The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), also called Ceylon leopard, is a leopard subspecies native to Sri Lanka that was first described in 1956 by the Sri Lankan zoologist Deraniyagala.In 2008, the Sri Lankan leopard was listed as
Endangered
on the IUCN Red List. The wild population is roughly estimated at 700–950 individuals as of 2015.
Characteristics
The Sri Lankan leopard has a tawny or rusty yellow coat with dark spots and close-set rosettes, which are smaller than in Indian leopards. Seven females measured in the early 20th century averaged a weight of 64 lb (29 kg) and had a mean head-to-body-length of 3 ft 5 in (1.04 m) with a 2 ft 6.5 in (77.5 cm) long tail, the largest being 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) with a 2 ft 9 in (84 cm) long tail; 11 males averaged 124 lb (56 kg), the largest being 170 lb (77 kg), and measured 4 ft 2 in (1.27 m) with a 2 ft 10 in (86 cm) long tail, the largest being 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) with a 3 ft 2 in (97 cm) long tail.According to a BBC article, the Sri Lankan leopard has evolved to become a rather large leopard subspecies with very large males reaching almost 220 lb (100 kg), due to the fact that it is an apex predator without competition by other large wild cat species in the country.
Distribution and habitat
The Sri Lankan leopard used to occur in all habitats throughout the island. These habitat types can be broadly categorized into
* arid zone with < 1,000 mm (39 in) rainfall
* dry zone with 1,000–2,000 mm (39–79 in) rainfall
* wet zone with >2,000 mm (79 in) rainfall.
In Sri Lanka's central hills, leopards have been recorded in forest patches, tea estates, grasslands, home gardens, pine and eucalyptus plantations.
Ecology and behaviour
A study in Yala National Park indicates that Sri Lankan leopards are not any more social than other leopard subspecies. They are solitary hunters, with the exception of females with young. Both sexes live in overlapping territories with the ranges of males overlapping the smaller ranges of several females, as well as overlapping the ranges of neighbouring males. They prefer hunting at night, but are also active during dawn and dusk, and daytime hours. They rarely haul their kills into trees, which is likely due to the lack of competition and the relative abundance of prey. Since the leopard is the apex predator in Sri Lanka, it does not need to protect its prey.In 2001 to 2002, adult resident leopard density was estimated at 17.9 individuals per 100 km2 (39 sq mi) in Block I of Yala National Park in Sri Lanka's southeastern coastal arid zone. This block encompasses 140 km2 (54 sq mi), contains coastal plains and permanent human-made and natural waterholes, which combined allow for a very high density of prey species.The Sri Lankan leopard hunts by silently stalking its prey, until it is within striking distance where it unleashes a burst of speed to quickly pursue and pounce on its victim. The prey is usually dispatched with a single bite to the throat. Like most cats, it is pragmatic in its choice of diet which can include small mammals, birds, reptiles as well as larger animals. Axis or spotted deer make up the majority of its diet in the dry zone. The animal also preys on sambar, barking deer, wild boar and monkeys.There appears to be no birth season or peak, with births scattered across months.A litter usually consists of two to four cubs.The leopard is sympatric with the Sri Lankan sloth bear.
Local names
The leopard is colloquially known as kotiya
(Sinhalese: කොටියා)
and chiruthai
(Tamil: சிறுத்தை)
.Panthera pardus kotiya is the kotiyā proper.In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the word 'kotiya' was being frequently incorrectly translated into English as "tiger" in Sri Lankan media due to incorrect information that was received from the then head of the Wildlife Department in Sri Lanka. He allegedly said that "there are no kotiyas (tigers) in Sri Lanka but diviyās", misinterpreting P. p. kotiya as "diviyā". The word "diviyā" refers to small wild cats such as "Handun Diviyā" or "Kola Diviyā". Both names are used interchangeably for the fishing cat and the rusty-spotted cat.[citation needed] Traditional Sinhala idioms such as 'a change in the jungle will not change the spots of a "kotiyā"', confirms the traditional use of 'kotiyā' to refer to leopard and not to tiger
Details from : Wikipedia
Captured by : Pasindu Fernando
Captured Location : Yala