The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a fearless feline that, despite not being the largest of this group of animals, manages to surprise us with its powerful jaws and strong legs, which in many cases They allow you to capture much larger animals. Although it has not been easy, 8 subspecies of leopards have been identified, all distributed between the African and Asian continents, which, although with certain common features, can be differentiated by their genotype and certain physical characteristics.
In this page of our site we focus on the characteristics of the Java leopard (P. p. melas), as well as their customs, habitat and conservation status. We invite you to continue reading.
Java Leopard Features
The Javan leopard is one of the subspecies for which there is less confirmed data on its characteristics, as it has become a animal that is very rare to see , with an extremely low population, making studies of the group difficult.
It has been reported as a small subspecies compared to others, estimating a slightly higher weight than the Arabian leopard, which has averages of 30 kg for males and 20 kg for females, as well as 1.90 meters in length for the former and 1.60 for the latter. In this sense, the Java leopard is estimated to have a little more than these values.
Coat color is golden, rarely pale yellow, and this is one of the subspecies thatpresents more frequently melanism , a recessive genetic mutation that considerably increases the production of melanin in the individual, and as this is responsible for darkening the skin, it then originates totally black leopards. This condition has become an advantage for individuals that live in wooded and humid areas because this helps them to camouflage and have thermoregulation. Despite the dark shape of the coat, these individuals, when observed closely, can be distinguished by the black rosettes that are characteristic of the different types of leopards.
Java leopard habitat
This type of leopard lives on the island of Java, Indonesia, where it is confined. It has been thought that the subspecies may not be native to the island, but was instead introduced from India. Also due to a certain fossil record, it is possible that it had reached the region by crossing a land bridge that existed in the Pleistocene. In this sense, the hypotheses surround the idea that he is not originally from the island.
Regarding the habitat, it has been identified that it extends through different protected areas of the island, which may be formed by montane forests, subalpine forests, cloudy areas, forest corridors, areas with coastal proximity and regions with the presence of volcanoes.
Java Leopard Customs
The Javan leopard is an elusive animal, not very easy to spot. It has been possible to identify [1] by placing radio collars on two individuals, that the hours of greatest activity corresponded to the early hours of the morning, between 6:00 and 9:00, as well as in the afternoon, between 15:00 and 18:00.
It is unlikely that this subspecies has markedly different behaviors from the rest, so must be a primarily solitary animal, only It groups for the reproductive moments and while the females raise their cubs. Territoriality is an important and common trait in the species, in addition to the fact that males tend to have greater expansion ranges than females.
Java leopard feeding
The Javan leopard, like all leopards, is a carnivorous animal that feeds by hunting various prey. Among the different types of animals that it manages to consume we can mention:
- Deer
- Boars
- Java Mouse Deer
- Crab-eating macanos
- Silver Leaf Monkey
- Gibbons
- Goats
- Birds
- Dogs
- Reptiles
Find out more about what leopards eat in this other article.
Java leopard reproduction
As we have mentioned, there are no precise data on some biological aspects of the subspecies. However, leopards are known to be promiscuous animals, so they do not form fixed pairs Females use pheromones through their urine excretions to indicate their status of heat, in addition to doing some courtship when they meet a potential partner. The heat lasts about 7 days and repeats approximately every 46 days.
The Javan leopard, like the rest, breeds throughout the year, with peaks in the rainy season. Gestation lasts an average of 96 days, with an average rate of 2 pups per delivery Newborns are completely dependent on the mother, at 3 months they usually weaning occurs and they stay with her until about a year or a year and a half old.
Java leopard conservation status
The leopard as a species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the category of vulnerable, however, some subspecies have a particular classification, as is the case of the leopard of Java, which is considered Critically Endangered
The latest estimates indicate that there may be between 350 and 525 individuals, of which less than 250 are adult breeders. The threats that have contributed to this unfortunate situation are direct hunting, habitat fragmentation due to agricultural development and urban expansion, as well as the significant decrease in natural prey of the leopard.
The Indonesian government has promoted some actions to stop the population decline of the Javan leopard, such as the application of laws that prohibit hunting, some educational plans to control the population growth of people that ends up affect the fauna, maintenance of the protected areas where the feline lives and, on an international scale, inclusion in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
