Leopard what a body he has. Snow leopard or ibris - a beautiful animal from the Red Book: pictures, photos, videos about snow irris

Latin name: Uncia uncia, Panthera uncia

English name: snow leopard

Order: carnivores

Family: felines

Genus: Uncia (snow leopards), has 1 species

Snow Leopard- a representative of the cat family, living in the harsh climate of the mountains of Central Asia. Among all the big cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent resident of the highlands. The predator belongs to a genus that occupies an intermediate position between the group of small cats and big cats genus Panthera(tigers, jaguars, lions).

Appearance and anatomical features of the snow leopard's body structure

In appearance, the snow leopard resembles a leopard. Indeed, the predators are similar in posture and overall dimensions. The length of the flexible body of the snow leopard reaches 1 meter, and these cats weigh 25-40 kilograms. Male predators are slightly larger than females. Characteristic distinguishing feature snow leopard - a very long thick tail (length about 100 centimeters), as well as rather short limbs with wide paws (the length of the hind feet reaches 22-25 centimeters). The paw prints are large and round, with no discernible claw marks. Snow leopards' vision, hearing and sense of smell are well developed.

Interesting fact

Wide, fluffy paws with flat, large pads act as natural snowshoes and help large cats distribute their weight evenly so as not to fall through when walking on loose snow.

The coat color of snow leopards is light gray, with rare dark ring-shaped spots clearly visible. There are also small solid spots distributed throughout the body. Fur on the belly white. The top end of the tail is black. In young individuals, the color of the spots is more intense than in adult leopards. Geographical variability of fur color is not expressed. In general, the fur of snow leopards is very warm, thick and long (on the back the length reaches 5.5 centimeters). Soft fur grows even between the toes; it reliably protects large paws from the cold. All these signs indicate that snow leopards live in cold climates with harsh winters and they can jump perfectly.

In animals, on a relatively small, rounded head, large eyes of a yellowish-green hue with a round pupil are located quite high. Leopards' ears are short and rounded, and in winter they are almost invisible among the fur.

Like most other representatives of the cat family, adult snow leopards have 30 strong and sharp teeth in their mouths. The whiskers of leopards are white and black, up to 10.5 centimeters long. A movable long tongue allows spotted cats to easily separate meat from the skeleton of the victim. The skull of these predators is relatively powerful and massive, distinguished by highly developed zygomatic arches.

Distribution area of the snow leopard

When hunting, snow leopards can jump up to 10 meters in length.

Reproduction snow leopard

The period of active breeding of snow leopards occurs in the last month of winter and the beginning of spring. In hard-to-reach places, females specially create a comfortable, warm shelter for the birth of offspring. Pregnancy lasts approximately 90-110 days. A female snow leopard gives birth only once every two years. Depending on the geographical area of their habitat, kittens are born in April-May or May-June.

Interesting fact

Snow leopards mate in Tibet and the Himalayas all year round. The mating song of the snow leopard resembles a rough, but at the same time gentle meow.

In one litter, 2-3 small snow leopards are born (less often 3-4). Babies are born blind and regain their sight in 5-8 days. Newborn snow leopards weigh approximately 500 grams, their body length is no more than 30 centimeters. The body of the cubs is covered with brown fur with pronounced dark spots. In appearance and size, newborns resemble domestic cats.

For the first 1.5-2 months, the brood feeds only on mother's milk. Then the female begins to feed the kittens meat food. At 3 months old, young snow leopards first try to follow their mother on a walk, and at five to six months of age they are already hunting with her. The whole family lies in wait for the prey, but the female always makes the decisive jump. The cubs accompany their mother until they are almost 1 year old, learning from her the difficult art of hunting in the highlands.

Young animals reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years. The male meets the female only for the mating period and does not take part in raising the offspring. In the wild, snow leopards live 12-15 years, in zoos - up to 20 years.

Population status and conservation of snow leopards

The snow leopard is an endangered rare species and is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to the data World Fund wildlife data for 2003, the total number of snow leopards within their distribution range does not exceed 7,500 individuals. However, due to the secretive lifestyle of these spotted predators and the inaccessibility of habitats, the population size estimate is approximate and based on expert opinions of zoologists.

