I.

Introduction

Snow Leopard, also known as ounce, medium-size member of the cat family native to the high, rugged mountains of Central Asia. It is found in twelve countries: Mongolia, southern Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Tibet, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The snow leopard is considered a mythical creature in Nepalese Buddhism.

II.

Physical Characteristics

The snow leopard has greenish-gray eyes and a stunning coat of long, smoky-gray to yellowish-white fur with black spots and rosettes, or rose-shaped patterns. The markings provide camouflage against rocky slopes, which helps the snow leopard remain unseen while hunting prey. The soft undercoat is usually white with hair that can grow up to 12 cm (5 in) long. The head is broad with a short muzzle, and the ears are small and rounded to protect against the cold. Short front legs and large paws are well adapted to walking on snow. A powerful chest and long hind legs allow the cat to leap up to six times its body length.

An adult snow leopard weighs between 35 and 55 kg (between 77 and 121 lb) and stands about 60 cm (about 24 in) at the shoulder. Body length averages 1 to 1.3 m (3 to 4 ft). Males are about 30 percent larger than females. The thick, furry tail is almost as long as the body—proportionately longer than that of any other cat—measuring up to 1 m (3.3 ft). It is used for balancing while traversing difficult terrain and for warmth while resting or sleeping during the cold winter months.

III.

Habitat and Prey

Snow leopards typically inhabit treeless mountain regions, alpine meadows, and arid shrubland. They generally prefer steep, rocky terrain that provides favorable hunting conditions. In the winter the snow leopard ranges at or below altitudes of 1,800 m (6,000 ft), but in the summer it may ascend to elevations between 2,700 and 6,000 m (between 9,000 and 20,000 ft).

The snow leopard’s geographic range is closely related to the animals on which it preys. In the Himalayas the snow leopard preys primarily on bharal. In China and Kazakhstan, it preys primarily on ibex. It is capable of killing an animal three times its own weight. The snow leopard also hunts smaller animals across its range including marmots, pikas, hares, and birds. It will also prey on domestic sheep, goats, and dogs, and it is sometimes killed by people in retaliation. On average, the cat can survive by killing one large prey animal every 10 to 15 days.

IV.

Behavior

Snow leopards are active primarily at dawn and dusk, what is known as crepuscular activity. Shy and elusive, they are rarely seen in the wild. They are mostly solitary with the exception of mating pairs and mothers with cubs. Snow leopards make a variety of sounds including mewing, hissing, and growling. They cannot roar, however, a trait that distinguishes them from other large cats. Vocalizations are most commonly heard during mating season. Both male and female snow leopards will mark territory using claw rakings, scent spray from a gland located near the tail, and scat (feces). They will also scrape their back legs in loose soil to leave a characteristic depression.

V.

Reproduction and Life Span

Snow leopards mate in the winter, between January and March, and two or three cubs are born in the spring after a gestation period of about three months. Cubs are born in rock crevices or dens, which the mother lines with her fur. Helpless at birth, a newborn does not open its eyes until it is about seven days old. The spots on its coat are completely black. After ten days cubs begin crawling and at about three months they begin following their mother. They may stay within her home range until they reach sexual maturity, at about 2 years of age. The snow leopard can live up to 21 years in captivity.

VI.

Conservation

The snow leopard is listed as an endangered species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is estimated that only a few thousand snow leopards remain in the wild. The snow leopard is still illegally hunted for its coat, and the bones are used in traditional Asian medicine. Habitat and prey loss also threaten its survival.

Scientific classification: The snow leopard belongs to the family Felidae. It is classified as Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia.