The Sri Lankan leopard is very adaptable and
can live in many different places across the island and native to Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan subspecies was first described in 1956 by the Sri Lankan zoologist Mr. Deraniyagala. In fact, leopards live in
more places than any other large cat. According to the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) these large cats can live in almost any
type of habitat, including rainforests, deserts, woodlands, grassland savannas,
forests, mountain habitats, coastal scrubs, shrub lands and swampy areas.
In Sri Lanka apart from Western province Sri Lankan Leopard have recorded in
every province.
Leopards are solitary creatures that only spend
time with others when they are mating or raising young. They are also nocturnal
and spend their nights hunting instead of sleeping.
Leopards spend a lot of their time in trees.
Their spotted coat camouflages them, making them blend in with the leaves of
the tree. They will often drag their prey into trees to keep it from being
taken by other animals, according to National Geographic.
Leopards are carnivores, but they aren't picky
eaters. They will prey on any animal that comes across their path, such as Spotted
Deer, Sāmbhar Deer, Wild boar, monkeys, snakes, large birds, amphibians, fish, Land
Monitors and porcupines.
Leopards are ambush predators; they crouch low
to sneak up to their prey and pounce before it has a chance to react, according
to the Animal Diversity Web, a database maintained by the Museum of Zoology at the
University of Michigan. A leopard will kill its prey with one swift bite to the
neck, breaking it.
Leopards have a gestation period of
approximately three months and typically give birth to a litter of two to three
cubs in a den, according to PBS Nature. Each cub weighs just
17 to 21 ounces (500 to 600 grams) at birth, is blind and almost hairless. They
depend on their mother for food and do not leave the den until they are 3
months old. At 12 to18 months, the cubs are ready to live on their own and at 2
or 3 years old will create their own offspring. Leopards live 12 to 15 years in
the wild and up to 23 years in zoos.
Sri Lankan Leopard classified as highly endangered
by the IUCN's Red List of
Threatened Species. This listing is due to their
declining population, which is caused by habitat loss and hunting.
The name "leopard" comes from the
Greek word leopardus, which is a combination of leon (lion) and pardus (panther),
according to PBS Nature. Leopards don't need much water. They survive
from the moisture they get from eating their prey. It is no wonder that
leopards are such great hunters. They can run up to 36 mph (58 kph), jump
forward 20 feet (6 meters) and leap 10 feet (3 m) straight up, according to the
San Diego Zoo. Though classified as a roaring cat, leopards usually bark
when they have something to say. Leopards' ears can hear five times more
sounds that the human ear and eyes are six times sensitive than human
eye.
Captured in Wilpattu & Yala National Park
No comments:
Post a Comment