I need some help:
What is the difference between the indian and the african leopard?
Bodysice and weight, colour of the skin, pp?

Thank you.

Best wishes.

I don't think you can tell them apart. There is a theory that there are two sub species of leopard in India. A smaller one that hung out close to villages in the scrub jungle, and the larger forest panthers that lived in bigger forests. It might just be that some of the ones in the forests ate better and were thus larger!

In the old days nearly every Indian village that had any decent forest cover and most of them did, had a couple of panthers (that's what they call them there) hanging around that would eat their goats, dogs, donkeys, ponies etc.

Indian Leopard and African Leopard are same exact species. There is no DNA evidence to support that they are genetically apart.

Taxonomically they are one single species -including the Amur leopard of Siberia. But there are several races recognized From North africa to the far east & island pockets in Sri Lanka & Indonesia.

In India the larger leopards tend to be from more dry scrub and desciduous forests that have a higher desity of prey species. The tropical rain forest leopards for the Western Ghats tend to be smaller with a darker and richer coloured coat. The leopards from the eastern ghats of the south tend to be larger on an average and a shorter and lighter coat that blends better with the dry environment.

You will always find large leopards in the West and small ones in the east - just makes it more difficult to generalise.

You do get black panthers in the high rain fall areas of the west and they are virtually nonexistant in the dry eastern ghats.

quote:

Originally posted by collector:
Indian Leopard and African Leopard are same exact species. There is no DNA evidence to support that they are genetically apart.

Hi,
the iunc red list tells something different:

According to genetic analysis, nine subspecies are recognized, with all continental African Leopards attributable to the nominate form (Miththapala et al. 1996, Uphyrkina et al. 2001). These include:

Panthera pardus pardus (Linnaeus, 1758): Africa
Panthera pardus nimr (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833): Arabia
Panthera pardus saxicolor Pocock, 1927: Central Asia
Panthera pardus melas (Cuvier, 1809): Java
Panthera pardus kotiya Deraniyagala, 1956: Sri Lanka
Panthera pardus fusca (Meyer, 1794): Indian sub-continent
Panthera pardus delacourii Pocock, 1930: southeast Asia into southern China
Panthera pardus japonensis (Gray, 1862): northern China
Panthera pardus orientalis (Schlegel, 1857): Russian Far East, Korean peninsula and north-eastern China

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15954/0

They are all sub-species of Panthera Pardus but essentially "A Leopard is a Leopard".

An example would be if you were to compare a Amur Leopard from Siberia to a Leopard from the Arabian Peninsula....The Amur is twice the size of the Arabian and has a MUCH longer, thicker, and denser coat. It is just an adaptation to it's enviorment but the exact same animal.

@ Caracal

The first two names in your list are what identifies a "species".

So "Panthera pardus"....across the board is THE SPECIES.....same leopard be it Indian or African.

The third name in your list identifies "sub-species" e.g. pardus, fusca, nimr, melas, etc.

Over the years I have seen some monster leopards come out of the hills of Islamabad in Pakistan...they would give some big Toms from South Africa run for their money.

Sub-species is a funny business, every research biologist wants to classify "their" research animals into their own sub-species. That is how these people make a name for themselves.

So bottom line...as Leopardtrack put it very nicely....a leopard is a leopard....be it Indian or African.


Now SNOW LEOPARD would be a different species "Panthera uncia".
Does it have different sub-species ??? I am sure it does...it is just a matter of time before the ones from India/Pakistan and China/Mongolia are given their special names and a third word added to Panthera uncia xxxxxx.

Hello,
I know that they are the same species . They are a different subspecies. You said there is no DNA difference but IUCN says they do have a different DNA. But Leopard is Leopard you are right.

Could you share some infos about the leopards in Pakistan? Would love to see some pics.

Cheers

Dennis

Dennis,

Dont forget India and Pakistan were one country when most of the leopards were hunted there legally. SO there is no such thing as a Pakistani leop v/s and Indian Leop.

In those parts we refer to them as panthers.

Cheers
Arjun

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:
Hello,
I know that they are the same species . They are a different subspecies. You said there is no DNA difference but IUCN says they do have a different DNA. But Leopard is Leopard you are right.

Could you share some infos about the leopards in Pakistan? Would love to see some pics.

Cheers

Dennis

Leopard are leopard no matter where they exist but by subspecies they do vary in their shades of color from pale buff for "some" desert forms(other desert forms are normal colored) to the black panther forms that are quite prevalent in southeast Asia. Size varies greatly too; the smallest being the dwarfish subspecies from the dense Ituri Rainforest of the Congo basin.