Leopards are mammalian animals classified within the family Felidae, subfamily Pantherinae and identified as the species Panthera pardus. They are beautiful animals, with a typical pattern of black rosettes on the body, but this varies from one individual to another. Although they are not the largest and strongest felines, they have powerful jaws and are capable not only of hunting animals larger than themselves, but in some cases taking them to a tree, where it is common for them to shelter food.
Eight subspecies of leopards have been identified, so they are distributed in different regions and in this article on our site we want to present you with information about where leopards live.
Leopard Distribution
As we have mentioned, the species has eight subspecies, although certain changes have occurred both in taxonomic denominations and in certain groupings of taxa and it is very likely that with time and scientific studies others will occur.
In this way, the leopard is native to Africa and Asia, and depending on the type or subspecies it is located in some regions or others. Here's how the different types of leopards are distributed:
Distribution of the African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus)
The African leopard has been one of the most widespread subspecies, since it was present in much of Africa. However, due to direct hunting by humans, its presence has been significantly reduced In this sense, this subspecies has considerably reduced its presence in the north Africa, leaving only a few small isolated populations. They have been seen in regions such as Elba, Egypt, Sinai, Algeria and Morocco, among others. However, in some of these areas they have been completely extirpated.
In the case of West Africa, its presence has been reported with variations over time in regions such as Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, on the eastern border with Guinea and Liberia, as well as in Ghana and Benin.
In Central Africa, the distribution of the African leopard has corresponded with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Gabon and Sudan. While in the east, in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, parts of Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
Finally, in the southern African region, where there seem to be more stable populations, although they are not immune to human impact, they are found in Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana and the Cape provinces of South Africa.
Distribution of the Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr)
This type of leopard is present in the Dhofar area, specifically in part of the Oman region and also towards the northeast of Yemen, which are the main range of distribution. To a lesser extent and probably extirpated from some areas, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the highlands of the Negev can also be mentioned. Similarly, it can be in the United Arab Emirates and Sinai in Egypt.
Distribution of the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana)
The Persian leopard is found in regions such as Turkey, the Caucasus and part of the Asian area of Russia. It is also found in the area known as the Persian Plateau and in the Hindu Kush.
Distribution of the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)
The distribution of the Indian leopard includes areas such as India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Himalayan forests, Bangladesh and Tibet.
Distribution of the Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya)
This subspecies specifically inhabits the island territory of Sri Lanka, where it previously had a wide distribution, but is currently highly fragmented due to anthropic actions.
Distribution of the Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri)
This subspecies inhabits several Asian countries, including Cambodia, China, Lao People's Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. As in the previous cases, the leopard was probably largely extirpated in some of these regions.
Distribution of the Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas)
This leopard is located on the Island of Java, in Indonesia, however, it is in danger of extinction, with a population It is estimated that it does not reach 400 mature individuals, which indicates its level of distribution.
There are different positions on whether the subspecies is actually native to this and the small adjacent islands or was introduced from India. Based on some fossils found, it has also been suggested that the leopard could have arrived via a land bridge that existed in the Pleistocene. All these hypotheses hover around the idea that it probably does not originate from the island.
Distribution of the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
If you wonder where the Amur leopard lives, you should know that it is another subspecies heavily impacted by human actions, which has made it critically endangered. Therefore, its distribution is very limited It has developed in regions such as eastern Russia, north China and Korea.
Leopard Habitat
Leopards are considered to be the felines that are distributed in a greater variety of habitats, and this is due to the fact that we find the different subspecies distributed in very diverse regions. As we have seen, historically its range has been quite wide. In this sense, depending on the region, the habitat of leopards can be:
- Desert Regions
- Semi-desert regions
- Mountain regions
- Savannah Grasslands
- Brushes
- Tropical forests
- Forests
- Snowy Regions
Leopard Protected Areas
Now that you know what the distribution of the leopard has been and where there are currently leopards, let's learn about the protected areas for the species.
Various populations of leopards have developed in protected areas, however, many others have not, which also contributes to the impact suffered by these felines. Also in some cases they live close to populated areas, which undoubtedly generates conflicts because they come to hunt domestic animals. But let's remember that they are wild animals that hunt for natural reasons of survival. In this other article we talk about What do leopards eat.
As for protected areas, it also depends on the country or region where the subspecies is located, so we can mention some examples of protected areas where leopards live:
Protected Areas in Africa
On this continent, we find the following protected areas where leopards live:
- Virunga National Park
- Niokolo-Koba National Park
- Outamba Kilimi National Park
- Gola National Forest
- Lofa-Mano National Park
- Sapo National Park
- Mole National Park
- Elba Protected Area
Protected Areas in Asia
Since there are many subspecies that inhabit Asia, we also found several protected areas:
- Golestan National Park
- Ayubia National Park
- Machiara National Park
- Pir Lasora National Park
- Nepal Kanchenjunga Conservation Area
- Gunung Halimun National Park
- Ujung Kulon National Park
- Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park
- Ceremai National Park
- Merbabu National Park
- Merapi National Park
- Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
- Meru Betiri National Park
- Baluran National Park
- Alas Purwo National Park
- Badkhyz Nature Reserve
- Hunchun National Nature Reserve
If you are also concerned about protecting the leopard's habitat and thereby preventing the species from becoming extinct, we recommend you consult this other article: "How to protect animals in danger of extinction? ".
