Geographic Range
Snow leopards inhabit a large geographic range of approximately 2.3 million square
kilometers and are widely but sporadically distributed throughout the high mountain
ranges of Central Asia. This includes the entire Himalayan mountain system, as well
as areas in Bhutan, Nepal and the Siberian region of Russia. Snow leopards are found
anywhere from the Himalayas to southern and western Mongolia and South Russia, however
60% of the range occurs in China, particularly in the Xinjiang and Tibet autonomous
regions, as well as in the Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
- Biogeographic Regions
- palearctic
- oriental
Habitat
Steep, rocky and broken terrain are the preferred bedding areas for snow leopards,
specifically on or nearby to a landform edge close to natural vegetation. Cliffs and
major ridgelines are preferred for daytime resting. Snow leopards live in alpine and
subalpine zones from elevations of 900 to 5,500 meters or higher, but generally at
altitudes between 3,000 and 4,500 meters. In the winter they may migrate to lower
elevations of 900 meters, following their preferred prey. Snow leopards generally
avoid dense forest cover and cultivated fields, but are associated with open coniferous
forest, as well as arid and semi-arid shrubland, grassland, alpine meadows and barren
habitats.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- forest
- mountains
Physical Description
Measuring from nose to tail, the length of an average adult snow leopard is 1000 to
1300 mm, with a tail length of 800 to 1000 mm equaling roughly 75% to 90% of total
body length. This extremely long tail is used specifically for balance in the steep
and rocky terrain they inhabit, but can also be used to cover their extremities during
harsh winter weather. In general, the average mass for an adult is 35 to 45 kg with
a total range of 25 to 75 kg across the species. There is no pronounced sexual dimorphism
in the species, however males may be slightly larger than females in general. A characteristic
of snow leopards is the extremely large size of their paws in comparison to other
felids, which are an adaptation for walking on snow. The front paws are slightly larger
than the hind paws, with an average footpad size of 90 to 100 mm in length and 70
to 80 mm in width. Snow leopards also have relatively long hind legs that are adapted
for increased agility and jumping ability in their rugged habitat.
The base fur color can range anywhere from light gray to smoke gray to cream-yellow,
with a white tint generally found on the underbody. The entire body is covered with
greyish black spots and rosettes. Rosettes are larger rings encircling smaller spots
and are only found on the body and tail, whereas the solid spots are found on the
head, neck and lower limbs. Juvenile snow leopards have longitudinal black stripes
across the middle of their back extending from the base of their head to their tail.
As they grow and mature, these stripes break up into large spots forming two lateral
rows of elongated rings along the center of the back.
Snow leopards have long and thick coats that molt twice per year, yielding a longer
and thicker coat during the winter. In the summer, fur length is roughly 25 mm on
the sides of the snow leopard, and roughly 50 mm on the belly and tail. In winter,
fur on the sides is roughly 50 mm, 30 to 55 mm on the back, 60 mm on the tail, and
up to 120 mm on the belly. In addition to thick fur, they have small rounded ears
that help to minimize heat loss in their cold, mountainous environments. In comparison
to other closely related
felids
, snow leopards have much larger nasal cavities, as well as smaller and broader heads
relative to their body size.
Distinguishable skull features from other large felids are: an overall shortness of
the skull, an elevation of the frontal area, more rounded orbits, longer postorbital
and zygomatic processes, longer and smaller infraorbital foraman, wider mesopterygoid
fossa, flatter osseous bullae, and a marked shortness of palate. In males, the mean
anteroposterior width of the upper canine at alveolus is slightly larger than in the
females. However, the mean lateromedial width across postorbital constriction and
across braincase is slightly larger in females.
The dental formula of adult snow leopards is I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3/2, M 1/1.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
- male larger
Reproduction
Snow leopards are solitary and do not associate with mates unless it is mating season.
Due to the long time spent rearing cubs, snow leopard females mate every second year.
They are polygynous in the wild, but some snow leopards in captivity are known to
have become monogamous.
- Mating System
- polygynous
Breeding in wild snow leopards is strongly seasonal, occurring during late winter
from January to March. When females are in estrus, they make a continuous yowling
sound that is required to attract males. There is also a significant increase in allogrooming
and prusten (chuffing) by the female during this period. The female presents herself
to the male by raising her tail and walking in front of him, ensuring her anal region
is clearly visible. Copulation of snow leopards occurs in both ventral/dorsal and
dorsal/dorsal postures, and the male generally grips the fur on the female’s neck
as he is mounting her. Gestation period is roughly 90 to 105 days, and the cubs are
born sometime between April and June. Generally the litter consists of 2 to 3 cubs,
but in rare cases can range anywhere from 1 to 5. They are born in a rocky shelter,
where the mother makes a warm nest of fur from her underbelly. At birth, snow leopard
cubs weigh 300 to 600g.
