leopards - subspecies
As many as 27 leopard subspecies were once suggested, the number growing from the time of Linnaeus in the 18th century to that of Reginald Pocock in the early 20th. In 1996, Miththapala et al. revised this downward to just eight subspecies based on DNA analysis. Uphyrina et al. would concur in 2001 but split out a ninth separately, the Arabian leopard (P. pardus nimr). The latter researchers note the number might be an underestimation because of limited sampling of African leopards. Their list as follows:
- Indo-Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) in Mainland Southeast Asia.
- Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in India, southeastern Nepal, and northern Bangladesh.
- North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) in China.
- Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) in Sri Lanka.
- Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) in Java.
- Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) in the Russian Far East, northern China, and Korea.
- African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) in Africa.
- Persian leopard or Iranian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Southwest Asia.
- Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) in Arabian Peninsula.
- Zanzibar leopard (Panthera pardus adersi) endemic to Unguja Island in the Zanzibar archipelago.