15 Major Facts About Snow Leopard: The snow leopard is a species of large cat in the genus Panthera of the family Felidae. It is native to mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Here are the list of 15 major facts about the snow leopard.
15 Major Facts About Snow Leopard
1. The snow leopard is commonly knows as the ounce. It is a species of large cat in the genus Panthera of the family Felidae.
2. The snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia and South Asia.
3. The snow leopard inhabits alpine and subalpine zone at elevations of 3,000-4,500 m, ranging from eastern Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia, and western China.
4. The fur of the snow leopard is whitish to grey with black spots on the head and neck, with larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail.
5. The snow leopard’s muzzle is short. Its forehead is domed, and its nasal cavities are large.
6. The weight of male snow leopard is between 15-55 kg, and female snow leopard’s weight is between 35-40 kg.
7. The canine teeth of snow leopard are 28.6 mm long and are more slender than those of the other Panthera species.
8. In summer day, the snow leopard usually lives above the tree line on alpine meadows and in rocky regions at elevations of 2,700-6,000 m.
9. In winter day, the snow leopard descend to elevations around 1,200-2,000 m.
10. The snow leopard is a carnivore and actively hunts its prey. Its preferred wild prey species are Himalayan blue sheep, Himalayan tahr, argali, markhor, and wild goat. It also hunts smaller mammals.
11. The snow leopard is widely used in heraldry and as an emblem in Central Asia.
12. A crowned snow leopard is the state animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh in India.
13. Female snow leopard have a gestation period of 90-100 days, and the cubs are born between April and June.
14. In India, Snow leopard is seen in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
15. The snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
International Snow leopard day is celebrated on 23rd October to raise awareness on conservation and protection of snow leopards. You can read more about snow leopard from here [Read More].
