Amur Leopard

Lore & Background

The names 'Amurland leopard' and 'Amur leopard' were coined by Pocock in 1930. The Amur leopard is also known as the 'Siberian leopard', 'Far Eastern leopard', and 'Korean leopard'. In 1857, Hermann Schlegel described a leopard skin from Korea under the scientific name Felis orientalis. In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force subsumed P. p. japonensis under P. p. orientalis, though a 2024 study suggested P. p. japonensis is likely a distinct subspecies.

Reader's Guide

The Amur leopard can easily be differentiated from other leopard subspecies by its thick, pale cream-coloured fur, particularly in winter. Rosettes on the flanks are 5 cm × 5 cm and widely spaced, up to 2.5 cm, with thick, unbroken rings and darkened centres. Its fur is fairly soft with long and dense hair. The length of hair on the back is 20–25 mm in summer and up to 70 mm in winter. The winter coat varies from fairly light yellow to dense yellowish-red with a golden tinge, or rusty-reddish-yellow. In summer, the fur is brighter. Males measure 107–136 cm with an 82–90 cm long tail, a shoulder height of 64–78 cm, and a weight of 32.2–48 kg. Females weigh 25–42.5 kg. Amur leopards are solitary, unless females have offspring. Records from camera-traps indicate that they are more diurnal than nocturnal, as well as crepuscular during both summer and winter.

Did You Know?

• As of 2015, fewer than 60 individuals were estimated to survive in Russia and China.
• Camera-trapping surveys between 2014 and 2015 revealed 92 individuals in an 8,398 km² transboundary area along the Russian-Chinese border.
• The Amur leopard is genetically close to leopards in northern China and Korea, suggesting fragmentation in the early 20th century.
• In South Korea, the last known leopard was captured in 1970; the Amur leopard is considered locally extinct there.