Who is a snow leopard? Snow leopard, snow leopard: graceful cat of the wild

The snow leopard (irbis; Latin names - Uncia uncia and Panthera uncia) is a mammal from the cat family that lives in the mountains of Central Asia. Among large cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent inhabitant of the highlands. The snow leopard's habitat includes parts of the territories of 13 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The snow leopard's range in Russia is 2-3% of the current world range. In Russia, the snow leopard is found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia, Tyva and the Altai Republic, in the Eastern Sayan Mountains, in particular on the Tunkinskie Goltsy and Munku-Sardyk ridges.
Despite the external similarity with a leopard (in English, the snow leopard is called "Snow Leopard" - snow leopard), the relationship between it and the snow leopard is not very close, and besides, the size of the snow leopard is noticeably smaller. However, the snow leopard is much stronger and is considered the most ferocious predator of the cat family.
The main coat color is light gray, appearing white in contrast to the black spots. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in its natural habitat - among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The spots are shaped like rosettes, within which there may be an even smaller spot. In this respect, the snow leopard is similar to the jaguar. In the area of ​​the head, neck and limbs, the rosettes turn into black strokes. The coat is very thick and long (up to 55 mm) and serves as protection from the cold in harsh climatic conditions. From head to tail, the snow leopard measures 140 cm, the tail itself is 90-100 cm long. If we compare the length of the tail and body, then of all the cats the snow leopard has the longest tail, it makes up more than three-quarters of the body length. The snow leopard's tail serves as a balance when jumping. The length of the jump during hunting is up to 14-15 meters. The weight of an adult snow leopard can reach 100 kg.

The snow leopard is a predator that lives and hunts alone. Each snow leopard lives within the boundaries of a strictly defined individual territory. Hunts in most cases before sunset and in the morning at dawn. In the wild, snow leopards mainly feed on ungulates: blue sheep, Siberian mountain goats, ibexes, argali, tars, takins, serows, gorals, roe deer, deer, musk deer, deer, wild boars. In addition, from time to time they feed on small animals atypical for their diet, such as ground squirrels, pikas and birds (chukars, snowcocks, pheasants). In Russia, the main food for the snow leopard is mountain goat, and in some places also deer, roe deer, argali, and reindeer. As a rule, the snow leopard sneaks up on its prey unnoticed and jumps on it with lightning speed. He often uses high stones for this in order to unexpectedly throw the victim to the ground by jumping from above and kill him. At the end of summer, autumn and early winter, snow leopards often hunt in families of 2-3 individuals, which are formed by a female with her cubs. The snow leopard is able to cope with prey three times its mass. There is a recorded case of 2 snow leopards successfully hunting a 2-year-old Tien Shan brown bear. Snow leopards consume plant food - green parts of plants, grass, etc. - in addition to their meat diet only in the summer.

Snow leopards do not emit a loud calling roar, characteristic of large cats, but purr like small ones. During the rut, animals make sounds similar to a deep meow. An adult snow leopard, like most other felines, has 30 teeth.

Leopard cubs (snow leopard cubs) are born blind and helpless, but after about 6-8 days they begin to see. The weight of a newborn leopard is about 500 grams with a length of up to 30 cm. The maximum known life expectancy in nature is 13 years. Life expectancy in captivity is usually about 21 years, but there is a known case where a female lived for 28 years.

Illegal but financially lucrative hunting for snow leopard fur has significantly reduced its population. On the black markets of Asia, the skin of this beast can fetch up to 60 thousand dollars. In all countries of its existence, the snow leopard is placed under state protection, but poaching still threatens it.

One of the most powerful representatives of the cat family is the snow leopard. Another name for this animal is snow leopard or snow leopard. Snow leopard hunting is always popular because of its valuable fur. Because of this, the number of individuals of this species decreased greatly in the middle of the last century.

