For this months blog it seemed most
fitting to do a piece on an animal that
lives in the colder climates, and what
better a species than the beautiful Snow
Leopard. Enjoy and please stay tuned
for our next blog in January to welcome
the New Year.
Amongst the snow capped mountainous regions of
Central and South Asia hides the
cryptic and
majestic Snow Leopard Uncia uncia.
Today there are only an estimated
3,500-7,000 total left in the wild
spanning across Afghanistan, Bhutan,
China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Most recently
the Snow Leopard has been found in
Siberia along the Altai Mountains on the
Russia-Mongolia border.
The body of the Snow Leopard is perfectly designed to live in snowy cold
climates. They have a stocky build and
thick fur with small ears, which helps
them to reduce heat loss. These big cats
are between 4-5 feet long and between
60-120 pounds. The nasal cavities of the
snow leopard are large compared to other
big cats; this adaptation is to allow
the Snow Leopard to breath the cold thin
air. Walking around in the snow is no
easy feat; the insulated fur covered
feet of the Snow Leopard makes for a
built-in ‘snow shoe’ of sorts allowing
them to thrive in these harsh climates.
Photo Credit: Bernard Landgraf
In behavior, the Snow Leopard is crepuscular;
this means that they are most active at
dawn and dusk. This species is
primarily solitary, with the omission of
mating during late winter and when
mothers are rearing young. Unlike other
big cats, Snow Leopards do not roar,
this is due to the absence of the
larynx. Although they don’t roar they do
make some vocalizations including
growls, wails and hisses. Snow Leopards
are carnivorous and both hunt and
opportunistically feed on carrion and
livestock. Snow Leopards are known to
hunt various species including birds,
blue sheep, Ibex, marmots, rodents and
wooly hares.
Snow Leopards are listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered. The major
threats to these beautiful creatures is
hunting for furs and organs to supply
the Traditional Chinese Medicine trades
as well as a result of human-wildlife
conflict with farmers hunting Snow
Leopards to protect their livestock.
Besides hunting and trade, further
pressure on the species is attributed to
vanishing habitat and decline of prey
species.
What does that mean?
Cryptic -
An animal that is difficult to
observe or be seen in the wild.
Crepuscular
- Animals that are primarily
active during twilight (at dawn and
dusk).
What you can do?
