Fun Indochinese Leopard Facts For Kids

The Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) of Phylum chordata, Order carnivora, and Suborder feliformia is the smallest leopard subspecies found in Southeast Asia and an Endangered species. Their skin color range from rusty red to black-brown and have small rosettes. They are native to mainland Southeast Asia and is a bush and forest animal of solitary nature, showing their activeness mainly at night as they are not diurnal. They store the remains of their food on the branches of trees for later consumption and are also agile climbers. They are closely related to the species of tiger. Their common prey is medium-sized animals or any wildlife they can overpower.

These leopards are approx 35.8-75.1 in (91-191 cm) in length and their long tail constitutes about 40%-50% of their body length. Their natural habitat constitutes areas of grasses or heavy undergrowth and open deciduous forests of hilly areas. They inhabit altitudes of range sea level to 2,540 m (8,330 ft). Spotting an Indochinese leopard Vietnam outside protected areas is rare and this leopard falls victim to illegal poaching and hunting. This is leading to a population decrease on a rapid scale. The leopard now has only 8 percent of its historical range in Cambodia. The largest national park of Thailand, Kaeng Krachan National Park, is one of the protected areas of this leopard.

Got an interest in mammals and want to know about more of them? Here you can know some amazing facts about the ocelot and two-toed sloth.

What type of animal is an Indochinese leopard?

The Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) of mainland Southeast Asia including Cambodia and Thailand is a type of mammal of the family Felidae. It is also the smallest species of leopards found in the wildlife. Unlike their close tiger species, they can climb up a tree but are slower in speed than a tiger.

What class of animal does an Indochinese leopard belong to?

These leopards belong to the Mammal class, order Carnivora, genus Panthera, and subspecies P. p. delacouri and has reddish and black-brown skin coat with black patches.

How many Indochinese leopards are there in the world?

In 2016, it was estimated there were around 973–2,503 mature individuals and 409–1,051 breeding adults around the Southeast Asia region where they are found. Their historical range has decreased by 90%. The majority of the leopard population can be found in the countries of Cambodia and Thailand.

Where does an Indochinese leopard live?

The regions of dense forests and dry grasslands are their preferable places. The countries of Southeast Asia like Cambodia, Thailand, and southern China are some regions where they inhabit.

What is an Indochinese leopard's habitat?

These leopards prefer to live in heavy undergrowth or rich cover of dense, tall grasses. They usually inhabit open and dry spaces like deciduous forests of hilly regions and can be seen mainly in Cambodia and Thailand.

Who do Indochinese leopards live with?

The Endangered species of leopard shows both solitude and gregarious behavior depending on the situation. By nature, they are elusive and solitary animals of wildlife. When in danger, they can be seen in small groups for effective communication with the help of their distinctive callings.

How long does an Indochinese leopard live?

The Indochinese leopard lives a lifespan of about 13-15 years, but due to various threats to its habitat like deforestation, poaching, and hunting, the leopard population is falling and is very close to being classified as an Extinct species in the IUCN's Red List in some countries.

How do they reproduce?

For Indochinese leopards, there is no definite breeding season. The female leopard produces two to four, usually three, cubs after a gestation period of about 90 days.

What is their conservation status?

This species has been facing a population decrease for the past two decades and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed them under a Critically Endangered (CE) species. The rapid decline in their population in their Southeast Asian range requires urgent conservation.

What do Indochinese leopards look like?

Indochinese leopards from Southeast Asia have a reddish and black-brown skin fur with dark spots, which are generally arranged in rosettes over much of the body. They have white and pale underparts and a long tail 35.4 in (90 cm).

How cute are they?

The Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus) is the smallest in the family, Felidae. They are ferocious but very cute-looking animals. Their relatively small height and black patches on their body give them an appealing look. Be aware of their hunting nature!

How do they communicate?

This subspecies of tiger prefers to live in solitude and has its own roaring nature for the purpose of communication with other group mates or wildlife. They have different frequencies of roars for conveying various emotions of anger, warning, love, and dominance.

How big is an Indochinese leopard?

This leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) of genus Panthera is 35.8-75.1 in (91-191 cm) long and 36.2-74.8 in (92-190 cm) tall and can be found in Southeast Asia, particularly in countries like Cambodia and Thailand. The largest leopard subspecies is the Persian leopard that weighs around 132 lb (60 kg). One other species, South China leopards, weigh three times more than Indochinese leopards.

How fast can an Indochinese leopard run?

These leopards can reach speeds up to 36 mph (58 kph) but are still slower than cheetahs, tigers, and lions.

How much does an Indochinese leopard weigh?

This leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) comes under the smallest species of wild cats like other leopards. They weigh around 37.4-198.4 lb (17-90 kg ).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male Indochinese leopard is called a leopard and the female of this species is called a leopardess.

What would you call a baby Indochinese leopard?

A baby of Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus) is called a cub. Every gestation, they give birth to two to three cubs.

What do they eat?

Indochinese leopards need approximately 6.6 lb (3 kg) of meat every day. These leopards prefer to eat medium-sized animals like deer, antelopes, and warthogs. Their ideal diet is the Indian muntjac.

Are they dangerous?

Yes, leopards are dangerous for humans as they are wild animals and can harm people if they sense danger from them.

Would they make a good pet?

No, leopards will not make a good pet as they are wild and carnivorous animals. They are not suited to a household environment.

Did you know...

The name 'leopard' originates from the Greek word 'leopardus', a combination of 'leon', meaning 'lion' and 'pardus', meaning 'panther'.

This leopard is a very secretive and elusive type of wild cat. Though they prefer to live in solitary, they have large territories.

Where is the Indochinese leopard native to?

This leopard species is native to mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. Other countries include Thailand and eastern Cambodia.

Are Indochinese leopards endangered?

Yes, these leopards are decreasing and have come under the category of a Critically Endangered species. They are currently extinct in Singapore, Laos, and Vietnam. This species is also nearly extinct in Cambodia. Due to increased deforestation and construction activities in the forests, the population of these wild leopards is decreasing. In protected areas in some villages of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, the villagers consume the meat of wild animals which were supposed to be the diet of wild leopards. Due to this, these leopards are moving towards different forests or die due to starvation. Illegal hunting, poaching, and trading of the skin of these leopards is also another main reason for the decreasing population.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out American Leopard Hound facts and Snow Leopard facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our free Indochinese leopard coloring pages.