It was recorded that in the sixties of the 20th century there were only one thousand adult snow leopards left on the planet. Recently, the snow leopard population has increased and reached a value of 5000–7500 individuals. This was achieved thanks to the ban on hunting this predator. In all states where the snow leopard lives, the animal is protected and listed in the Red Book.

Habitats and numbers of snow leopards

You can meet this magnificent animal in Central Asia. The main habitats of snow leopards are located in such states as:

• Afghanistan,
• Russia,
• China,
• India,
• Kazakhstan,
• Kyrgyzstan,
• Mongolia,
• Uzbekistan and others.

You can meet a mammalian predator in the highlands, approximately at an altitude of 1500 to 5 thousand meters above sea level. In Russia, snow leopard habitats are located in Khakassia, Altai, Tyva, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Appearance of a snow leopard (irbis)

Description of the appearance of the snow leopard

The appearance of the snow leopard resembles a leopard, despite its rather distant relationship. In addition, the snow leopard is significantly smaller than its relative. At the withers the animal grows up to 60 centimeters. The body of the snow leopard reaches one and a half meters in length, the tail is a whole meter! From the entire cat family snow leopards have the longest tail in relation to their body. The tail is used to maintain balance during huge jumps - over a distance of 15 meters. Moreover, the weight of an adult leopard can reach 100 kilograms. Males are usually larger than females.

The snow leopard's head is small, about 20 centimeters long. The tips of the ears are rounded and there are no tassels. Wide paws prevent the predator from falling into the snow.

The coat color is predominantly gray with black spots. In winter, the skin has a darker color, and in summer it becomes lighter. The spots are shaped like a five-leaf flower, often with an additional spot in the middle. The head, neck and limbs do not have clearly defined spots, but rather black smears. The spots are large and can reach a diameter of 7 centimeters. The predator's fur is thick and long, the hairs reach a length of 5.5 centimeters. This is due to the fact that snow leopards live mainly in cold climates. It is noteworthy that snow leopards fur grows even between the toes. This saves the snow leopard from the cold in winter and from hot stones in summer. It also prevents it from slipping on ice.

An adult animal has 30 teeth. They do not emit a roar like other large representatives of the cat family, but mostly meow in low tones.

Food and hunting

Snow leopards are predatory animals of the cat family. They prefer to hunt at dusk or dawn. As a rule, they hunt the following animals:

• on ungulates: sheep, mountain goats, roe deer, deer;
• on small animals: gophers, pikas;
• for birds: snowcocks, pheasants.

However, attacking small animals and birds is not typical for snow leopards. Snow leopards hunt for them if there are not enough large horned animals nearby.

The hunt is carried out as follows. The predator sneaks up on the chosen game and quickly jumps on it. For an ambush, high stones are used; in this case, the victim will be thrown from above. They can pursue prey at a distance of about 300 meters, but if they fail to catch up with the victim, they stop the chase. Snow leopards can hunt in families of 2–3 individuals. In this case, these mammalian predators can even successfully attack a bear.

Snow leopards drag their prey onto a bed, where they eat it. The remains, as a rule, are not guarded or hidden. At the same time, one large game, a snow leopard, is enough for several days.

In summer, snow leopards are known to nibble on grass and green parts of young bushes in addition to meat obtained from hunting.

Reproduction

Snow leopards lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle, but can form family groups. The territory of one male has an area of ​​150–160 square kilometers. Partially overlapped by female territories. They prefer to settle in rocky places, often occupying natural caves or nests of large birds.

Mating occurs in spring or early summer. The mating season is very short - only a week. Pregnancy lasts 3–3.5 months. The female makes a warm, secluded den, the bottom of which is lined with her fur. There are 2–3 kittens in a litter. The cubs are born blind and their eyes open after about a week. Babies weigh approximately 500 grams and reach a length of 30 centimeters. The color is brown with small spots. At first they feed only on mother's milk. Only the mother takes care of the babies.

The cubs sit in a cave hidden from prying eyes for about 2 months. All this time, in addition to milk, the female feeds them with meat. Little leopards begin to go hunting with their mother at about six months.. At first, only the mother rushes to the prey.

