North China leopard
Encyclopedia
The North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) is a subspecies of leopard native to Northern China
. Like most Asian subspecies it is classified as endangered
by the IUCN. Its prey base consists of deer and wild boar, but like any leopard it will eat almost anything it can catch including birds, rodents and even insects.
, the North Chinese leopard also has similar fur coloration and density, although it is a little darker and shorter. The average weight in the wild is 50 kg (110 lb) for adult males and 32 kg (70 lb) for females.
, north to the mountains south of the Chinese Gobi Desert
, and east through Harbin
.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Like most Asian subspecies it is classified as endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
by the IUCN. Its prey base consists of deer and wild boar, but like any leopard it will eat almost anything it can catch including birds, rodents and even insects.
Appearance
About the same size as its northern cousin the Indochinese leopardIndochinese leopard
The Indochinese leopard is a leopard subspecies native to mainland Southeast Asia and into southern China, classified as “Near Threatened” in 2008 by IUCN. In Indochina, leopards are threatened primarily by habitat loss due to deforestation, as well as poaching for the illegal trade...
, the North Chinese leopard also has similar fur coloration and density, although it is a little darker and shorter. The average weight in the wild is 50 kg (110 lb) for adult males and 32 kg (70 lb) for females.
Distribution
This range of this subspecies is well fragmented today but it once ranged from Central China from LanzhouLanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
, north to the mountains south of the Chinese Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
, and east through Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
.