There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
04-11-2019, 05:06 PM( This post was last modified: 04-11-2019, 06:05 PM by Pckts )
Sri Lanken Leopards are not larger than their African cousins, ask anyone who's seen both and most will say the same. In fact, ask them how they compare to Indian Leopards in general which are smaller than Africans and you may be surprised. Their weights also dont back that claim either.
Being an apex predator is important but thinking competition breeds smaller cats is wrong, for instance, Tigers and Lions are apex predators yet depending on location, their size varies and that is because of prey base, climate and terrain to name a few. Being smaller isn't a benefit to leopards, there's a reason why the Vin Diesel's and Anderson males of Africa are talked about in such high regards. The larger the leopard the better chance it has of holding onto territory, simple as that.
African Leopards have so many more options when it comes to small-midsize prey as well as more opportunities to prey on youngsters during the calving season compared to any other leopard sub species. Africa also contains the highest quantity of Leopards on earth and thus you're going to have far more opportunities for individuals to be in the upper tier weight class.
So in closing, yes Persian Leopards have a larger maximum "verified cases only" but I think we've seen enough hunter weights and images to say that there are a few African leopards that exceed 91kgs. There is a reason why averages overlap.