Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya)

[peter]

(04-15-2019, 01:05 PM)Luipaard Wrote:

(08-16-2018, 07:48 PM)peter Wrote:

(08-16-2018, 06:28 PM)eagleman Wrote:

(12-06-2015, 09:29 PM)Sully Wrote: These cats are the largest leopards in the world, this is due to the fact that they are the biggest land predators in Sri Lanka therefore not having to compete with lions and tigers like some of their smaller cousins. Feel free to post pics, vids, data and everything else.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Here is something on their diet:
http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJo...4-6221.pdf

Persian and central african leopards are bigger, ans savanna plus indian leopards are similar in size with Sri Lankans.

Skulls of Iran male leopards, averaging about 245 mm. in greatest total length, could be the longest and widest today. Skulls of males shot in western and central-western parts of Africa are a tad shorter, but more elevated, more muscular and more robust. They also have the longest and most robust upper canines by a margin.

Skulls of Shri Lankan and Indian leopards more or less compare in the size department. Although a bit shorter than those from western Africa, they're by no means small.

I saw numerous skulls from Tanzania and Java in German and Dutch natural history museums. To my surprise, the Javan skulls were generally more muscular and robust.

Africa has many local races showing significant differences in size. In contrast to tigers, I never saw anything even close to a cline. Leopards in western and central-western parts of Africa are among the largest. The smallest skulls I saw, however, were from leopards shot just north of that region (...). Skulls from leopards shot in the northeastern part of Africa also were small. Skulls of Arabian leopards more or less compared.

Do you have any data regarding North African (Barbary) leopards? It's said that they're were the largest, like the size of a lion (which might be a exaggeration).

Central African leopards are a tad bigger in skull sizes, averaging 255mm.

1 - Barbary lions and leopards

Most natural history museums I visited have skulls of 'Barbary' lions, but I never saw a skull of a 'Barbary' leopard. 

As to the meaning of 'Barbary'. I found that all skulls of 'Barbary' lions belonged to lions born and bred in captivity. Most perished well after Barbary lions had become extinct. As I really don't know what to make of it, I decided to use a bit of salt every time I see 'Barbary' on labels. Same for articles.

2 - Leopard skulls

The discussion about the size of leopards in some regions is a bit misleading in that it could result in a somewhat distorted view. I've seen many leopard skulls in natural history museums and private collections. Most skulls belonged to adult wild male leopards. Not one of them exceeded 250 mm. in greatest total length. Based on what I saw, one could conclude that skulls exceeding that mark are rare and be close.        

3 - Jaguars and leopards compared

While it's true that some exceptional leopards, weightwise, compare to an average male jaguar of a large subspecies, there is, skullwise, quite a difference between an adult male leopard and an adult male jaguar. Jaguar skulls with a greatest total skull length of 240-260 mm. from Surinam seem like small lion or tiger skulls. Compared to leopard skulls of similar length, they are more elevated at the orbit and more robust. Not seldom, they're almost twice the weight of a leopard skull with a similar length.

A picture says more than a thousand words. When I was in the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, poster Wanderfalke assisted. He made a picture showing a skull of a wild male jaguar from Peru and a skull of a wild male leopard from the Cape. I'll try to find it. 

4 - The difference between Asian and African leopards

Although I didn't see a lot of skulls from Sri Lanka, India, Iran and central parts of Africa, I did notice that skulls of males shot in central parts of Africa had a robust mandibula, large and robust teeth and a flattish profile. They also were (relatively) heavier than skulls from Asia. In skulls of African leopards, the profile is less vaulted than in many Asian leopards. My guess is African leopards could have relatively larger skulls, but I need more time to get to a conclusion. 

Based on the photographs I saw, reports about male leopards of 180-200 pounds (81,65-90,72 kg.) can't be dismissed out of hand. At that weight, males, and those in Africa in particular, often seem a bit over-skulled. It's a pity reliable information about large male leopards is lacking.    

The skulls I saw strongly suggest individual variation is well developed in leopards. More so than in lions and jaguars, so it seems. Same for sexual dimorphism. These conclusions hold for leopards of moderate size. In large subspecies, individual variation could be more pronounced.  
   
5 - Administration
     
The discussion on the maximum size of jaguars and leopards is interesting. I agree some photographs of leopards shot in northern Africa a century ago suggest they could have been larger than those seen occasionally in central parts of Africa or in Iran today, but the problem is a lack of reliable information. The info on jaguars is more extended. I found quite a bit on jaguars and pumas in Surinam in the former Zoological Museum of Amsterdam and in Naturalis (Leiden). 
 
