Introduction

Snow leopards are a striking, elegant mammal, noted for their thick, ringed coat and distinctively long tail. Its name generates the misconception that it is closely related to the leopard, however, snow leopards are in fact the only members of the genus Uncia uncia. Snow leopards are found in the high mountain ranges and cold climates throughout Asia.

Classification

1. Kingdom: Animalia
2. Phylum: Chordata
3. Subphylum: Vertebrata
4. Class: Mammalia
5. Order: Carnivora
6. Family: Felidae
7. Subfamily: Pantherinae
8. Genus: Uncia
9. Species: Uncia uncia

Characteristics

Habitat

Although snow leopards are found throughout Asia, their populations are concentrated in the Himalayas, Altai Mountains, and the Hindu Kush. Snow leopards have adapted to thrive in these rocky environments, which are characterized by their extremely cold climates. They have been spotted at altitudes from 2,000 feet in Siberia to 21,300 feet above sea level in the Himalayas. During the winter they follow their prey down to coniferous forests at lower altitudes.

Food Source/ Food Chain

Snow leopards are crepuscular, which means they hunt when the sun rises and then when the sun sets. Their method of capture is to stalk their prey for twenty to fifty feet, and then ambush their victim. They generally feed on wild sheep, goats, wild boars, deer, and other small mammals and birds. They can prey on an animal two or three times its size.

Reproductive Behaviors

Mating season for snow leopards is during the late winter, so that cubs are born in the spring, when food is abundant. Mothers only give birth about every two years because of the long length of time that their cub's dependency. Snow leopards are solitary animals, and usually will only pair up during the mating season. They are placental mammals and their cubs are born alive, usually in litters of one to five (most often two or three). Snow leopard mothers are pregnant for around 98 days. Cubs weigh 320-708 grams at birth and are blind for about nine days. At three months, they begin participating in hunts and will stay with their mothers until they are around eighteen months of age.

Social Behaviors

Snow leopards are usually identified as their own species because of their inability to roar. Their species, Uncia uncia, can be characterized by underdevelopment of the tissues surrounding their voice box. Snow leopards are known to make a distinct "chuffing" noise to greet others. The only exception would be during mating season, in which leopards will hunt with their partner.

Interesting Characteristics and Behaviors

Snow leopards have adapted well to their rocky, steep environment and travel with facility over the dangerous mountain terrain. They are able to jump incredible lengths of about thirty feet, which is six times its body length. Snow leopards also have strong chests which enable them to breathe at such high altitudes. Like other mammals, they mark their territory, which tends to be along major features like cliff bases or ridge-lines. Although snow leopards are able to attack animals much larger than them for food, it may take as many as three or four days to consume these large animals. People have assumed that big cats are violent, possibly resulting from influences from the media and seeing video images of the cat's ability to overcome much larger beasts, but to contradict this idea, there has never been a verified snow leopard attack on a human.

Submitted by:

Christine Orson and Leslie Parker

Bibliography:

"Snow Leopard." Snow Leopard -- Kid's Planet. Defenders of Wildlife. 3 May 2006

"Snow Leopard." Snow Leopard. Andrew Garman. 2 May 2006

"Uncia Uncia." Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 3

Cavendish, Marshall. "Leopard." Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol. 8. 1213-1217.