Sinai Leopard
Encyclopedia
The Sinai Leopard is a subspecies of leopard
found in the Sinai peninsula and the mountains near Eilat. It has been described as a distinct leopard subspecies (Panthera pardus jarvisi), however genetic analysis indicate that it belongs to the Persian leopard
subspecies (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica). It is much smaller than the African Leopard
and prefers to hunt birds, mice, and rock hyrax
; however, it will eat ibexes and other small livestock if they are available.
The Bedouin
have likely hunted it into extinction. It is not known if there are any left living in the wild.
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
found in the Sinai peninsula and the mountains near Eilat. It has been described as a distinct leopard subspecies (Panthera pardus jarvisi), however genetic analysis indicate that it belongs to the Persian leopard
Persian Leopard
The Persian leopard , also called Caucasian leopard, is the largest leopard subspecies, and is native to eastern Turkey, the Caucasus mountains, northern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and parts of western Afghanistan...
subspecies (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica). It is much smaller than the African Leopard
African Leopard
The African Leopard is a leopard subspecies occurring across most of sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, the IUCN classified leopards as Near Threatened, stating that they may soon qualify for the Vulnerable status due to habitat loss and fragmentation. They are becoming increasingly rare outside...
and prefers to hunt birds, mice, and rock hyrax
Hyrax
A hyrax is any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. The rock hyrax Procavia capensis, the yellow-spotted rock hyrax Heterohyrax brucei, the western tree hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis, and the southern tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax arboreus live in Africa...
; however, it will eat ibexes and other small livestock if they are available.
The Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
have likely hunted it into extinction. It is not known if there are any left living in the wild.
External links
- http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Panthera+pardus+jarvisi
- http://www.nhpa.co.uk/bin/nhpa.dll/go?a=disp&t=%5Cus%5Cwinpreview.html&rsw=1&si=B54A556F3B164FF1A2997DD3A693A7&ir=00002715&hidenav=NaN