Research overview: divergence of Sri Lankan and Indian leopards

The Indian subcontinent hosts two recognized leopard subspecies, the Indian leopard of the mainland and the Sri Lankan leopard isolated on its island. This overview examines the evidence distinguishing them. It reviews how the Sri Lankan leopard, Panthera pardus kotiya, became differentiated after the island's separation from the mainland, producing a large apex predator that, lacking competing big cats, occupies a broad ecological role. The piece discusses molecular and morphological support for the split and the conservation importance of the island population. It connects to the general pattern that island isolation generates recognizable leopard subspecies, contrasting with the shallow structure among continental African leopards. The case shows how the same species can hold both well-defined island forms and broadly lumped mainland populations.