Snow Leopard
Uncia uncia
Description and Behavior
The snow leopard exhibits superb camouflage for its mountain environment of bare rocks and snow, being whitish-grey (tinged with yellow) in color, and patterned with dark grey rosettes and spots. Further adaptations for high altitude life include an enlarged nasal cavity (bring in more oxygen-poor air), shortened limbs (for warmth and balance), well-developed chest muscles (for climbing), long hair with dense, woolly underfur (belly fur grows as long as 4.5 inches), and a tail up to 3 feet long (for balance). The long tail is thought to aid balance, and snow leopards will wrap their tails around themselves when lying or sitting for added warmth. The snow leopard’s vocal fold is less developed than in the pantherines, lacking a thick pad of fibro-elastic tissue, so that it cannot make the low and intense "roars" of which the other big cats are capable. Males are larger than females, with average weights around 110 lbs, as opposed to 80 lbs for females.
Snow leopards tend to remain within a relatively small area for 7-10 days, then shift activity to a relatively distant part of their home range (home range can be as large as 100 square miles).
Prey
Snow leopards are opportunistic predators capable of killing prey up to three times their own weight, with the exception of fully grown yak or wild ass. They will also take small prey such as marmots. In general, their most commonly taken prey consists of wild sheep and goats, but also includes pikas, hares, and gamebirds. Predation on livestock can be significant.
Habitat
Snow leopard show a strong preference for cliffy habitat with moderately to very broken terrain, rocky outcrops and ravines as opposed to open smooth slopes and densely forested areas.
Range
Central Asia (parts of China, Russia, Middle East)
Biology
| Weight | |
| Reproductive Season | Early Jan to mid-Mar, a time when vocalizations can most commonly be heard (in wild and in captivity)
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| Gestation Period | 98-104 days
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| Litter Size | 1-5, usually 2-3 cubs
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| Age at Independence | |
| Sexual Maturity | 2-3 years
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| Longevity | 15 years in captivity
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| Social Structure | Solitary, except family groups
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Principal Threats
Loss of prey items to human hunting, poaching, and loss of habitat. There is demand for snow leopard bones for use as substitutes for tiger bone from the Chinese medicine trade. Traders will pay up to $190 (US) for a snow leopard skeleton in Tibet. Garments of snow leopard fur were once highly prized in the fashion world, with high quality coats valued at up to $50,000 (US).
The snow leopards are also faced with the challenge of having a large territory in a very harsh climate. Individuals have a hard time coming together to mate due to how spread out the population has become. The more their habitat is destroyed, and the more individuals are killed, the less likely it will be for the remaining animals to mate.
Role in Environment
Umbrella species
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