Snow leopard

The snow leopard (Uncia uncia ), also known as the ounce, or irbis, is a large cat that ranges over highland habitats in Central Asia. It occurs from Turkistan and northern Afghanistan in the western part of its range, through the Kashmir region of Pakistan and India, to southern Mongolia, extreme southwestern China, and Tibet. The snow leopard is sometimes referred to as Panthera uncia, which indicates affinity with other large cats, such as the tiger, African lion, and mountain lion, which are also named in the genus Panthera.

The snow leopard has an adult body length of 29–51 in (75–130 cm) and a tail of 27–39 in (70–100 cm). It stands 20–25 in (50–65 cm) at the shoulder, and has a body weight of 77–155 lb (35–70 kg). Its pelage is characterized by dense, long hair and a woolly underfur. The underbelly is whitish, while the upper parts of the animal are a creamy yellowish color, patterned by darker rings. Following a gestation period of about 93–103 days, snow leopards give birth in a rocky lair. Usually two cubs are born, but there can be as many as five. Cubs reach sexual maturity at an age of two years in captivity, but probably later in the wild. They have lived as long as 17–19 years in captivity, but the life span would be considerably less in the wild.

During the summer the snow leopard generally occurs in alpine tundra habitats, including meadows and rocky places above the forested tree line but below the snow line. During the summer snow leopards venture to 19,685 ft (6,000 m). During winter they occur as low as 5,000 ft (1,500 m), and in harsh winters they may occur in montane (or sub-alpine) forests. Because of the sparse populations of their natural prey, snow leopards have large home ranges, typically amounting to several square miles. The ranges of adjacent animals can overlap to a substantial degree.

Snow leopards are solitary predators. They typically rest during the day and feed during the early morning or late afternoon on wild prey, such as ibex, sheep, musk deer, boar, hare, rabbit, pika, marmot, ptarmigan, and pheasant. Because of expanding human populations and agriculture within the range of snow leopards, they are increasingly feeding on domestic animals, such as goats, sheep, dogs, and chickens.

The global population of wild snow leopards is only about 3,500–7,000 individuals. Another 600–700 animals occur in zoos. Because of its small and decreasing populations the snow leopard is an endangered species . Although the snow leopard is officially protected throughout its range, it is nevertheless widely killed as a pest where it intersects with livestock-raising mountain people. It is also widely poached as a trophy and, more importantly, for its beautiful and valuable fur, which can be readily purchased in some rural marketplaces within the range of the species , even though its hunting is illegal. Most hunting of snow leopards is conducted using leg-hold traps or deep pits baited with a live goat or sheep.

[Bill Freedman Ph.D. ]

RESOURCES

BOOKS

Grzimek, B., ed. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. London: McGraw Hill, 1990.

Nowak, R. M. Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.