Children become independent at about two years of age, and sexual maturity occurs at four years of age. The lifespan of snow leopards reaches 13 years; in captivity they can live up to 20.

Niramin - Sep 2nd, 2015

The snow leopard, or, as hunters have long called it, the snow leopard, is an animal from the cat family. It is similar in appearance to a leopard, but slightly smaller in size. Because of their valuable fur, people hunted them en masse, after which they were listed in the Red Book of the World. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to see a snow leopard, then you are very lucky. Since each time the likelihood of meeting him has sharply decreased.

Appearance of the snow leopard

The length of the snow leopard's body including its tail is about two meters. Its weight is about 45-55 kg. Males are usually much larger than females. Externally, the shape of the head and its physique resembles a domestic cat. The predator's wide paws are strong and equipped with curved and sharp claws. Thanks to its paws, the snow leopard easily walks through the snow without falling into it. Due to the beautiful gray-white coat color with black spots on the fur, it allows the predator to camouflage well among the rocks in winter. Among the representatives of the cat family, this is the only animal that can jump from a height of 15 meters downwards with pinpoint accuracy.

Where does the snow leopard live?

Leopards are very secretive animals. They live alone in hard-to-reach places, in rocky cliffs high in the mountains, up to about 5 thousand at sea level, among the mountains of Central and Central Asia. If in summer he lives high in the mountains, then in winter he descends into the valleys.

What do snow leopards eat and who do they hunt?

The main time for hunting is when the snow leopard chooses twilight. During the day, they bask in the sun or rest in the den. They always hunt alone, chasing their prey for a long time. Having killed their prey, they bring it into their home and only then begin to eat food. They can eat up to 3 kg of meat at a time.

Predators feed on artiodactyl animals, such as rams, goats, sheep, but they also love hare and even mouse. If they are really hungry, they can go down to the valley and attack livestock.

How do snow leopards reproduce?

The mating season or breeding season for leopards occurs at the beginning of spring: March - April. The female's pregnancy lasts up to 100 days, so she gives birth only once every two years. Usually up to 3 cubs are born. At two months they already begin to follow their mother everywhere, since the father does not take part in raising them. They feed exclusively on mother's milk for up to 4 months. Predators reach final puberty by the age of three.

See a selection of snow leopard photos:

Irbis in a high jump.











Mother and cub





















Photo: Angry Irbis

Video: Irbis - the legend of the snow-capped mountains (Film by Ivan Usanov).

Video: Snow leopard attacks bull yak

Video: Afghanistan: Snow Leopard: WILD HD

Snow leopard, also known as snow leopard, or snow leopard (lat. Panthera uncia, Uncia uncia) is a mammal of the order Carnivora, cat family. Previously, it was classified as a separate genus, Snow Leopards (lat. Uncia), represented by a single species Uncia uncia. In 2006, according to the results of genetic studies, in some classifications it was added to the genus Big cats (Panthers) (lat. Panthera). It turned out that according to the genetic criterion, the snow leopard is closest to. True, some scientists still doubt this, classifying the animal as belonging to the genus Uncia. In addition to the snow leopard, the clouded leopard and the clouded leopard have the same controversial status.

International scientific name: Panthera uncia(Schreber, 1775), Uncia uncia (Schreber, 1775).

Synonyms: Felis uncia(Schreber, 1775).

Security status: According to the IUCN Red List (version 3.1), the snow leopard is considered vulnerable. According to the Red Book of Russia, the species is disappearing.

This cat has many names. The Kalmyks call it irgiz, the Uzbeks - alaji bars, the Tatars - akbars, the Tungus - kunik, the Yakuts - khakhai, the Kazakhs - ilbis or barys, the British - snow leopard, the Mongols - irves. In Japanese, snow leopard is tora. In Kyrgyzstan, the snow leopard is called ilbirs. In Russian, it has long been called an irbis, which is translated from the ancient Turkic language as “snow cat”, and in Tuvan it sounds like irbish.