Lactation is five-months however the young can begin to eat solid food at two months
of age, and are weaned at about 5 months. For roughly the first year of life, snow
leopards are dependent upon their mother. Female snow leopards reach sexual maturity
at about 2 to 3 years of age while males may take up to 4 years.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- induced ovulation
- fertilization
- viviparous
Snow leopards are solitary and the only prolonged social contact occurs while females
are raising their cubs. The cubs are altricial when born, do not open their eyes until
they are about one week of age, and are entirely dependent on their mother for the
first year of their life.
Reproductive success is higher in areas where females can find secluded denning as
well as a large abundance and availability of prey nearby. It is imperative for the
safety of their young that these denning sites are inaccessible and secure so they
can hide their cubs from other carnivores while the mother searches for food. At about
three months of age, the cubs begin to follow their mother in order to learn basic
survival skills such as hunting. The mother is solely responsible for supplying the
cubs with food, protection, resources and learning for their first year of life.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
- female parental care
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
- extended period of juvenile learning
Lifespan/Longevity
Snow leopards are extremely reclusive which has made it very difficult to accurately
determine the average lifespan for the species in the wild. In captivity snow leopards
have lived to 21 years of age.
Behavior
Snow leopards are primarily crepuscular, meaning that they are most active during
dawn and dusk. They are also highly mobile and move from one location to another on
a daily basis and shift their bedding site multiple times during a day. Generally,
snow leopards remain in one specific area of their home range for several weeks before
relocating to another part of their home range.
Snow leopards are solitary but pair during mating season as well as share each other’s
home ranges. Snow leopards that share a home range maintain a distance of roughly
2 kilometers from the nearest other individual. They actively avoid one another by
marking travel lanes with scrapes, feces and pungent scent sprays, which discloses
details about the sex and reproductive status of individuals. Snow leopard males are
intolerant of conspecific males, suggesting that they are territorial.
Due to their large paws and elongated hind legs, the ability of snow leopards to jump
is highly developed, as well as their ability to climb. They prefer to rest upon elevated
structures, especially when they are kept in captivity. The rarity of sightings of
snow leopards in the wild suggests that they reduce their activity around areas where
humans are present.
The preferred method of hunting is to stalk and then ambush their prey from above,
using rocky terrain and shrubby vegetation to conceal themselves.
- Key Behaviors
- cursorial
- terricolous
- crepuscular
- motile
- nomadic
- solitary
Home Range
In western Nepal, in an area of high prey density, the average home range size for
a snow leopard is 12 to 39 square kilometers. However with the large amount of topographic
relief, the actual home range size is probably 20 to 30% larger.
Communication and Perception
Unlike other large
felids
, snow leopards do not roar. Instead, they emit a high-pitched yowl, especially when
females are in heat. This call allows females to alert males of their whereabouts
and usually occurs in the late evening. Another vocalization is a nonaggressive “chuffing”
that is emitted through the nostrils. The arrival of one snow leopard in the immediate
proximity of another elicits this chuffing sound, and could be described as their
means of greeting.
Snow leopards emit high pitched yowling sounds to communicate and advertise their
location. Their long tail is also used in a number of communication functions and
can indicate their current mood to other individuals. Snow leopards also use tactile
means to communicate and will rub their heads and necks against a social partner to
indicate that they are being amicable.
Another way snow leopards communicate is via facial expressions. For example, when
they are being defensive they open their mandible quite wide and raise their lips
to bare the canine teeth, however when they are excited the mouth opens as well but
the canines do not show and the lips and nose wrinkle depending on intensity.
Snow leopards also communicate using scents and other chemicals. The marking behavior
of snow leopards is fairly extensive and includes everything from scraping, spraying
urine, head rubbing and even claw raking along the trunks of trees. Marking occurs
more frequently during breeding season. They mark specific trees or surfaces in travel
lanes to ensure that another snow leopard does not venture into their home area.
- Other Communication Modes
- scent marks
Food Habits
Snow leopards are carnivorous and actively hunt their prey. They are also opportunistic
predators and will take any kind of meat and prey to ensure that they meet their overall
energy requirements. They are capable of killing animals more than three to four times
their own weight but also readily settle for much smaller prey in times of need.
The primary prey species of snow leopards are blue sheep (
Pseudois nayaur
). Other prey species include ibex (
Capra ibex sibrica
), markhors (
Capra failconeri
), argali sheep (
Ovis ammon
), urials (
Ovis orientalis
), Himalayan tahr (
Hemitragus jemlahicus
), serows (
Capricornis sumatraensis
), gorals (
Naemorhaedus goral
), musk deer (
Moschus chrysogaster
), wild boars (
Sus scrofa
), Tibetan antelope (
Pantholops hodgsonf
), Tibetan gazelles (
Procapra picticaudata
), goitered gazelles (
Gazella subgutturosa
), wild donkeys (
Equus hemionus
), and wild yaks (
Bos grunninus
). Smaller prey include marmots (
Marmota
), hares (
Lepus
), pikas (
Ochotona
), voles (
Microtus
), mice and birds.
Due to over-hunting by humans the population of wild ungulates in certain areas has
been depleted and snow leopards have turned to prey upon domestic livestock.
