Snow Leopard

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Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordates

Subtype: Vertebrates

Class: Mammals

Infraclass: Placental

Order: Carnivores

Family: Cat

Gender: Snow leopards
View: Snow Leopard



Snow leopard or snow leopard (lat. Uncia uncia or lat. Panthera uncia) - a mammal of the cat family that lives in the mountain ranges of Central Asia. Despite the apparent similarities with the leopard, the relationship between him and irbis not very close to the same value of the snow leopard is noticeably smaller. Earlier, the snow leopard in the genus Uncia, however, after receiving the results of genetic research, it was decided to refer it to Panthera



The basic color of hair - light gray, in apparent contrast white with black spots. The spots are in the form of sockets, within which may be even more small spot. In this respect, similar to the snow leopard jaguar. In the area of ​​head, neck and limbs rosettes go into black strokes. The coat is very thick and long and serves as protection from the cold in the harsh climatic conditions. Soft snow leopard paw paws resemble lynx and thanks to the special structure allows the foot to walk through deep snow without sinking into it. From head to tail snow leopard has 140 cm, he has a tail length of 90-100 cm. The weight of an adult snow leopard can reach up to 75 kg.
The length of the jump during the hunt up to 14 meters. Recorded two cases of leopard attacks on the person - in one case, the reason was furious, another - starvation and severe malnutrition [2].



The snow leopard lives in the mountains of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, Pamir, Tien Shan, Altai and Western Sayan [3] and in the neighboring mountain ranges. In the summer, he prefers not to go down below the limit at which trees begin to grow and lives in rocky areas and mountain meadows, rising to a height of 6,000 meters. In winter, it takes refuge in the forests, which are lower, at 2,000 meters above sea level.



Snow leopard is a predator, living and hunting alone. Most of all it is active at night, avoiding the high plateaus in search of prey. It includes summer mountain goats, container, ground squirrels and pikas. In winter, when snow leopard descends into the forest, he hunts for deer, roe deer and wild boar. In times of famine, he does not shrink as mice and birds. As a rule, snow leopard sneaking up on its prey and quickly jumps to it. Is often used for this high stones to throw the victim to the ground suddenly jump on top and kill.
Pregnancy lasts about snow leopards have a hundred days. At a time the female gives birth to two to five kittens, which takes place usually in shelters between the rocks.



Illegal, but financially attractive hunting for fur snow leopard has significantly reduced its population. On the black markets of Asia skin of this animal can bring up to 60 thousand dollars. In all the countries of its existence, the snow leopard is put under state protection, but poaching threatens him still. In recent years, the number of snow leopards has increased slightly, and is now about six thousand individuals, after in 1960 they were only a thousand.
For some time now in many zoos are making progress breeding snow leopards. Sometimes born in captivity can occur up to seven kittens for some generations.



Snow Leopard is the national symbol of the Republic of Kazakhstan, North Ossetia and South Ossetia. Also, the image leopard used in the coat of arms of the city of Almaty. Stylized winged snow leopard, Ak Bars (tat. White leopard), is depicted on the coat of arms of Tatarstan, as a hockey team called Kazan. The winged leopard (hack. Parys), is depicted on the emblem of Khakassia.

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