Russian people learned about the snow leopard from merchants who traded with the Turkic peoples. The word itself has entered the scientific literature as a full-fledged term replacing the name “snow leopard.” The word "leopard" is also borrowed from the Turkic language and means "leopard". The snow leopard is often also called the white leopard. First scientific name Uncia was given to the snow leopard by the German scientist I.H. Schreber in 1775.

By the way, despite the fact that the leopard is called a snow leopard, it does not like to walk in the snow.

Snow leopard - description of the animal and photographs. What does a snow leopard look like?

The snow leopard is a graceful predator with a flexible and agile body, a smooth and graceful gait, somewhat reminiscent of, but squat in comparison with it. The features of the snow leopard's adaptation to its environment are noticeable in its entire appearance. The average length of the animal's body is 100-130 cm, the tail - 90-105 cm. The total length of the body including the tail can reach 230 cm. The height at the withers is approximately 60 cm. The size of males exceeds the size of females. The weight of an adult male snow leopard reaches 45-55 kg, a female weighs no more than 35-40 kg.

The body of the snow leopard is slightly convex in the area of ​​the sacrum and sloping towards the shoulders, which is characteristic of the appearance of small cats (lat. Felinae). The snow leopard is ten times heavier than a domestic leopard and seven to eight times lighter than a tiger, the largest of the cats. For this, scientists call it the “big small cat.” The snow leopard differs from the leopard in having a less massive front part of the body and a smaller head.

The snow leopard's head is small, round, and shaped like the head of a domestic cat. It has small, rounded, widely spaced ears. The structure of the snow leopard's skull is easily recognized by its characteristic large forehead. There are no tassels on the ears. In winter, the ears are practically invisible due to the long pile covering them.

The whiskers on the face of the snow leopard are black or white, up to 10.5 cm long. The animal's eyes are large, with round pupils. Vision and smell are very well developed.

The snow leopard has sharp and long teeth and claws. All cats, including the snow leopard, have 30 teeth:

• on the upper and lower jaws there are 6 incisors, 2 canines;
• on the upper jaw - 3 premolars and 1 molar;
• on the lower jaw - 2 premolars and 1 molar.

The length of the snow leopard's fangs is somewhat shorter than those of other cats. It is 59.9 mm.

On the sides of the snow leopard's long tongue there are tubercles covered with keratinized skin. They help the beast strip meat from the victim and wash itself during hygienic procedures.

The soft and long hairs of the animal can reach 55 mm.

The magnificent tail of the snow leopard is covered with especially long hair. It reaches more than ¾ of the total body size and appears very thick due to its elongated fur. The thickness of the tail exceeds the thickness of the predator's forearm.

The snow leopard holds its tail either bent in an arc towards its back, or drags it freely along the ground, stones or snow: then in winter a distinct stripe is additionally visible between its tracks.

By the way, the snow leopard often bites its tail for some reason. Zoologists suggest that this is how he simply warms his nose in cold winters. But maybe there is another explanation for this? All cats love to play, and snow leopards are no exception: they bite their tails for fun.

The snow leopard's wide snowshoe paws are equipped with light pink retractable claws. Along with thick fur, they make the predator visually larger. The length of the foot of the hind legs of the mammal is 22-26 cm.

The color of the snow leopard's coat on the back and upper sides is predominantly smoky-brownish-gray, with dark gray or black spots. There are no differences in color between females and males. In the off-season, the smoky coating is less pronounced than in winter. The belly and sides of the animal are lighter underneath than the upper part of the body. There is no yellowness in the colors. However, according to the latest data, the Baikal subspecies (lat. U. u. baikalensis-romanii), which not all scientists recognize as a valid subspecies, has yellow tones in color.

The spots on the predator’s body have the shape of rings (rosettes) or continuous streaks with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. There are only solid spots on the neck, head and legs. On the back, near the sacrum, they often merge and form stripes stretching along the body. At the end of the tail there are large markings in the form of half rings framing the tail. Unlike a real leopard, the snow leopard has much fewer spots.