- Primary Diet
-
carnivore
- eats terrestrial vertebrates
- Animal Foods
- birds
- mammals
Predation
Snow leopards are top predators, they have few natural predators other than humans.
However, interspecific killing between leopards (
Panthera pardus
) and snow leopards can occur when competition for resources between these sympatric
carnivores increases. Adult snow leopards are also potential predators of younger
cubs.
Ecosystem Roles
Snow leopards are apex predators, meaning they play a key role in maintaining the
biodiversity in an ecosystem. Through population dynamics and trophic cascades, snow
leopards are an important indicator of the health of the environment and help regulate
the populations of species lower on the food chain.
Snow leopards can also be recognized as an indicator or flagship species, and this
is important because they can help motivate the general public to support the conservation
of high-altitude ecosystems. If snow leopard habitats are protected, the habitats
for many other species become protected as well. Top predators promote and are associated
with species richness through resource facilitation, trophic cascades, ecosystem productivity,
sensitivity to dysfunctions, and more. Therefore, to help maintain biodiversity, predator-centered
conservation is key.
Snow leopard parasites include:
Dirofilaria immitis
,
Toxascaris leonina
,
Notoedres cati
,
Toxoplasma gondii
,
Trichuris
species,
Ascaris
species,
Coccidia
species,
fleas
,
mites
, strongyles, lungworms,
Demodex
species and
sarcoptid
mites,
Giardia
, and hookworms.
- Ecosystem Impact
- keystone species
- Dirofilaria immitis
- Toxascaris leonina
- Notoedres cati
- Toxoplasma gondii
- Trichuris species
- Ascaris species
- Coccidia species
- Strongyles species
- Demodex species
- sarcoptid mite species ( Sarcoptidae )
- Giardia
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Live snow leopards are of economic importance to zoos. They are displayed to the public
for entertainment and research and bring in many tourists. The fact that snow leopards
in the wild are extremely reclusive and difficult to find makes this even more important.
- Positive Impacts
- body parts are source of valuable material
- ecotourism
- research and education
- controls pest population
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Due to their shy and elusive behavior, snow leopards generally avoid humans and are
not known to have ever attacked a human in the wild. The only major negative impact
of snow leopards on humans is their predation upon domestic livestock.
Conservation Status
Snow leopards are listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. The global population of snow leopards is estimated to be anywhere between
4,080 to 6,590 individuals. In the past two decades, populations of snow leopards
are suspected to have declined by at least 20% due to habitat loss, prey loss, poaching
and persecution. The main factor affecting the population decline of the snow leopard
is human activity. Whether the cats are impacted directly by poaching for fur, bones
and other body parts, they are also being affected indirectly by base prey loss due
to human overhunting. Snow leopard pelts appear to be the main product demand for
poachers, but recently their bones have become a popular substitute for tiger bones
in Chinese medicine. Many farmers are also responsible for illegally killing snow
leopards as a response to predation upon their livestock.
Through habitat shifts, loss, and fragmentation, climate change is now emerging as
another threat to this space-requiring species. According to the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the average annual temperature in South Asia and Tibet
will increase by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius by 2080 to 2099, along with an annual increase
in precipitation. Due to these warmer and wetter conditions, the forest treeline is
expected to ascend into alpine areas, which is the snow leopards preferred habitat.
Results indicate that roughly 30% of their habitat in the Himalaya may be lost because
of this shifting treeline. This will cause overlap in species range, where the snow
leopard will then have to contend for resources with species better adapted to forest
habitats such as leopards (
Panthera pardus
), wild dogs (
Cuon alpinus
) and, in Bhutan, tigers (
Panthera tigris
).
Anthropogenic threats to snow leopards may also intensify through climate change.
With shrinking and fragmented alpine habitat, snow leopard prey species are being
displaced and causing snow leopards to increase predation upon livestock. This results
in increased retaliatory killing by local farmers, placing snow leopards at great
risk.
There is a general lack of awareness across the globe on the importance of this species
to its ecosystem. The Snow Leopard Network has developed a plan uniting individuals
and organizations such as the Snow Leopard Conservancy and the International Snow
Leopard Trust to try and educate the public on the importance of conservation of snow
leopards.
Other Comments
There are two other scientific names that have been used for snow leopards:
Felis uncia
and
Panthera uncia
.
Additional Links
Contributors
Leah Montsion (author), University of Manitoba, Jane Waterman (editor), University of Manitoba, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- Palearctic
-
living in the northern part of the Old World. In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- polygynous
-
having more than one female as a mate at one time
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- induced ovulation
-
ovulation is stimulated by the act of copulation (does not occur spontaneously)
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- crepuscular
-
active at dawn and dusk
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- nomadic
-
generally wanders from place to place, usually within a well-defined range.
- solitary
-
lives alone
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- scent marks
-
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- keystone species
-
a species whose presence or absence strongly affects populations of other species in that area such that the extirpation of the keystone species in an area will result in the ultimate extirpation of many more species in that area (Example: sea otter).
- ecotourism
-
humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
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