Snow Leopard
- Status
- Critically Endangered
- Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
- Least Concern
- Near Threatened
- This animal is currently Vulnerable
Snow Leopard
Panthera uncia
Snow leopards are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2017, snow leopards were down-graded from Endangered because of conservation efforts, but they still face threats such as habitat loss and retaliation killings when snow leopards kill local herders’ livestock. They are also greatly impacted by climate change.
What are they like?
Physical Description: Snow leopards' background color varies from pale gray to creamy smoke gray, and the underside is whitish. On their head, neck, and lower limbs are solid spots. Their back, sides, and tail have large black rings or rosettes, many enclosing some small spots. They can weigh between 90-130 pounds, with males being larger than females. They are 22-26 inches in height, 36-44 inches in length, and their tail can be up to 40 inches.
Life Span: In the wild, snow leopards can live 15-21 years. In zoos, they can live up to 21 years.
Diet: In the wild, snow leopards will eat anything from a mouse to gazelles and wild sheep, and occasionally livestock. At the Zoo, our snow leopards eat ground meat with vitamin supplements and bone shanks. They are also given a rabbit once a week.
Social Structure: Snow leopards are primarily solitary, except during breeding season (January through May) when males and females hunt together, or when females have offspring.
Habitat: Snow leopards live in mountain steppes and coniferous forest scrub at elevations of 16,000 feet. Only in winter will they descend to approximately 4,800 feet.
Where do they live?
Snow leopards are found in Central Asia and occur across at least 10 international boundaries of China, Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Russia.
Did you know?
- Snow leopards stalk and ambush their prey, creeping up then grabbing it in a sudden spring. They can kill an animal three times their own size. The snow leopard will drag the carcass of a large animal to its marked territory and eat it over several days.
- Snow leopards are crepuscular, meaning they are active during twilight.
- In addition to using its long tail for balance, when a snow leopard is resting, it often wraps its tail around itself like a blanket.
- The snow leopard has an elastic ligament but can not roar. Vocalizations include loud moaning that is associated with attraction of a mate.The ability to roar depends on a complex of characteristics, especially a specialized larynx containing very long vocal folds with a thick pad of fibro-elastic tissue. These structures are not found in the snow leopard, which is why they cannot roar.
- Snow leopards are the least aggressive of the large cats and rarely attack man. They can run 35-40 mph and leap up to 50 feet.
