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Leopard
Modern Weights and Measurements of Leopards
Modern Weights and Measurements of Leopards
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Modern Weights and Measurements of Leopards
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Leopard weight in Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana
 *This image is copyright of its original author source: Weilenmann et. al. 2010. Is translocation of stock-raiding leopards into a protected area with resident conspecifics an effective management tool? The males ranged from 47-57 kg, with an average of about 51.5 kg. The females ranged from 33-38 kg, with an average of about 34.75 kg. All the Leopards were stated to be adults. A Leopard actually killed a guide in this area. 'GABORONE, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Another casualty has been recorded as conflicts between human and wildlife continue to surge in Botswana. The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism on Monday announced the death of a senior wildlife warden, who was attacked by a leopard while on duty. "The deceased officer and a colleague were in the process of transporting a problem leopard in a cage after it had been captured in the Sefhare area," a statement said. According to the statement issued by the ministry, the attack happened when the leopard was being released from the cage into the Khutse Game Reserve, a national park about 240 km from the capital. "The officer later succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack. Investigations are currently ongoing to determine the cause of the incident which happened in Khutse Game Reserve on Nov. 3, 2018," reads the statement.' http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11...583822.htm 
I joined SCI and now have access to their Record Books.
I'll post records of each Big Cats species I can find. First Up: African Leopard Top 20 *Date Taken, Location, With which Hunting Program, gun used, Skull Score* 1. 04/1997 Botswana, Okavango Rann Safaris "Africa" R 19 11/16" 2. 11/2001 R.S.A., Kalahari Select Safaris / Jan du Plessis R 19 10/16" 3. 08/2014 Tanzania, Masailand Stone Hunting Safaris / Jason Stone R 19 8/16" 4. 09/1993 Tanzania, Ibanda John Moller / Tanzania Big Game Safaris R 19 2/16" 5. 07/2011 Tanzania, Masailand Stone Hunting Safaris / Jason Stone R 19" 6. 04/2009 Namibia, Windhoek African Twilight Safaris R 18 15/16" 7. 09/1986 Tanzania, Rungwa Richard Trappe / Bushmen Safaris R 18 14/16" 8. 04/2010 R.S.A., Mabula Mabula Pro Safaris / David H 18 14/16" 9. 07/2015 Zimbabwe, Mateke Hills Somerby Safaris / Charles Humphries R 18 14/16" 10. 10/1982 R.S.A. Fred Rademeyer R 18 10/16" 11. 01/1963 Tanzania, central John Lawrence R 18 8/16" 12. 09/2008 Tanzania, Lukwati Danny McCallum / Graham Jones R 18 5/16" 13. 07/2018 Namibia, Otavi Stone Hunting Safaris / Jason Stone R 18 5/16" 14. 09/1975 Zambia, Luangwa Valley Angus MacLagan R 18 4/16" 15. 08/1983 Tanzania, Masailand George Angelides R 18 4/16" 16. 08/1984 Tanzania, Mto Wa Mbu Franz J. Wengert R 18 4/16" 17. 08 Namibia, Khomas Sumsare / Gerard Erasmus R 18 4/16" 18. 01/1969 Kenya, Aberdares John Russell R 18 2/16" - @shortridge 19. 05/2007 Namibia, Khomas Sumsare / Gerard Erasmus R 18 2/16" 20. 05/2014 R.S.A., Limpopo Adventures Africa / Dean Robinson R 18 2/16" DESCRIPTION Length, including tail, 5-1/2 to 7-1/2 feet (170-230 cm), occasionally more. Shoulder height 20-30 inches (51-76 cm). Weight (male) 80-160 pounds (36-73 kg), sometimes considerably more; (female) 60-130 pounds (27-59 kg). The female normally has four pairs of teats. A large cat with a long body and comparatively short legs. Its dense yellowish coat is marked with numerous black spots grouped in rosettes. The tail is long and spotted, with black bands near the tip. There are five toes (including dewclaws) on the front feet, four on the hind feet, all with sharp, curved, retractile claws. Melanistic (black) individuals can occur in otherwise normal litters, especially in moist, dense forests; however, they are rare. Females are smaller and more lightly built than males, but are otherwise similar. BEHAVIOR Leopards are normally solitary except when mating. They are territorial, with the range of the male including the range of one or two females. Territories are marked and defended against other leopards of the same sex. Breeding takes place throughout the year, with the female giving birth every year or two. The usual litter is 2-3 cubs (range is 1-6) who remain with the mother for 18-24 months and reach sexual maturity and full size at about three years. Longevity in the wild 10-15 years, in captivity usually 12-15 years. but sometimes as much as 20 years. Usually nocturnal, resting by day on a tree branch or in cover. Entirely carnivorous, preying on small to medium-sized animals such as gazelles, impala, duikers, pigs, baboons, monkeys and domestic livestock. Also takes birds, rodents and rabbits, and will eat carrion. A very small percentage of leopards become man-eaters. Drinks daily when water is available, but can subsist for long periods on moisture obtained from prey animals. Wary and secretive, with exceptional hearing, very good eyesight and a good sense of smell. Normally moves about in a slow, silent walk, but can run briefly at more than 37 mph (60 km/h). Reportedly able to leap 20 feet (6m) horizontally and 10 feet (3m) vertically. A very agile tree-climber, able to descend head first, and a good swimmer. HABITAT Nearly all types from rain forest to subdesert, and from low plains to high mountains. DISTRIBUTION Almost everywhere in Africa except the driest deserts. REMARKS Any adult male leopard is a fine hunting trophy; consequently, it is far easier to find a good leopard than a good lion. The classic hunting method is by baiting, with the hunter waiting in a blind at twilight, and this provides the maximum in drama and suspense. Sometimes leopards can be tracked or called, and they are often encountered by chance. Usually not aggressive toward man, but very dangerous when wounded. TAXONOMIC NOTES Smithers lists 12 subspecies of leopards in Africa: adersi, adusta, chui, iturensis, leopardus, melanotica, nanopardus, panthera, pardus, reichenowi, shortridgei and suahelica. We combine them, with pardus Linnaeus, 1758 having priority. STATUS All leopards are on Appendix I of CITES. Leopards generally are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, with the subspecies panthera (northwestern Africa) classified as endangered. All leopards are regarded as endangered by the USF&WS, except those in Africa south of the southern borders of Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. South of this line they are listed as threatened, and sport-hunted trophies may be imported into the United States under the provisions of CITES. Experienced observers of African fauna cannot help but wonder why the status of the leopard is regarded so negatively, for it is obvious that populations are healthy in many parts of the continent. Eaton (1977b) alluded to the leopard as the "coyote of Africa," predicting it would be one of the last major species to survive on that continent. (09-26-2020, 12:49 AM)Styx38 Wrote: @Pckts They don't differentiate Length from Width unfortunately, it's just total score. You'll have to convert inches to MM to get that measurement. Asian Leopards (Only 9 available) 1. 12/1966 India, Lougur R 16 6/16" 2. 04/1964 India, Salmara Nawab M. Asaf Ali R 15 13/16" 3. 02/1965 India, Bastar Ajai Kumar / Allwyn Cooper R 15 11/16" 4. 04/1968 India, Madhya Pradesh Percy Dinjhaw R 15 8/16" 5. 04/1966 India, Madhya Pradesh Mohammed Deen R 15 6/16" 6. 04/1971 India, Madhya Pradesh Dhram Chandra R 15 6/16" 7. 12/1966 India, Madhya Pradesh R 15 1/16" 8. 12/1968 India, Maharashtra, Junona Nawab M. Asaf Ali R 14 10/16" 9. 01/1964 India R 14 6/16" DESCRIPTION Head and body length 44-72 inches (112-183 cm). Tail length 18-30 inches (46-76 cm). Shoulder height 20-28 inches (51-71 cm). Weight 100-150 pounds (45-68 kg), sometimes more. A large, handsome cat with a long body and comparatively short legs. The dense coat varies from pale yellow to rich buff or chestnut, and is marked with numerous black spots grouped in rosettes. The tail is long and spotted, with black bands near the tip. Melanistic individuals ("black panthers") can occur in otherwise normal litters, especially in dense, moist forests. The claws are sharp, curved and retractile. Unlike most cats, leopards (also lions, tigers and jaguars) have an elastic vocal apparatus that enables them to roar. Females are similar to males, although smaller and more slightly built. HABITAT Among the most adaptable of living mammals, it occurs in all types of habitat that provide it with enough food and cover, from rain forest to subdesert and from low plains to high mountains. DISTRIBUTION More adaptable to humans than most large cats, and still found over most of its original range, though in much fewer numbers. In Asia, leopards occur from the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas and Turkey eastward across southern Asia to the Pacific, including Sri Lanka, the Malay Peninsula, Java and the Kangean Islands; and north through China to Manchuria, Korea and southeastern Siberia. Outside of Asia, leopards are widespread in Africa, especially south of the Sahara. TAXONOMIC NOTES Twelve subspecies are listed in Asia: ciscaucasica (Caucasus), delacouri (Indochina), fusca (India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar [Burma], southern China), japonensis (northern China), jarvisi (Sinai Peninsula), millardi (Kashmir), nimr (Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Israel), orientalis (southeastern Siberia, Manchuria and Korea), pernigra (Nepal to Sikkim), saxicolor (Iran to Baluchistan), sindica (Kirthar range), and tulliana (Asia Minor to Transcaucasica). They are combined here, with fusca Meyer, 1794 having priority. STATUS All Asian leopards are listed as endangered by the USF&WS (1972). All leopards are on Appendix I of CITES (1975). The Asian subspecies jarvisi, nimr, orientalis and tulliana are listed as endangered by the IUCN. (09-26-2020, 01:09 AM)Styx38 Wrote: @Pckts Exactly, the score is what you want to compare.  *This image is copyright of its original author The largest Leopard score excluding the estimated one is 18 3/8'' for comparison. It's also good to see that they actually have a Kenyan Aberdare Leopard skull on the list so we know it was measured by the same protocol. Here's a conversion chart as well https://www.rafhdwe.com/engineering-data...mal-inches
We do have some evidence of Leopard skull lengths being correlated with Leopard size. As in, the longer the skull the heavier the weight.
