Panthera Pardus Delacouri The Indochinese Leopard Species

The Indochinese leopard is a majestic creature, and Panthera pardus delacouri is its scientific name.

This subspecies is native to Southeast Asia, specifically in countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Indochinese leopard's coat is a mix of brown and yellow colors, with black spots, helping it blend in with its forest habitat.

This adaptation is crucial for its survival, as it allows the leopard to sneak up on its prey undetected.

Panthera pardus delacouri was first described in 1930 by Reginald Innes Pocock based on a leopard skin from Annam.

The original description of the Indochinese leopard skin was almost rusty-red in ground color, but paler at the sides. The skin had small rosettes that were mostly 3.8 cm × 3.8 cm in diameter and so closely set that it looked dark.

Pocock noted that the fur was short, with less than 2.5 cm long hair on the back.

Taxonomy is the way we classify and group living things.

Reginald Innes Pocock described Panthera pardus delacouri in 1930.

Panthera pardus delacouri was based on a leopard skin from Annam.

See what others are reading: Panthera Pardus Tulliana

The Indochinese leopard's coat is a striking feature, with Pocock describing it as almost rusty-red in ground colour but paler at the sides.

The leopard's fur is relatively short, with less than 2.5 cm long hair on the back.

Small rosettes are a distinctive characteristic of the Indochinese leopard's coat, measuring around 3.8 cm in diameter and closely set.

In these dense tropical forests, melanism is quite common, giving the leopards a selective advantage for ambush.

The Indochinese leopard is a genetically distinct subspecies of leopard that historically occurred throughout mainland Southeast Asia.

It has a unique appearance, with a ground color that is almost rusty-red, but paler at the sides. The skin features small rosettes that are about 3.8 cm in diameter and are so closely set that they appear dark.

The Indochinese leopard's fur is short, with hair on the back typically being less than 2.5 cm long. This short fur is likely an adaptation for its dense tropical forest habitat.

In southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia, camera trapping studies have shown that the Indochinese leopard is predominantly spotted north of the Kra Isthmus. However, south of the Isthmus, only melanistic leopards were recorded.

Melanism is quite common in dense tropical forest habitat, and black leopards like the Indochinese leopard are thought to have a selective advantage for ambush. This means they are better suited to their environment, which is likely a key factor in their survival.

Unfortunately, the Indochinese leopard is now found in only 6.2% of its historical range, with only 2.4% of its distribution in areas of confirmed leopard presence.

The Indochinese leopard is in a precarious position, with its range having collapsed to just 6.2% of its historical range.

This drastic decline is likely due to increased poaching for the illegal wildlife trade, which is now the main factor causing the decline of the Indochinese leopard.

Only 2.4% of the leopard's historical distribution is now in areas of confirmed leopard presence, with the species being extirpated in Singapore, likely extirpated in Laos and Vietnam, and nearly extirpated in Cambodia and China.

Illegal Wildlife Trade is a significant threat to conservation efforts worldwide. It's estimated that over 7,000 tons of wildlife products are traded every year, with the global black market for wildlife worth around $20 billion.

The majority of this trade is driven by demand for rhino horn, elephant ivory, and pangolin scales. The price of rhino horn can reach up to $65,000 per kilogram, making it a highly lucrative business for poachers and traffickers.

Poaching is a major contributor to the decline of many species, with an estimated 100,000 elephants killed each year for their ivory. The loss of these iconic animals not only harms the ecosystem but also has a devastating impact on local communities that depend on them for tourism and livelihoods.

The pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world, with over a million individuals taken from the wild in the past decade. Their scales are highly valued on the black market, with a single pangolin selling for up to $3,000.

The illegal wildlife trade is often linked to organized crime and corruption, making it a complex issue to tackle. Law enforcement efforts are hindered by the lack of resources and inadequate legislation in many countries.

Leopards in Southeast Asia are facing a significant loss of their range, with the Indochinese leopard's historical territory shrinking to just 6.2% of its former size.

This subspecies, Panthera pardus delacouri, was once found throughout mainland Southeast Asia, but now it's likely only present in 2.4% of its historical range.

The leopard has been extirpated in Singapore, and its populations are likely gone in Laos and Vietnam.

