Panthera pardus orientalis
Amur leopards are very distinct from other leopards. Their long legs and long hair allow them to survive in cold, snowy climates. Their spots are widely spaced rosettes with thick borders and shows the strongest and most divergence in coat pattern. The color of their fur changes from lighter in the winter to a more reddish-yellow in the summer. The length of the coat varies between 2.5cm in summer and 7.5cm in winter.
Size of average adult:
weight: male = 82 - 198 pounds ... female = 62 - 132 pounds
Approximate life span is 23 years in captivity.
Its diet in the wild is roe deer, sika deer, hares, badgers, and musk deer.
The Amur Leopard: BEHAVIOR
- Stalks their prey, eat alone, will hide food in trees for later
- Good climbers, can descend trees head first
- Solitary, mark their territories with urine
- Strong swimmers
- Nocturnal (active at night )
- Can run at a speed of 37 miles per hour for short periods
- Can leap 20 feet horizontally, 10 feet vertically
The Amur Leopard: REPRODUCTION
- sexual maturity: 3 years
- breeding season: most cubs are born in spring and early summer
- gestation: 90 - 105 days
- litter size: 1 - 6
- the cubs' eyes open at 10 days, they are weaned at 3 months, leave mother at 18 - 24 months
The Amur Leopard: ENVIRONMENT
- Habitat: forests in hilly country
- Distribution: Russia, in a small area west of Vladivostok, near China and North Korea. A few individuals survive in China and Korea.
- Numbers: Wild - less than 44 in Russia and no more than ten in China (1998); Captivity - about 168(2000)
- Status: Endangered because of habitat destruction ... loss of prey species ... poaching for fur and trophy.
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