The independent wildlife trade monitoring program TRAFFIC monitors the number of snow leopards in the wild. According to a 2015 report, there are only about 4,000 snow leopards left in the wild. Poachers kill spotted cats because they attack livestock. The report also notes that only 20% of snow leopards are destroyed for their beautiful warm fur, for the sale of skins, bones, claws and teeth. Illegal trade is growing every year. More than 90% of poaching cases occur in 5 countries - Mongolia, China, India, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Interesting fact

Along with poaching, the defensive behavior of snow leopards negatively affects the population status. Predators use protective coloring of their fur and, in case of danger, often hide, which often leads to their death, since in open areas people kill animals from firearms. In addition, with an insufficient food supply, spotted cats can feed on the victims of other predators and die by eating poisoned baits, which poachers illegally use to fight wolves.

Snow leopard and man

IN wildlife Snow leopards have no enemies among animals. The population size of these predators is affected by the decline food base. The number of snow leopards is decreasing due to harsh living conditions in the highlands.

The only enemy of the snow leopard is man. Even though snow leopards are quite rare animals, they have always been a desirable trophy for hunters. Animal fur is highly valued. On the black market, the skin of one snow leopard costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Nowadays, hunting snow leopards is prohibited in many countries. However, poaching continues to threaten these big cats.

Interesting fact

Since the number of snow leopards in nature is small, and they live in sparsely populated regions, the harm of predators to livestock and hunting is quite insignificant.

All over the world, menageries contain several thousand representatives of the species Uncia uncia. Today, the population of snow leopards in captivity numbers about 2,000 individuals, of which most of is located in China. Of this number, only 15% of snow leopards were caught in the wild, the rest were born in zoos and reproduction centers rare species animals. Snow leopards reproduce successfully in captivity. In such conditions, animals do not show aggression, but still remain wild cats and are not tamed.

Translated from the Turkic dialect snow leopard(or irbiz, irbish, irviz) translates as “snowy”. This royal noble beast rightfully bears the name “master of the mountains.”

Features and habitat of the snow leopard

The snow leopard is a rather large cat, with very beautiful thick fur, silver-smoky in color, the fur becomes lighter on the sides and turns white as it moves to the belly. Sometimes a slight, subtle yellowness may appear.

Large black rosette rings, small spots and specks are scattered throughout the body. This color plays the role of a kind of camouflage: the predator is excellently camouflaged on rocky slopes, among snow and ice, becoming invisible to its future prey.

Interesting feature V description of the snow leopard: his gorgeous long tail will be the envy of most cats - its length is equal to the length of the body and is more than 1 meter. The average height is approximately 60 centimeters, with females being smaller than males. Otherwise, individuals of the opposite sex differ little in appearance.

See snow leopard in the photo much easier than in wildlife: the animal prefers to lead a secretive lifestyle, and snow leopard lives usually in places difficult for humans to reach: in gorges, on high rocks, near high mountain alpine meadows.

In the warm season, it can conquer peaks over 5 thousand meters high. In winter, it often descends in search of prey. This is the only high-altitude one among the entire cat family.

The elusive nature of the predator, however, did not save him from a sad fate: the most beautiful appearance The snow leopard played a cruel joke on him - the animal too often became a victim of poachers who hunted for fur.

Now snow leopard rare animal, in some areas only 1-2 individuals survived. The snow leopard is included in the list of endangered animals in the Red Book. Habitat: mountain ranges of Mongolia, Tibet, Himalayas, Pamirs, Tien Shan, Kazakhstan. In Russia there is the Altai highlands.

Character and lifestyle of the snow leopard

Irbis - animal mainly nocturnal; during the day he sleeps in a shelter: in a cave or in a tree. Often can sleep for a day or even more. Goes hunting at dusk or in the dark.

Avoids people; when they meet, they would rather hide than attack. Only those infected with rabies can pose a serious danger to humans.

Thanks to its wide, developed paws, it moves excellently on rocks and can overcome even very steep climbs and hard-to-reach narrow rocky ledges. Moves deftly through deep snow and ice.

Lives mostly alone, occasionally joining groups for hunting. Mainly during periods of reproduction and rearing of young animals. One animal occupies an area of more than a hundred square kilometers.

