IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Amerasinghe, F.P.; Ekanayake, U.B.; Burge, R.D.A. | |
| Food habits of the leopard (_Panthera pardus fusca_) in Sri Lanka | |
| 1990 Ceylon Journal of Science (Biological Sciences) (21): 17-24 | |
The food habits of the Sri Lanka leopard, _Panthera pardus fusca_ (Meyer, 1794) were studied by analysis of the hair remains of prey animals in faeces. A total of 183 leopard scats collected from the Wilpattu and Ruhuna National Parks, and the Mahaweli River basin around the Wasgamuwa National Park - Yakkure area, were analyzed. The hairs of 12 genera of mammals including _Cervus, Tragulus, Bubalus, Sus, Lepus, Presbytis, Millardia, Rattus, Hystrix, Pteropus, Canis_ and _Viverricula_ were identified. Other possible remains were those of _Macaca, Bos_ and _Capra_. Definitive identifications of 11 species were possible. The Spotted Deer (_Cervus axis_) was the major prey, with Wild Pig (_Sus scrofa_), Water Buffalo (_Bubalus bubalis_), Mouse Deer (_Tragulus meminna_) and Black-naped Hare (_Lepus nigricollis_) as major buffer prey species. Predation on _C. axis_ was maximal during May-August and markedly less during September-December, when secondary species were utilized to a greater extent. Efforts to conserve the leopard must take into account not only the conservation of the major prey of this predator (i.e. _C. axis_), but also the other buffer prey species that are seasonally important. |
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