Here are a bunch of skull length measurements.  *This image is copyright of its original author Here are body weight averages.  *This image is copyright of its original author "Our skull data indicated that it is very rare to see female Leopards exceeding 210 mm in greatest skull length which is associated with 190-200 cm in condylobasal skull length, as used by Christiansen and Harris (2012), together with larger and thicker teeth and a well-developed sagittal crest, which is almost absent on most female skulls (only 1 among 14 female skulls in our sample had a well-developed crest). There was some overlap on the scatterplot between adult female specimens and several smaller males" Farhadinia et. al. 2014. Patterns of sexual dimorphism in the Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) and implications for sex differentiation 9 males had a skull length of 250 mm or more and 9 males weighed 75-115kg. A Kenyan leopard shot with a 260 mm long skull, and weighed 78 kg:  *This image is copyright of its original author So a good Leopard skull length will indicate a fairly large Leopards. Considering the Congo Basin had many decent length (and width) skulls, there may be an indication that there were likely many 70-80 kg as well as some 80+ kg Leopards. Possibly even a few 90 or 90+ kg specimens still lurking. Seems if if the Leopard has a skull that surpasses 250 mm length, it should be way above 70 kg. 
"The skulls of Leopards can reach nearly twelve inches (304.8 mm) long in overall length..."
"...Once a Leopard skull exceeds eleven inches (279.4 mm) in length, the specimen is approaching the dimensions recorded for young adult male lions." From Peter TurnBull Kemp's book, 'Leopard':  *This image is copyright of its original author The heaviest skull he has examined, was a skull that weighed 1lbs75oz, or 666g. Compared to lionesses (source: James Stevenson-Hamilton's book, 'Wildlife in South Africa'):  *This image is copyright of its original author This leopard skull was almost as heavy as a lioness skull. Credits to Chui who came up first with all of this.
@
Quote: A Kenyan leopard shot with a 260 mm long skull, and weighed 78 kg: I made a list of all the skulls that originated from Kenya. They are from the 16th Edition Rowland Wards, 1976. Full list can be seen here: https://imgur.com/a/qgk9fsh  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The leopard's skull you posted, would be ranked lowest overall (15.75"). They're too from hunting records so choose for yourself if you find them plausible. If its weight of 78kg is reliable, this should mean that the leopards listed above should be in the 75kg-95kg weight range. PH Hamilton gave a weight range of 60kg-95kg for leopards in the mountainous regions of Kenya. From his paper, 'The Leopard and Cheetah in Kenya':  *This image is copyright of its original author
(09-28-2020, 07:07 PM)Luipaard Wrote: @ The largest on that list with a score of 18.75'' would rank #10 on the SCI list. (09-28-2020, 10:28 PM)Pckts Wrote:(09-28-2020, 07:07 PM)Luipaard Wrote: @ There are higher ones in the list though. I just included Kenyan skulls only for comparison. By the way, I think the 18.38" (276,23 mm x 190,50 mm) skull belongs to this 204lbs Kenyan leopard:  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
(09-28-2020, 11:47 PM)Luipaard Wrote:None higher than the 18.75 score on the list posted outside of the Persian/Congo Basin Skulls.(09-28-2020, 10:28 PM)Pckts Wrote:(09-28-2020, 07:07 PM)Luipaard Wrote: @ Which also wouldn't crack the top 10. In regards to weights correlated with skulls... The Kenyan Leopard is very large, I'd like to see more on the reliability of the weight claimed though but I doubt it exists. We do have weights associated with Persian Skulls, with 91kg being the largest but again we don't know which skull contributed to which weight. Their average is the 70kg range. We do have a weight for this guy  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author "The score ended up to be 18 4/16(dry), the body was not that long(7.2 feet), he weighed 185 pounds. Length and weight are irrelevant, because if he had a full stomach, he would have weighed over 200 pounds. Something very interesting I thought, was that his tail had a circumference at the base of 10 inches." https://www.kalahari-trophy-hunting.com/...ws-11.html So the 92kg Kenyan Leopard seems reasonable as well. |
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