Welcome to this website! Here you will be able to learn a few things about the snow leopard, its habitat, why it is endangered and most importantly what you can do in order to help save the population! Enjoy!
Few Facts About the Snow Leopard!
Physical Appearance
Snow leopards are known for their beautiful and thick fur coats which are usually white, yellow or gray in colour and exotically spotted with brown or black patches. These dark coloured patches and rings aid in camouflage when the snow leopard is in danger. Despite being physically attractive and desired by many people around the world, these fur coats are crucial for their survival as their thick and dense nature helps snow leopards withstand the bitterly cold winters of their habitat. During cold seasons, their fur grows to about 12 cm in length ensuring minimal heat loss (Snow Leopard Trust, n.d.). Due to their extremely cold and rugged habitat, snow leopards also have small rounded ears and wide, tiny noses that prevent additional heat loss and filter the brisk air before it reaches their delicate lungs. Most importantly, their large paws act like snowshoes, in order to avoid sinking into the thick snow of their mountainous habitat. Snow leopards are approximately 1-1.3m in length with long hind limbs and a tail approximately 80-100 cm in length (The Animal Files, n.d.). Their tails are another important physical feature as their length helps maintain balance and their furry nature is ideal when wrapping it around their bodies when resting to keep warm. In addition, snow leopards have very strong chest muscles, necessary for climbing and vigorously chasing their prey.
Did you know?
Snow leopards are different from all other wild cats because they do not possess the ability to roar. Instead they make a non-aggressive gasping sound called a "chuff" Found below is a link demonstrating the sounds made by snow leopards.
These cats are born blind and cubs only open their eyes 7-9 days after birth. However, as they grow their eyesight develops to be six times better than the average human. This helps them avoid threats and efficiently spot prey. (The Animal Files, n.d.).