Panthera pardus ssp. orientalis
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
MAMMALIA |
CARNIVORA |
FELIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Panthera pardus ssp. orientalis |
| Infra-specific Authority: |
(Schlegel, 1857) |
|
Common Name/s:
|
| Taxonomic Notes: |
Uphyrkina et al. (2001) affirmed subspecies distinction for P. p. orientalis based on molecular markers. The Amur Leopard was found to have the lowest levels of genetic variation of any leopard subspecies (Uphyrkina et al. 2002). |
Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Critically Endangered
C2a(ii); D
ver 3.1
|
| Year Assessed: |
2008 |
| Assessor/s |
Jackson, P. & Nowell, K. |
| Evaluator/s: |
Nowell, K., Breitenmoser-Wursten, C., Breitenmoser, U. (Cat Red List Authority) & Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team) |
Justification:
The Amur leopard is a very rare subspecies, with a 2007 census counting only 14-20 adults and 5-6 cubs in the southwestern Primorye region of Russia. It faces numerous threats, including encroaching civilization, new roads, poaching, exploitation of forests and climate change. Numbers have fluctuated over recent years - a 2003 census counted 20-21 adults and 4-5 cubs, and a 2000 census counted 13-16 adults with 1-3 cubs (Anonymous 2007). Prior to this, the population had been declining (Pikunov et al. 2000). Its range is estimated at just 2,500 km² (Pikunov et al. 2000). The Amur leopard is extinct in China and the Korean Peninsula (Anonymous 2007).
|
| History: |
| 1996 |
– |
Critically Endangered
(Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
|
| 1994 |
– |
Endangered
(Groombridge 1994)
|
|
Geographic Range
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Population
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| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
|
Habitat and Ecology
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