Snow leopards, big cats active in the snowy mountains

In nature, there is a big cat with a long tail that can catch its own tail and hold it in its mouth. This big cat is the snow leopard. Snow leopards live in high altitude areas and appear near the snow line and in the snow, hence the name.

(Photo source: Beijing Zoo)

The well-deserved king of the snowy mountains

Snow leopards are mainly distributed in the mountainous areas of Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. They are carnivores that live at the highest altitudes and are at the top of the plateau ecosystem and food chain, so they are known as the "King of Snow Mountains". In summer, they mainly forage in areas with higher altitudes, and in winter they follow their prey to areas with lower altitudes.

The snow leopard is about the same size as a leopard, but it looks noticeably more fluffy than a leopard. Like the manul, the snow leopard is also furry, with two layers of fur. One layer is dense short hair, which acts as insulation. The outer layer of hair is up to 5 cm long, and the hair on the abdomen can even reach 10 cm. Compared with the leopard, the snow leopard has a smaller head, smaller ears, and shorter limbs.

The snow leopard's paws are wide and hairy, just like snow boots, which are warm and convenient for walking in the snow. The base color of the snow leopard's fur is grayish white, with dark spots on the sides and stripes on the back. This camouflage is originally an excellent protective color near the snow line, but because of its gorgeousness and uniqueness, it has brought disaster to the snow leopard.

Due to the hardening of the laryngeal bones, the snow leopard is the only big cat that cannot roar.

Snow leopards mainly feed on large plateau animals, such as blue sheep, northern goats, and argali, and also prey on small animals and birds. The territory of an adult snow leopard can be large or small. In habitats with abundant food and good environment, a snow leopard's territory is about 20 to 40 square kilometers; in habitats with scarce food, the territory can be as large as 1,000 square kilometers. The territories of male and female snow leopards often overlap, but except during the estrus period, they remain independent at other times.

(Photo source: Beijing Zoo)

The King in Danger

Snow leopards are active at night and are alert and agile by nature. Like many other cats, they are solitary creatures. In addition, they live in remote areas, so humans' understanding of snow leopards is still very limited.

As human activities expand, the snow leopard's habitat has become fragmented. Overgrazing and other behaviors have further damaged the ecology of the snow leopard's habitat, reducing the number of prey such as blue sheep, posing a threat to the survival of the snow leopard. When food is scarce, the snow leopard will also prey on the livestock of local herders due to hunger. Therefore, the conflict between herders and snow leopards is even worse for the survival of snow leopards.

my country is the country with the largest snow leopard habitat and the largest number of snow leopards. Snow leopards are a first-class protected species in my country. Snow leopards are distributed in 12 countries around the world, of which 60% of their habitats and populations are located in China. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed snow leopards as endangered (EN) species in 1986 and adjusted them to vulnerable (VU) species in 2007.

Protecting Snow Leopards

The snow leopard is a star species of the ecological "Belt and Road" and a flagship species in my country's snowy plateau region. We must never slacken our efforts to protect the snow leopard.

October 23rd of every year is World Snow Leopard Day. No buying, no killing. We should strengthen the protection of snow leopard habitats and work together to protect our "King of the Snow Mountains."