SNOW LEOPARD

SNOW LEOPARD

Together with the clouded leopard is a middle ground between the big cats and smaller species ,due to the fact that snow leopards do not roar,although they have cartilaginous bone,which is considered to be to big cats roar. 

Snow leopards have a soft and thick gray fur with blood spots and black patches in which they are known. In the winter it becomes white. The tail is thick and paws are covered with dense hair as insulation against the cold and snow. The lifespan of snow leopards is between 15 to 18, while in captivity up to 20 years.

This cat is characterized by proportionally long tail of forsaken cat who helps to maintain balance during jumps on uneven ground. Tail also covers the nose and mouth during very cold conditions. The legs are short and strong, with broad paws and claws. Snow Leopard can jump 14-15 feet into the distance. The head is large with strong hind skull bones that hold the powerful jaw muscles. Large fangs inflicts lethal bite.

Body length is 100-130 centimeters, plus a tail that is about 90 inches long. Weight depends on gender and nutritional status. Males weigh 30 to 80 pounds, while females are smaller and heavier than 30 to 60 pounds.

Life habitat include steppes, spacious Clancy and worth Vysoke mountains. In the summer, the snow leopard habitat at an altitude of 6,000 meters, while in winter it comes down to the forest at about 2,000 meters above sea level. The area where they live these cats of about 1,230,000 square kilometers includes highlands 12 Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet in China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The total population of snow leopards in the wild is between 3,500 and 7,000. Another 600-700 specimens living in zoos around the world.

Snow Leopard

Snow leopards live in the area which can vary considerably in size. For example, in Nepal, where prey is abundant, the territory occupied a small area (30-65 km), while in Mongolia, where the prey scarce, the snow leopard is necessary to over 1,000 km² in order to survive. 

At the market in Kabul, Afghanistan, for the wonderful snow leopard gets all over a thousand dollars, of course, on the black market. In this impoverished country, to solve the

problems of many families. On the other hand, in Nepal, China and Bhutan, highly praised the leopard bones, teeth and internal organs that are used in folk medicine.

Snow leopards are endangered cat whose fur is extremely expensive on the black market. During the 1960s, the total population of snow leopards has decreased to 1,000 individuals. Fortunately, the species has since recovered slightly. In captivity snow leopards successfully reproduce.