The pattern of spots is individual for each animal. In young individuals it is bright; over the years it becomes fuzzy and blurry, remaining only on the head and paws. This coloring helps the predator remain invisible among rocks, stones and snow. The adaptation of the snow leopard to its natural habitat is also expressed in changes in the thickness of the fur depending on the season. The winter fur of the snow leopard is very lush and silky, it allows the predator not to freeze in the mountains even in the cold season.

Like all living organisms, the snow leopard's fitness is relative. When the environment is actively changing - the snow is quickly melting, the mountain slopes are covered with dense vegetation, then neither the color of the coat nor the sharp claws can save the animal.

What does a snow leopard eat?

The snow leopard, like any cat, is a dexterous and strong hunter. It can kill prey more than 3-4 times its weight. The snow leopard's food is mainly medium-sized ungulates. The snow leopard hunts mountain goats (lat. Capra), point-horned goats (markhors) (lat. Capra falconeri), blue rams (lat. Pseudois), argali (lat. Ovis ammon), Siberian roe deer (lat. Capreolus pygargus), musk deer (lat. Moschus moschiferus), deer (lat. Cervus elaphus), reindeer (lat. Rangifer tarandus), boars (lat. Sus scrofa), gazelles (lat. Gazella subgutturosa), kulans (lat. Equus hemionus), serau (lat. Capricornis), gorals (lat. Naemorhedus caudatus), Himalayan tar (lat. Hemitragus jemlahicus), takins (lat. Budorcas taxicolor). More often it attacks female goats and young kids, sometimes not yet able to follow their mother.

Snow leopards also eat small animals such as snowcocks, pikas, marmots, hares, and chukars. They catch birds: pheasants, partridges, mountain turkeys. Of the large victims, their prey can be male deer and horses. Like other felines, they sometimes eat grass or rhododendron shoots to supplement their vitamin deficiencies. Domestic animals (goats, snow leopards) are attacked by snow leopards either in winter or if they graze in alpine meadows.

On average, the snow leopard hunts 2 times a month. He does this alone, more often at night or at dusk, less often during the day. Only occasionally can a male and a female or a female with grown cubs go hunting together.

The snow leopard hunt consists of an ambush and a decisive throw. Usually the predator lies above the path along which the ungulates pass in order to make a jump from above. He can also watch over them at a watering hole or salt lick. To be successful, he needs a height advantage. If the leopard misses when throwing, it usually pursues the victim no more than 300 meters or even leaves it alone. At short distances, the speed of the snow leopard can reach 64 km per hour. The snow leopard can also crawl towards its prey from cover. When there are several tens of meters left before the prey, the snow leopard jumps out and quickly overtakes it with a jump of 6-7 meters in length. Having caught up with his prey, he tears its throat or groin with his teeth.

Occasionally, the snow leopard tries to catch up with its prey. So on the Dzhebaglytau ridge we encountered traces of a predator chasing argali females for about a kilometer.

The leopard does not kill several animals at the same time, as, for example, a wolf does. It eats the carcass of a killed or goat in 3-7 days. At one time he can eat no more than 3 kg of meat.

The snow leopard lives in 12 countries: Nepal, Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia.

The snow leopard is an inhabitant of the snowy peaks of the Central Asian massifs. Usually its home is the highlands near the snow line, up to an altitude of 2000 - 5000 meters. Depending on the snow line, it can descend to a level of 500 m (in Russia) and rise to 6500 m (in Nepal). In winter, the predator can be found in the forests where the snow leopard hunts, musk deer, and deer. The oldest fossilized remains of this animal were found in Altai and Mongolia. They have been preserved there since the Pleistocene era of the Quaternary period.

