The ‘Sandalwood Leopard’: a rare colour morph of the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) from southern India

The ‘Sandalwood Leopard’: a rare colour morph of the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) from southern India | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 2 April 2026 V1 Latest version Share on The ‘Sandalwood Leopard’: a rare colour morph of the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) from southern India Authors : Sanjay Gubbi 0000-0002-7698-2595 [email protected] , Shravan Suthar , Poornesha H.C. , and Sandesh Naik Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177511200.08307740/v1 156 views 56 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract reprint, amsmath,amssymb, aps, ]revtex4-2 We report a female Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) exhibiting a rare “sandalwood” colour morph from a camera-trap survey conducted in southern India between December 2025 and January 2026. Among five individuals identified in the study area, this individual was recorded on nine occasions across six camera-trap locations. Across a long-term dataset comprising 926 individually identified leopards from 148,853 camera-trap days collected over 14 years of surveys across Karnataka, this represents the only record of this phenotype. The individual displayed a distinctive combination of traits, including lighter pelage, pale brown rosettes, and reduced pigmentation in exposed skin. Although these features are clearly distinguishable from the typical phenotype, the underlying genetic basis remains unknown and would require molecular analysis from non-invasive samples. In the absence of such evidence, we conservatively classify this individual as a rare colour morph. As the first documented record of this phenotype from Karnataka, we propose the term “Sandalwood leopard” as a regionally contextualized descriptor reflecting the state’s natural and cultural heritage. Supplementary Material File (gubbi_etal_sandalwood_leopard.docx) Download 32.59 KB File (table 1.docx) Download 14.96 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 02 April 2026 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords natural history none of the above terrestrial vertebrate Authors Affiliations Sanjay Gubbi 0000-0002-7698-2595 [email protected] Holématthi Nature Foundation View all articles by this author Shravan Suthar Holematthi Nature Foundation View all articles by this author Poornesha H.C. Holematthi Nature Foundation View all articles by this author Sandesh Naik Holematthi Nature Foundation View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 156 views 56 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Sanjay Gubbi, Shravan Suthar, Poornesha H.C., et al. The ‘Sandalwood Leopard’: a rare colour morph of the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) from southern India. 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