Persian leopard
| Persian leopard | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Genus: | Panthera |
| Species: | P. pardus |
| Subspecies: | P. p. ciscaucasica |
| Trinomial name | |
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Panthera pardus ciscaucasica Satunin, 1914 |
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| Distribution of Persian leopard (in green) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Panthera pardus saxicolor |
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Panthera pardus saxicolor
The Persian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica syn. Panthera pardus saxicolor), also called the Caucasian leopard or Central Asian leopard, is the largest leopard subspecies native to the Caucasus region, southern Turkmenistan, parts of western Afghanistan and northern Iraq. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List; the population is estimated at fewer than 871–1,290 mature individuals and considered declining.
A phylogenetic analysis suggests that the Persian leopard matrilineally belongs to a monophyletic group that diverged from a group of Asian leopards in the second half of the .
In November 2013, a leopard was killed in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır Province in Turkey. This specimen is considered the western-most observation of a Persian leopard.
The Russian explorer Satunin first described the Caucasian leopard P. p. ciscaucasica in 1914 on the basis of a specimen from the Kuban region of North Caucasus. The British zoologist Pocock described specimens from different areas of Persia as P. p. saxicolor in 1927, recognizing the similarity to P. p. ciscaucasica. Today, these names are considered synonyms.
A phylogenetic analysis suggests that the Persian leopard matrilineally belongs to a monophyletic group that diverged from a group of Asian leopards in the second half of the .
The Persian leopard is large, weighing up to 60 kg (130 lb), and light in colour. They vary in colouration; both pale and dark individuals are found in Iran. The medium length of the body is 158 cm (62 in), of the tail 94 cm (37 in), and of the skull 192 mm (7.6 in).
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Wikipedia