The snow leopard's habitat extends from the Himalayas in the south, through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the mountains of Central Asia to the mountains of Southern Siberia in the north. The predator is found in the Altai, Sayan Mountains, Tien Shan, Kunlun, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Karakorum, as well as on the outer Himalayan ranges and in small isolated mountains in the Gobi region. In the mountains of Tibet, the snow leopard is found as far as Altun Shan. The southern border of the distribution of the mammal is in Tajikistan. A small area of ​​potential range is located in northern Myanmar, but the animal's recent presence there has not been confirmed. On the territory of Russia lies the northernmost border of the snow leopard's habitat in the world: here it inhabits the Altai-Sayan mountainous country (southern Krasnoyarsk Territory, Chita Region, the Republics of Tyva, Altai, Buryatia, Khakassia), and is also found in such reserves as Altai and Sayano -Shushensky. Unfortunately, in Russia the snow leopard population is on the verge of extinction.

Due to the small number and secrecy, the presence of a snow leopard in the territory and its habits are recognized mainly due to indirect signs. Where the snow leopard is located, there are scrapes in the ground, burrs on tree trunks, excrement, urine marks and footprints. Snow leopard tracks are large, without claw marks, reminiscent of lynx tracks. But snow leopard and lynx are practically never found in the same territory. Now automatic cameras (photo traps) and satellite beacons have been added to the methods of detecting animals. With their help you can learn everything about the snow leopard.

The slopes of the Altai Mountains are a typical habitat for the snow leopard. Photo credit: Stefan Kühn, CC BY-SA 3.0

Number of snow leopards in the world

This secretive and therefore poorly studied mammal has become rare due to the fault of people. The first mentions of it in literature appeared only in the 18th century. And all the work of that time was devoted to how to discover the habitat of the snow leopard, how to properly kill the animal and tan its skin. The snow leopard was important only as a game animal. Due to intensive destruction, the life of the snow leopard was in danger.

Due to the fact that the snow leopard leads a secretive lifestyle, it is difficult for scientists to accurately count the number of individuals. According to the latest data, there are from 4 to 7 thousand snow leopards left in the world.

• There are only 150-200 individuals left in Russia.
• China has the largest number of snow leopards: 2000-5000 individuals.
• There are 600-700 snow leopards living in zoos around the world.

Snow leopards have become completely extinct in parts of Russia, Nepal, India and Mongolia. The reasons why the numbers of this species are declining around the world are absurdly similar:

1. Poaching.

The snow leopard is hunted for its valuable fur, as well as for the use of its body parts in oriental medicine. Leopards often die after getting caught in snares placed on other animals; in Russia, most often on musk deer.

1. Human modification of the snow leopard's habitat.

The construction of roads, as well as gas and oil pipelines, affects the number of ungulates - the leopard's main prey. The proximity of man-made buildings also causes discomfort for this cautious and secretive mammal.

1. Shooting during an attack on livestock.

The snow leopard can attack livestock if it is grazing in the predator's hunting area. Having climbed into a covered pen, in his excitement he can slaughter almost the entire herd.

1. Reducing the number of ungulates due to intensive human hunting and changes in their habitats.

How does a snow leopard live in the wild?

It is important for the snow leopard to be surrounded by rocks, boulders, scree, and gorges, because it cannot pursue prey for a long time, and therefore hunts from ambush. When a snow leopard sits hidden among the rocks, it is almost impossible to notice it. The animal's paws, which are short relative to the body, allow it to move silently along the rocks. It slowly creeps up or quietly waits for the victim, and then suddenly attacks it. This tactic allows the predator to cope with an animal much larger than itself. Like big cats, it kills prey quickly and accurately, and eats it like representatives of small cats: slowly and little by little.

The snow leopard is a cautious animal. Its main refuges are hard-to-reach gorges, crevices and caves in the mountains. Females hide here and breed their offspring. In the mountains, the snow leopard wanders behind herds of ungulates, in the summer it rises higher in the mountains, and in the winter it descends to the forest belt. In summer, it often lives in the subalpine and alpine belts of the mountains.

