Animal Fact Sheet
AMUR LEOPARD
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: pardus
Subspecies: orentalis
Male: leopard
Female: leopardess
Young: cub
Group: leap, prowl
Credit: Ashley Clayton
Description:
The Amur leopard has a cream colored coat that is marked with rosette
spots of black with tan centers. The coat on the underside of the body is
lighter with solid black spots. Their long tails also have solid black spots.
Size:
Males weigh between 80 and 190 pounds, while the females weigh
between 60 and 130 pounds.
Life Span:
15 to 20 years in captivity and 12 to 15 years in the wild.
Diet:
In the wild: large rodents and deer.
At the Zoo: feline diet (ground meat fortified with vitamins and minerals)
Geographic
Range:
Amur leopards are native to Korea, Manchuria and Siberia. They are
named after the Amur river, which runs between the Russia and China
border.
Habitat:
They prefer mountainous forests.
Reproduction:
Females give birth to 1 to 6 cubs after a 90 to 110-day gestation period.
The cubs are born in a den and are blind and helpless. While the cubs are
still small, the mother will carry them to a new hiding place every few days.
They are weaned at about 3 months and will become independent after 18
to 24 months.
Special
Adaptations:
Amur leopards have a thick coat to keep warm in the cold climate in which
they live. The spots on the coat help to camouflage, so they can sneak up
on their prey and hide from predators. The tail of the Amur leopard is
thicker and furrier than other leopards and serves as a “scarf” to place in
front of the nose, warming the air for breathing in winter. A leopard’s
eyesight, hearing and sense of smell are very well developed. Their tongue
has tiny rasps or hooks, called denticles, which are used to scrape the meat
off of the bones of their prey.
Behavior:
Leopards are solitary, except during the mating season and while the
mother rears her cubs. They are most active at dawn and dusk
(crepuscular). They can run over 30 mph for short periods of time. After
catching its prey, a leopard will drag its food into a tree to prevent other
animals from taking it.
Current Status:
The Amur leopard is the most endangered member of the cat family. Due
to extensive hunting, loss of habitat and loss of prey, there has been a
sharp decline in the population of Amur leopards. A 2007 field study
determined that there might be fewer than Amur leopards 35 left in the
wild.
Related
Species:
Where am I in
the Zoo:
The Amur leopard is related to the other African and Asian leopard
subspecies in the Genus and species Panthera pardus.
The Amur leopard has exhibits inside and outside of the Main Zoo Building.