Can tolerate the proximity of females, but not other males. If there is enough food, it does not move long distances from the den, otherwise it can go tens of kilometers from home.

Snowy ones are quite playful, often tumble in the snow, and love to soak up the sun. The snow leopard's voice is more like a cat's purr. This beast growls muffledly, not loudly. Aggression is expressed by hissing and rumbling.

Snow leopard feeding

Snow leopard irbis excellent hunter: thanks to his subtle sense and acute vision, they easily track prey even in complete darkness. It can catch the victim in two ways: it either creeps up silently and at the last moment grabs it with its claws and teeth, or it waits for the moment and attacks, making a deft and precise jump to a distance of 5 to 10 meters. It can watch for prey in a shelter for quite a long time.

The snow leopard is a strong and powerful animal; it is able to single-handedly cope with such large ungulates as yak, roe deer, mountain goat, argali, and deer. It can kill a wild boar or, in rare cases, even a bear.

If large animals not available , snow leopard feeding smaller ones. They often attack livestock, especially during the hungry winter. One large production it lasts him for several days.

Reproduction and life expectancy of the snow leopard

In early spring In the habitats of snow leopards, you can hear booming night songs, somewhat reminiscent of the singing of March cats, only more sonorous. This is how the male calls the female.

They meet only for the mating period; further concerns about raising offspring fall on the female. Young animals are ready to breed at the age of 2-3 years. The female bears the offspring for just over 3 months; kittens are born in early summer. From two to five babies appear in a safe, warm shelter.

Kittens, like most cats, are born blind and helpless. The size of a small domestic one. They begin to see after 5-6 days. At the age of about two months, they increasingly come out of the nest to play in the sun. At the same time, the mother begins to feed them small mammals.

Young snow snow leopards They play a lot with each other and with their mother, hunt for her tail or catch up with each other with a funny hiss. These games are very important for the further development of children: this is how they prepare for adult life, learn hunting skills.

Gradually, the mother teaches the babies to hunt: by the age of six months, they spend a lot of time jointly tracking down prey. The female accompanies the grown-up children for quite a long time: in general, they are ready for adulthood by next spring.

But there are often cases when they live and hunt together for up to 2-3 years. The lifespan of snow leopards in the wild reaches 20 years; in zoos they can live longer.

The first snow leopards appeared in the Moscow Zoo more than 100 years ago, in 1871. At first, employees encountered a lot of difficulties in maintaining this wild beast: snow leopards died from diseases and did not reproduce.

Currently, these rare ones are successfully kept and bred in many zoos in Europe, which helps preserve the population of these. The Leningrad Zoo is home to the completely tame snow leopard Gulya.

In the old days, we called a leopard a leopard. But the snow leopard is not a leopard, although it looks like one. The same black spots on the smoky gray skin (sometimes there are also black leopards). But the fur is long and fluffy, especially on the belly, up to twelve centimeters long. The leopard is a resident of the mountains (Altai, Pamir, Tien Shan, Tibet, the Himalayas and the highlands of Mongolia). High mountains - up to two to three thousand meters. And in the summer, following the mountain ungulates, leopards rise even higher - up to six thousand meters. As you know, in the mountains it is not hot in summer, but in winter it is completely cool.

The main coat color is light gray, appearing white in contrast to the black spots. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in natural environment his habitat is among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The spots are shaped like rosettes, inside which there may be an even smaller spot. In this respect, the snow leopard is similar to the jaguar. In the area of the head, neck and limbs, the rosettes turn into black strokes. The coat is very thick and long (up to 55 mm) and serves as protection from the cold in harsh conditions. climatic conditions. From head to tail, the snow leopard measures 140 cm, the tail itself is 90-100 cm long. If we compare the length of the tail and body, then of all the cats the snow leopard has the longest tail, it makes up more than three-quarters of the body length. The snow leopard's tail serves as a balance when jumping. The length of the jump during hunting is up to 14-15 meters. The weight of an adult snow leopard can reach 100 kg.

