preserve.
| “ | In Armenia, people and leopards co-exist since the early Holocene and by mid-20th century these big cats were relatively common in the country's mountains. In 1950-1970s, the local leopard population was rising and spreading northwards as shown by increase in the rates of the centrally planned skin purveyance and more skins coming from northern Armenia. [1] | ” |
[edit] Persian Leopard in Azerbaijan
The Persian leopard lives in the southern regions in Azerbaijan, primarily in the Talysh Mountains, Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhichevan. Despite occasional sightings, it was not clear whether leopards had been extinct in Azerbaijan by the late 1990s until a species was caught on camera in March 2007 in the Hirkan National Preserve.
[edit] Persian Leopard in Georgia
There are very few leopards left in the wild in Georgia. At present, they primarily live in dense forests, although several have been spotted in the lowland plains in the southeastern region of Kakheti in 2004[2]. Over the last 60 years, there have been several sightings of the leopard around the Tbilisi area and in the Shida Kartli province to the northwest of the capital.
[edit] Persian Leopard in Iran
Persian Leopard in Iran lives in mountainous ranges, from the border of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia all along the Caspian sea to Turkmenistan and western parts of Afghanistan, and along the Zagros range all the way to south of Iran. Persian Leopard in Iran is a wide spread mountainous species, but very scattered and threatened, although Iran is a mountainous country, but human settlements and activities has narrowed the Persian leopard life in Iran. Persian Leopard main prey in Iran is Bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus), Wild Sheep ( Ovis ammon spp), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Red Deer (Cervus elaphus maral), Persian Wild Ass (Eques hemionus onager) and domestic animals such as camels, goats, sheep and mostly dogs. Main threats to Persian Leopard survival in Iran are; high number of villages, human settlements and farm land in its corridors, poisoning, trapping and trophy hunting. Persian Leopard is flag specie and its presence shows the healthiness of the entire ecosystem and the area, although Persian Leopard is a top predator in most of the Iran's provinces, but only in the areas under protection of the Department of the Environment of Iran, may only be a chance for its survival in the long run.
[edit] Diet
A leopard's diet varies depending on where it thrives. The Persian leopard's diet varies from small mammals and birds, to larger animals such as, deer, antelope, Bezoar ibex, and occasionally wild boar.
[edit] Threats
This species is listed as endangered and commercial trade of this species is prohibited by international law. The Persian leopard has been threatened due to persecution, habitat loss, and poaching. It is also one of the animals in western Asia which is suffering from warfare in its mountain range.
[edit] References
- ^ The Persian leopards in Armenia by Igor Khorozyan
- ^ Antelava, Natalia. Lone leopard spotted in Georgia. BBC News. 2004. 1 July, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3746491.stm
3. Persian Leopard Status in Iran by Ali Aghili
[edit] Bibliography
- Khorozyan, I. et al. 2005. The Persian Leopard Prowls Its Way to Survival. Endangered Species Update 22 (2): 51-60
- Ministry of Nature Protection, Yerevan, Armenia
- Center of Ecological studies, Yerevan, Armenia
- M. Jahanshai. 2002. Population status of the Persian Leopard in Iran.
- Woodroffe, R. 2000. Predators and people 165-173.
- Zulfiqar, A. 2001. Leopard in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. Cat News 35: 9-10.
- Shakula, V. 2004. First record of leopard in Kazakhstan. Cat News 41: 11-12.
- Gasparyan, K.M. and F.S. Agadjanyan. 1974. The panther in Armenia. Biological Journal of Armenia 27: 84-87.
- Janashvili, A. "Leopard." Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia. Vol. 11, Tbilisi, 1984, pp. 567
- Ali Aghili. 2004. Persian Leopard in the Caucasus Range of Iran
- Ali Aghili. 2004. Persian Leopard in North-East of Iran
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[edit] External links
- The Persian leopards in Armenia
- Persian leopard fact sheet
- Zoo reveals rare Persian leopard triplets
