What kind of cat is this and how do I rejuvenate the hide?

[rookhawk]

A friend of mine is a massive accumulator. Bordering on hoarding since you cannot safely walk in most of his barns or storage areas, but unlike hoarders of the typical sense, everything this guy owns is beyond cool. As in, you want to own it all and the value per square foot of his spaces has to be $1000 or more in "stuff".

Anyway, he had a pile of odd taxidermy sitting in a barn, most of it gnawed on by red squirrels. I saw this cat rug and asked if he'd sell it to me. He never sells anything, but he did agree to gift it to me. So what is it? It looks like a leopard to me, but its a very small cat, perhaps 70lbs-90lbs live weight if I had to guess? It's very old too, and the color and pattern don't look like southern Africa's typical leopards. Is this a Leopard from somewhere else, such as North Africa or India perhaps?

Its very tough and crunchy, any idea how i can rejuvenate the hide so its moist and will lie flat on my desk?

 

[rookhawk]

Postscript - The hunter that killed this died in 1976 at the age of 67, and was in a nursing home for four years per his obituary. A VP at a mid-sized company with memberships in NY and FL. So I'm guessing this fellow hunted this cat in the 1960s. Some tanning rot on the shoulder with lots of holes, so it appears he killed it at close range, broadside, with a shotgun.

(I figured this all out because he was cool enough to use an address label stamp on the hide so his story can outlive him)

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Asiatic leopard. The ones living near villages (living on goats & chickens & dogs) weigh less than the ones living in the forest (that feed on Axis & Muntjac deer & wild boars).

I would say that this leopard is the South Indian variety, as opposed to the larger specimens found in the Northern regions of India and in the Doaars of the Terrai.

 

[rookhawk]

Asiatic leopard. The ones living near villages (living on goats & chickens & dogs) weigh less than the ones living in the forest (that feed on Axis & Muntjac deer & wild boars).

How did you discern the difference between an African and Asian Leopard from the photos?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Given the small size, you may have an Arabian leopard. That would indeed be a rare specimen. Today there are estimated to be less than two hundred remaining. Have it professionally assessed.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

How did you discern the difference between an African and Asian Leopard from the photos?

The pattern of the rosettes. I believe this one was a female due to the size.

 

[PARA45]

Could it be an Oscelot?

 

[WebleyGreene455]

The pattern of the rosettes. I believe this one was a female due to the size.

I know very little about leopards of any kind but I was thinking female or juvenile based on how dense the rosettes appear. A lot of the adult Indian leopards I've seen photos of aren't that densely patterned.

But the coat color looks about right to me, compared with these Indian leopard skins:

@PARA45 It could be an ocelot with a peculiarly leopard-y pattern, but no ocelot photo I've ever seen lacks the distinct black lines going back between the ears from above the eyes, and the pictured skin doesn't have them.

 

[Sarg]

I will venture a opinion, looks like a young Leopard & could be from several places/areas, depends greatly where the hunter/shooter traveled of course if you could find that out.

Leopards can differ a lot even in one country let alone continents, Rain Forest areas have darker Leopards such as yours, if the tail is extra long that can be a sign of a Arabian or other more unknown area of the Leopards range, but they would be a little lighter in colour, having said that, Leopards & Tigers fade a heap over the years, more so if in the light.

On making it softer again, that depends how it was Tanned or if it even was, old time acid or other type tanning can fall apart when you try to hydrate, ask me hold I know - one awesome brightly coloured Tiger skin fell to pieces !!

PS the pellet holes could reinforce Cat from the Jungle as shot calling in Duikers

 

[Stetsonham]

Highly recommend that you do not attempt to re hydrate the hide. The only outcome will be the lose of the beautiful pelt.

Awesome, thank you for sharing.

 

[rookhawk]

Definitely not an Ocelot, it lacks the facial stripes. It also has rosettes, so it rules out jaguar and other cats of the Americas.

it does have a fairly long tail, although I'm not an expert at tail-to-body ratios of leopards.

I would like to rehydrate it, because its worthless to me if I cannot display it, and it won't lie flat at present, especially since I had to roll it up to get it into a cardboard tube for air travel to bring it home earlier this week. So, I'm back into trying to figure out how/if it was tanned (no green hide odor noted) so that I can enjoy/display it.

 

[WebleyGreene455]

It also has rosettes, so it rules out jaguar and other cats of the Americas.

Lol but jaguars do have rosettes! Just much larger and usually less dense ones than leopards! And even cougars/panthers/mountain lions/swamp kitties have been known to have them subtly IIRC, at least in some populations. But either way, it's certainly not a jaaaaag or an ocelot, and the spotting and fur color is all wrong for any kind of American lynx or bobcat. It's surely a leopard of some type.

Can DNA testing or some other analysis be done on a skin like that, professionally?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Again, seek professional advice. That pelt is too valuable to second guess treatment. However, I suspect pressing it might be a safe option if approached carefully and gradually.

DNA analysis may be required for a definitive identification. You have enough provenance to establish its importation predated CITES. As long as it didn't cross international borders after your acquisition, I think you should be okay possessing it no matter what leopard subspecies it turns out to be.

 

[rookhawk]

Just another postscript as I was unfurling it on my desk this evening. I noticed a weird tag of skin on one side by the tail and it hit me, its a scrotum. Odd that the thing is only 42" from tip of nose to base of tail, or about 72" overall including the tail. Tis' a mystery.

 

[Beck]

Will be interested to hear what you learn

 

[Ontario Hunter]

From Wikipedia: Arabian leopard males have total length 72"-80". Seems you may have a very special leopard skin. DNA samples should be obtainable from a tiny bit of hide. Maybe even just a fur sample would work.

 

[IvW]

Arabian leopard - Google Search

 

[IvW]

Strong contender but unlikely.... it would be a fasinating story on its own if it was one. Size wise it fiys

 

[Scott CWO]

A friend of mine is a massive accumulator. Bordering on hoarding since you cannot safely walk in most of his barns or storage areas, but unlike hoarders of the typical sense, everything this guy owns is beyond cool. As in, you want to own it all and the value per square foot of his spaces has to be $1000 or more in "stuff".

Anyway, he had a pile of odd taxidermy sitting in a barn, most of it gnawed on by red squirrels. I saw this cat rug and asked if he'd sell it to me. He never sells anything, but he did agree to gift it to me. So what is it? It looks like a leopard to me, but its a very small cat, perhaps 70lbs-90lbs live weight if I had to guess? It's very old too, and the color and pattern don't look like southern Africa's typical leopards. Is this a Leopard from somewhere else, such as North Africa or India perhaps?

Its very tough and crunchy, any idea how i can rejuvenate the hide so its moist and will lie flat on my desk?

View attachment 577831
View attachment 577832

Need to see a picture of the other side.

 

[Tucketed]

How about a Cheetah? I don’t see black strips on face. But you guys are the experts