Despite its name, the snow leopard has difficulty moving through deep snow. In winter, he prefers to walk along well-trodden animal trails.

The snow leopard can jump up to 3 meters in height and up to 6-7 meters in length. There is evidence that it “flies” over gorges that are 15 meters wide, but this is unlikely. The snow leopard's jump is helped by its well-developed pectoral muscles, and with their help it can easily climb steep cliffs. In this case, its tail serves as a rudder - this is one of the explanations for why the snow leopard needs such a long tail. The snow leopard's main prey is wild mountain ungulates, so daily training exercises - overcoming steep slopes, jumping on rocky screes - are a vital necessity for the predator. The snow leopard uses its tail as a balance during fast movements and sharp turns.

The snow leopard is an animal well adapted to life at high altitudes. It has an expanded chest and large lung capacity to obtain the necessary amount of oxygen from the thin air high in the mountains. The deep and wide cavity of its nose helps warm the cold mountain air. In addition, when he goes to bed, he covers his nose with his fluffy warm tail.

The snow leopard can withstand frosts down to -40°C and below. In winter, even the pads of its paws are covered with thick hair.

Each snow leopard has its own territory, the boundaries of which it marks in different ways: it scrapes the ground with its hind legs, leaving scratching holes, splashes of urine on the rocks at nose level, excrement, scuff marks on the most noticeable tree trunks. But males are not aggressive towards their fellow tribesmen; their territories can overlap with the territories of several adult females.

The snow leopard is most active at dawn and dusk, making it difficult to spot. In winter, the animal has a more difficult time than in summer, since its tracks in the snow are clearly visible.

By the way, the snow leopard loves to play, like all cats: it rolls around in the snow, rolls down the mountains on its back, having previously accelerated well. After a successful hunt, he basks in the sun, settling down somewhere more comfortable.

The snow leopard cannot growl: it purrs, meows, moans, howls, hisses. The meow of a snow leopard resembles a roar, as it calls spring with its guttural “ay”.

Latin name: Uncia uncia, Panthera uncia

English name: snow leopard

Order: carnivores

Family: felines

Genus: Uncia (snow leopards), has 1 species

The snow leopard is a member of the cat family that lives in the harsh climate of the mountains of Central Asia. Among all the big cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent resident of the highlands. The predator belongs to a genus that occupies an intermediate position between the group of small cats and large cats of the genus Panthera (tigers, jaguars, lions).

Appearance and anatomical features of the snow leopard's body structure

In appearance, the snow leopard resembles a leopard. Indeed, the predators are similar in posture and overall dimensions. The length of the flexible body of the snow leopard reaches 1 meter, and these cats weigh 25-40 kilograms. Male predators are slightly larger than females. A characteristic distinguishing feature of the snow leopard is a very long thick tail (about 100 centimeters long), as well as rather short limbs with wide paws (the length of the hind feet reaches 22-25 centimeters). The paw prints are large and round, with no discernible claw marks. Snow leopards' vision, hearing and sense of smell are well developed.

Interesting fact

Wide, fluffy paws with flat, large pads act as natural snowshoes and help large cats distribute their weight evenly so as not to fall through when walking on loose snow.

The coat color of snow leopards is light gray, with rare dark ring-shaped spots clearly visible. There are also small solid spots distributed throughout the body. The fur on the belly is white. The top end of the tail is black. In young individuals, the color of the spots is more intense than in adult leopards. Geographical variability of fur color is not expressed. In general, the fur of snow leopards is very warm, thick and long (on the back the length reaches 5.5 centimeters). Soft fur grows even between the toes; it reliably protects large paws from the cold. All these signs indicate that snow leopards live in cold climates with harsh winters and are excellent jumpers.

In animals, on a relatively small, rounded head, large eyes of a yellowish-green hue with a round pupil are located quite high. Leopards' ears are short and rounded, and in winter they are almost invisible among the fur.

