As the saying goes, "one mountain does not allow two tigers", the so-called top of the food chain species, its population density is very low, if there is a high density, the main reason is the good ecological environment, resulting in a large number of wild animal populations gathered.
Tibet's Qamdo Lolong is surrounded by mountains in all directions, and the rivers run through the valleys, giving birth to extremely complex biodiversity. Since ancient times, there is another famous snow leopard canyon here, where the beautiful big cat snow leopard lives. In 2013, the golden leopard trail was found in Qamdo Lolong, Tibet, and according to expert analysis, the endangered species of golden leopard species found in the area is the North China leopard subspecies.
Recently, according to experts, "The currently known data show that the density of big cats snow leopards and golden leopards is generally two or three per 100 square kilometers." Therefore, the density of four to five per 100 square kilometers like this is relatively high, and it needs to have a very good local ecosystem to provide rich food resources for snow leopards and golden leopards. ”
What species is the Golden Leopard species endangered as the North China leopard? Why do snow leopards coexist on the Tibetan Plateau?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="5" > rare population of golden leopards, the endangered species of the North China leopard</h1>
The North China leopard is a subspecies of leopard, a species exclusive to China, also known as the Chinese leopard. It is about 1.7 to 2.1 meters long from head to tail, and its tail is very long, weighing 40 to 75 kilograms, and it belongs to the big cat family.
The North China leopard has the attributes of a cat, with medium-long limbs and toes. The senses of sight, hearing and smell are very developed. The fur is soft, with significant leopard print characteristics, and the fur color is darker than that of the Far Eastern leopard.
The claws of the North China leopard are sharp and retractable. Living alone, they are often nocturnal, often haunt food-rich places, and if there is a shortage of food, they will haunt farther away in search of food.
The North China leopard also has the ability of cats to climb trees, and with developed senses and agile movements, it can easily catch monkeys and birds in trees. And it is also a well-known master of high jump and long jump, with a maximum jump of 6 meters and a maximum of 12 meters.
The habitat of the North China leopard is very extensive, such as habitat in mountain forests, hilly shrubs, desert grasslands and other environments can survive, the altitude can be distributed from the plain to the altitude of 3600 meters above sea level (the average altitude of Qamdo region in Tibet is more than 3500 meters).
The North China leopard is found in Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, Beijing, Shaanxi, southeastern Gansu and southern Ningxia. Because nests are relatively fixed, the habitats in which they are located usually do not migrate widely. But why did the North China leopard appear on the Tibetan Plateau?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="12" >Why did the North China leopard appear on the Tibetan Plateau? </h1>
North China leopards have been hunted in large numbers, causing a sharp decline in populations, and Shanxi killed 1,750 North China leopards in the 1960s. The North China leopard in Gansu, Henan, Ningxia and Beijing has basically disappeared, hebei and Shaanxi have a small number of survivors, and Shanxi has a considerable population and an overall stable trend (due to the lack of natural enemies, the North China leopard is a stable population as the top species in the food chain).
According to statistics, the number of leopards in North China may be less than 1500, and it is listed as a national first-class protected animal. Listed as a near-threatened species on the IUCN's 2012 Red List of Threatened Species.
Why does the North China leopard appear on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau? There are no more than two factors for this kind of population migration, one is the human factor, because it is considered to be overhunted, resulting in the North China leopard having to migrate from its habitat to a new suitable environment for survival, so under the cover of alpine forests, the North China leopard found a suitable place to live on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Another factor is natural factors, as the global climate gradually warms, some of the North China leopard populations migrated to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in search of a more comfortable environment.
In short, no matter what kind of factors, the discovery of the north China leopard subspecies on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has increased the "gene pool" of local biodiversity and has very high research value.