Snow Leopard
Panthera uncia · Animal
The snow leopard lives in the high, cold mountains of Central Asia. Thick fur, wide paws and a very long tail help it survive on steep, snowy slopes.
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Panthera uncia
- Kind
- Animal
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (IUCN VU)
- Habitat
- High mountains · alpine steppe
- Range
- Himalayas to the Altai Mountains
- Size
- Tail almost as long as its body
- Weight
- 22–55 kg
- Lifespan
- 10–12 years in the wild
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Crepuscular · solitary
- Population
- ≈ 2,700–3,400 mature adults (IUCN, 2017)
Diet
Hunts wild sheep and goats such as bharal and ibex, plus smaller mammals and birds.
Behavior
It cannot roar. Its long, thick tail helps with balance and wraps around its face like a scarf when it rests.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Felidae
- Genus
- Panthera
- Species
- P. uncia
Conservation
Downgraded to Vulnerable in 2017, but still declining in many areas.
Main threats
- Poaching
- Retaliatory killing by herders
- Climate change