Like most other representatives of the cat family, adult snow leopards have 30 strong and sharp teeth in their mouths. The whiskers of leopards are white and black, up to 10.5 centimeters long. A movable long tongue allows spotted cats to easily separate meat from the skeleton of the victim. The skull of these predators is relatively powerful and massive, distinguished by highly developed zygomatic arches.

Distribution area of ​​the snow leopard

When hunting, snow leopards can jump up to 10 meters in length.

Reproduction snow leopard

The period of active breeding of snow leopards occurs in the last month of winter and the beginning of spring. In hard-to-reach places, females specially create a comfortable, warm shelter for the birth of offspring. Pregnancy lasts approximately 90-110 days. A female snow leopard gives birth only once every two years. Depending on the geographic area of ​​their habitat, kittens are born in April-May or May-June.

Interesting fact

In Tibet and the Himalayas, snow leopards mate all year round. The mating song of the snow leopard resembles a rough, but at the same time gentle meow.

In one litter, 2-3 small snow leopards are born (less often 3-4). Babies are born blind and regain their sight in 5-8 days. Newborn snow leopards weigh approximately 500 grams, their body length is no more than 30 centimeters. The body of the cubs is covered with brown fur with pronounced dark spots. In appearance and size, newborns resemble domestic cats.

For the first 1.5-2 months, the brood feeds only on mother's milk. Then the female begins to feed the kittens meat food. At 3 months old, young snow leopards first try to follow their mother on a walk, and at five to six months of age they are already hunting with her. The whole family lies in wait for the prey, but the female always makes the decisive jump. The cubs accompany their mother until they are almost 1 year old, learning from her the difficult art of hunting in the highlands.

Young animals reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years. The male meets the female only for the mating period and does not take part in raising the offspring. In the wild, snow leopards live 12-15 years, in zoos - up to 20 years.

Population status and conservation of snow leopards

The snow leopard is an endangered rare species and is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to World Wildlife Fund data for 2003, the total number of snow leopards within their distribution range does not exceed 7,500 individuals. However, due to the secretive lifestyle of these spotted predators and the inaccessibility of habitats, the population size estimate is approximate and based on expert opinions of zoologists.

The independent wildlife trade monitoring program TRAFFIC monitors the number of snow leopards in the wild. According to a 2015 report, there are only about 4,000 snow leopards left in the wild. Poachers kill spotted cats because they attack livestock. The report also notes that only 20% of snow leopards are destroyed for their beautiful warm fur, for the sale of skins, bones, claws and teeth. Illegal trade is growing every year. More than 90% of poaching cases occur in 5 countries - Mongolia, China, India, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Interesting fact

Along with poaching, the defensive behavior of snow leopards negatively affects the population status. Predators use protective coat coloring and, in case of danger, often hide, which often leads to their death, since in open areas people kill animals with firearms. In addition, with an insufficient food supply, spotted cats can feed on the victims of other predators and die by eating poisoned baits, which poachers illegally use to fight wolves.

Snow leopard and man

In the wild, snow leopards have no enemies among animals. The population size of these predators is affected by a reduction in the food supply. The number of snow leopards is decreasing due to harsh living conditions in the highlands.

The only enemy of the snow leopard is man. Even though snow leopards are quite rare animals, they have always been a desirable trophy for hunters. Animal fur is highly valued. On the black market, the skin of one snow leopard costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Nowadays, hunting snow leopards is prohibited in many countries. However, poaching continues to threaten these big cats.

Interesting fact

Since the number of snow leopards in nature is small, and they live in sparsely populated regions, the harm of predators to livestock and hunting is quite insignificant.

All over the world, menageries contain several thousand representatives of the species Uncia uncia. Today, the captive population of snow leopards numbers about 2,000 individuals, most of them in China. Of this number, only 15% of snow leopards were caught in the wild, the rest were born in zoos and centers for the reproduction of rare animal species. Snow leopards reproduce successfully in captivity. In such conditions, animals do not show aggression, but still remain wild cats and are not tamed.