Harimau Bintang
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: P. pardus
Kingdom Animalia, Class mamalia
member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera
bilateral body symmetry, tetrapoda
deutrostomia, phylum chordata, subphylum vertebrate
Characteristic
leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull
Head and body length is between 125 and 165 cm (49 and 65 in) and the tail reaches 60 to 110 cm (24 to 43 in). Shoulder height is 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 in).
Males are about 30% larger than females, weighing 37 to 91 kg (82 to 200 lb) compared to 28 to 60 kg (62 to 130 lb) for females.
similar in appearance to the jaguar, although it is of smaller and slighter build of body, larger and much more muscular than the cheetah
fur is marked with similar rosettes to those of the jaguar, though the leopard's rosettes are smaller and more densely packed, and the leopard's rosettes do not usually have central spots as the jaguar's do. cheetah has simple spots, evenly spread; the jaguar has small spots inside the polygonal rosettes; while the leopard normally has rounder, smaller rosettes than those of the jaguar
Both leopards and jaguars that are melanistic (completely black or very dark) are known as black panthers.
leopard's range of distribution has decreased radically because of hunting and loss of habitat. Due to the loss of range and declines in population, it is graded as a "Near Threatened" species by the IUCN
Hunting Behaviour
agile and stealthy predator
its ability to run at speeds approaching 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph)
ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass, and its notorious ability for stealth.
The leopard consumes virtually any animal it can hunt down and catch.
able to take large prey given its massive skull that well utilizes powerful jaw muscles.
powerful swimmer
Its preferred habitat ranges from rainforest to desert terrains
SUBSPECIES
African leopard (P. pardus pardus), Sub-Saharan Africa.
Amur leopard (P. pardus orientalis), Russian Far East, Korean Peninsula, and Northeast China.
Arabian leopard (P. pardus nimr), Arabian Peninsula.
Indian leopard (P. pardus fusca), Indian Subcontinent.
Indo-Chinese leopard (P. pardus delacouri), Mainland Southeast Asia.
Javan leopard (P. pardus melas), Java, Indonesia.
North Chinese leopard (P. pardus japonensis), Northern China.
Persian leopard (P. pardus saxicolor), Central Asia.
Sri Lankan leopard (P. pardus kotiya), Sri Lanka.
REPRODUCTION
leopards may mate all year round (Asia and Africa) or seasonally during January to February (Manchuria and Siberia).
The estrous cycle lasts about 46 days and the female usually is in heat for 6–7 days. Gestation lasts for 90–105 days.
Cubs are usually born in a litter of 2–4 cubs, but infant mortality is high and usually no more than 1–2 cubs survive beyond their infancy.
Before giving birth, a female will find a cave, crevice among boulders, hollow tree, or thicket to make a den. Cubs open their eyes after a period of 10 days.
The fur of the young tends to be longer and thicker than that of adults. Their pelage is also more gray in color with less defined spots.
Around three months the infants begin to follow the mother out on hunts. At one year of age leopard young can probably fend for themselves but they remain with the mother for 18–24 months.