On the Subject of Scratching Posts.....

Asian Leopard scratching post next to our camp in Sri Lanka

Our recent subject of scratching posts on Badgers Meles meles, reminded my to scan through my mobile phone pictures for an image of an Asian Leopard scratching post I found in Sri Lanka. Not the best picture as I was balancing photography equipment in my other hand at the same time. This was approximately 100 metres from the lodge we were staying in, and over the few nights we were in that particular area, appeared to be irregularly used. 

As with Badgers, Leopards scratch trees for a number of similar reasons including to keep their claws sharp and clean and importantly in Leopards which predominantly use their forefeet to catch prey, scratching allows claw ligaments to be stretched to increase flexibility and strengthened to help hold onto prey. 

As with Badgers, Leopards (and other cats) have interdigit glands with scratching releasing scent and an important way of releasing olfactory cues relating to territory occupancy. Sri Lanka has a incredibly high density of Leopards which makes it a good place to study territoriality in this species. Leopard scratching posts are approximately 1.5-2metres up the trunk and form where the animal drags its claws downwards.