In Cambodia and China, the leopard is nearly gone, and its numbers have greatly declined in Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

There are only two major strongholds remaining, which are priority sites for conservation efforts: Peninsular Malaysia, and the Northern Tenasserim Forest Complex.

A third priority site has been identified in eastern Cambodia, where a small isolated population remains due to its uniqueness and high conservation value.

Conservationists estimate that there are only 973-2503 Indochinese leopards remaining, with only 409-1051 breeding adults.

Increased poaching for the wildlife trade is believed to be the main factor contributing to the decline of this subspecies.

In the wild, panthera pardus delacouri has been studied in only a few protected areas in Thailand since the mid-1990s.

The first study was conducted in the south-central part of Kaeng Krachan National Park, where researchers fitted three leopards with radio collars in 1996.

These leopards preferred low-lying areas with seasonal evergreen forests, where prey species like the sambar deer, macaque, and small Peromyscus maniculatus were abundant.

Their home ranges varied from 8.8 km² to 18 km², with one male leopard's home range being as small as 14.6 km².

In contrast, male leopards in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary had much larger home ranges, averaging 35.2-64.6 km².

Female leopards in the same sanctuary had the largest recorded home ranges in Asia, averaging 17.8-34.2 km².

Interestingly, both male and female leopards in Huai Kha Khaeng expanded their home ranges during the dry season, which runs from November to April.

Here's a comparison of the home ranges of male and female leopards in the two study areas:

These findings suggest that panthera pardus delacouri is adaptable to different environments, but tends to prefer areas with abundant prey and suitable habitat.

The Indochinese leopard has a fragmented distribution in Southeast Asia, with remaining populations found in Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, and southern China.

In Myanmar's Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, the leopard population declined drastically between the 1940s and 1980s, and by 2000 it was estimated to be close to locally extinct. However, in 2015, leopards were recorded for the first time by camera traps in the hill forests of Karen State.

The Northern Tenasserim Forest Complex on the Thailand-Myanmar border was considered a stronghold in 2016, but unfortunately, the leopard has not been recorded in the northern and south-central forest complexes of Thailand since the turn of the 21st century.

Habitat destruction is a significant threat to leopard populations.

Human traffic inside protected areas negatively affects leopard movements and activity.

In villages located in Laos' protected areas, local people consume a substantial amount of meat from deer and wild boar annually, which can impact leopard populations.

This offtake amounts to 2,840 kg (6,260 lb) of ungulates per 100 km (39 sq mi), equivalent to the meat required to sustain several leopards per 100 km (39 sq mi).

Leopard density in a highly fragmented tropical rain forest within Malaysia's Klang Valley has been estimated at 28.35 individuals per 100 km (39 sq mi), one of the highest reported.

Rapid shrinking of the forests in this area has led to leopards being pushed into the remaining forest, resulting in an unexpectedly high population.

The Indochinese leopard is found in Southeast Asia, with small populations remaining in Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, and southern China.

In Myanmar's Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, the leopard population declined drastically between the 1940s and 1980s, and by 2000 it was estimated to be close to locally extinct.

The Northern Tenasserim Forest Complex on the Thailand-Myanmar border was considered a stronghold in 2016.

In Thailand, the Indochinese leopard is present in the Western Forest Complex, Kaeng Krachan-Kui Buri, and Khlong Saeng-Khao Sok protected area complexes.

In Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary on the Thai-Malaysian border, only two leopards were recorded walking past camera traps between October 2004 and October 2007.

In Malaysia, the leopard is present in Belum-Temengor, Taman Negara, and Endau-Rompin National Parks.

A spotted leopard was seen in a camera trap in Taman Negara National Park in April 2010, where previously only black leopards were thought to occur.

In Laos, 25 different leopards walked past camera traps set up over an area of 500 km in the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Biodiversity Conservation Area between April 2003 and June 2004.

Leopards were reported to also occur in Nam Kan National Protected Area in Laos in 2010.

In Cambodia, leopards were recorded in deciduous dipterocarp forest in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary between December 2008 and August 2009.

In southern China, camera trap surveys were conducted in 11 nature reserves between 2002 and 2009, but leopards were only recorded in Changqing National Nature Reserve in the Qinling Mountains.