Most of the info I have on size is in folders. When I had 5, indexes were made. Today, I have 25. The old indexes never were replaced, meaning I don't know what is where. This means I have no option but to go over everything I have. As we're talking about 10 000 pages, it will take time. When I'm done, I will post a few tables and scans of unknown articles on leopards and jaguars.  

6 - Exceptional individuals

I assume you heard about 'The Indian Forester' and the 'Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society'? Both magazins have good info on the size of leopards shot in India before, say, 1950. Apart from that, there is the book of the Maharajah of Cooch Behar published in 1908. You can read 'Thirty-seven years of shooting in Cooch Behar, the Duars, and Assam - a rough diary' online.

Most leopards shot in Cooch Behar, the Duars and Assam between 1871-1907 were measured 'over curves', but some were measured both 'over curves' and 'between pegs'. The difference between both methods in male leopards was 4,5-5,5 inches (11,54-13,97 cm.). The longest shot was 8.4 in total length measured 'over curves' (254,00 cm.). The heaviest weighed in Cooch Behar, the Duars and Assam was 150 pounds (68,04 kg.), but not one of the five 8-footers (all measured 'over curves') was weighed. Two of them were described as 'very heavy'.

In total, 311 leopards were shot between 1871-1907. The book has info on the length of 35 males and 2 females only (11,90%). The longest male was 8.4 (254,00 cm.) in total length measured 'over curves', whereas the shortest measured in this way was 7.1 (215,90 cm.). My guess is all other males shot were shorter. The two longest females were 7.1 (215,90 cm.) and 6.9 (205,74 cm.) in total length. Both were measured 'over curves'. The 7.1 female was 115 pounds (52,16 kg.). The 6.9 female was 92 pounds (41,73 kg.).     

In June 1978, 'The phantom killer of Dogadda' (S.P. Bari and M.M. Pant) appeared in'The Indian Forester' (pages 435-437). It's an interesting article about a leopard with one canine only. As a result of this problem, he hunted humans every now and then. In total, he mauled and killed 28 people. Although many were after him, he wasn't shot. One day, he walked into a trap. They were sure he was the one they wanted because of his canine. The leopard, a full-grown male in his prime, was moved to the Lucknow Zoological Gardens. Measured 'over curves', the 'Phantom killer of Dogadda' was 255 cm. (a bit over 8.4). His weight was 188 pounds (85 kg.). 

Some years ago, I bought 'Call of the tiger' (M.M. Ismael, 1964). One of the stories is about a very unusual alliance between an old male tiger and a very big male leopard ('The old tiger and the big leopard of Magarder'). Ismael shot the leopard:

" ... I have never seen a leopard of that size and built. Later when I measured him he was 7 feet 10 inches between pegs, which is almost as big as a tigress. He had a massive head and a heavy and powerfully built body ... " (pp. 136).

The info I have suggests there's little to choose between leopards in Sri Lanka and India. A century ago, an average male, depending on region, was 6.7-7.1 (200,66-215,90 cm.) in total length (measured 'between pegs') and about 50 kg. (111 pounds). 

7 - Java and Tanzania 

According to Sody ('Notes on some primates, carnivora, and the babirusa from the Indo-Malayan and Indo-Australian regions', Buitenzorg, 1949, pp. 170-173), the longest male leopard shot in Java was 206 cm. (a bit over 6.9) in total length (most probably measured 'between pegs'). Skulls of adult male leopards ranged between 178-231 mm. in greatest total length. The male with the longest skull (231,0 mm.) had a head and body length of 118,0 cm. and a tail of 80,0 cm. (total length 198,0 cm. or about 6.6). The widest skull was 150,9 mm. Three quite old males were 27 kg. (61 pounds), 29 kg. (65 pounds) and 39 kg. (87 pounds) and two adult females were 17,5 kg. (39 pounds) and 19 kg. (43 pounds).

Skulls of male leopards shot in what used to be German East Africa (now Tanzania) in the same period (about a century ago) were a trifle longer, but narrower. Individual variation was more pronounced in skulls from Java, but skulls from Tanzania were a bit heavier.

Individual variation more pronounced on an island? Yes. It is a bit strange, but there is an explanation. A century ago, Java, although densely populated, still had a few wild regions. The western part was one. In that part of Java, tigers were on their way out. Eastern Java also had leopards, but they had to compete with tigers. Most large leopards were shot in the western part of Java. Reply