Snow Leopard. Photo: Mark Kent

The leopard (or snow leopard, which is the same thing) watches for hours somewhere on a rock or under a rock for mountain turkeys or sheep. But in general, he is a universal hunter: he takes everyone - from mice to yaks sometimes. It does not bother people, and its disposition is apparently more good-natured than that of the panther and tiger.
Leopards love to play and roll in the snow. Having fun, they slide off the cliff on their backs, and at the bottom they quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift on all four paws. Quite a sybarite. After the morning hunt, after the games, they settle down somewhere comfortable and bask in the sun.
The usual habitat is rhododendron bushes, and in some places alpine meadows and bare rocks near the borders of eternal snow. They live here in pairs - male and female.
They will give birth to two to four kittens in the spring. The lair is in a cozy crevice (sometimes in a vulture’s nest on a low tree!). The mother insulates the den with wool, having torn it from her belly. Other cats, except for the jungle cat, do not seem capable of such self-sacrifice. Leopards' milk is fatty and five times more nutritious than that of a cow. The leopard has a very long and very fluffy tail, like no other predator. We were surprised before; Why does an animal need these excesses? But it turned out that nature did not make any design mistakes here either. When a female leopard sleeps with her babies, she hugs them close to her and covers them with her tail, like a duvet. After all, where leopards live, it is very cool, especially at night.
The leopard is a good father and helps the female raise her children.
The old leopard weighs 75 kilograms, his large stature and other features are close to big cats, but he also has something of small cats. In a good mood, a leopard, for example, purrs (puma and clouded leopard too), but can also growl. Some zoologists call the clouded leopard, leopard and puma giant small cats.

The socio-economic crisis of recent decades in Russia has greatly influenced the nature and intensity of environmental management, which had a dual role for the snow leopard.

On the one hand, due to a reduction in the number of livestock and a decrease in pasture load, the number of the main victims of the snow leopard - the Siberian ibex and the Altai mountain sheep; on the other hand, as the well-being of residents deteriorated, exploitation increased significantly biological resources. The hunting grounds began to be actively used by people who had lost their jobs and who had mastered poaching methods of catching animals, in particular snare fishing, which poses a great danger to snow leopards. At the same time, snow leopard poaching has increased due to increased demand and high prices for skins.

Due to the inaccessibility of habitats and the low density of the species, such important aspects of the biology of the snow leopard as the structure of the area, the ability to disperse, seasonal movements, feeding and hunting behavior (in particular, the degree of food specialization, including the composition and share in the production of domestic animals), population structure, numbers, sizes of individual plots, diurnal cycle and many others, which makes it difficult to develop adequate protection measures. This applies to the entire range of the species and especially its Russian part.

The snow leopard is brutally exterminated by poachers because of its beautiful skin. In almost all countries it is listed in the Red Book. Today, there are no more than 2,000 individuals of this beautiful predator left in the world.

Usually this animal is called a snow leopard or snow leopard. Russian merchants took the name “irbis” from the Turkic language, slightly changing it (in the Turkic language this cat is called “irbiz”).

In Tuva it is called irbish, in Semirechye - ilbers, to the east of Alma-Ata in the areas bordering China - irviz, i.e. its many names in languages different nations they sound almost the same.

For a long time, the snow leopard was considered a relative of the leopard, but when genetic studies were carried out, it turned out that the snow leopard is most closely related to the tiger.

Appearance

Relatively large cat. The body is very elongated and squat, slightly raised in the sacrum area. The length of the body with the head is 103-130 cm, the length of the tail itself is 90-105 cm. Height at the shoulders is about 60 cm. Males are slightly larger than females. The body weight of males reaches 45-55 kg, females - 22-40 kg.

The coat is tall, very thick and soft. It provides protection from cold, harsh environmental conditions. The snow leopard differs from all others in the thickness of its fur. big cats and more similar to small ones.

The general background color of the fur is brownish-gray without any admixtures of yellow and red. The main color of the coat on the back and upper parts of the sides is light gray or grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating. Scattered across the general light gray background are rare large ring-shaped spots in the shape of rosettes, inside of which there may be an even smaller spot, as well as small solid spots of black or dark gray. The general color of the main background of winter fur is very light, grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating, more noticeable along the back and along the top of the sides. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in its natural habitat - among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The general background of summer fur is characterized by a lighter, almost white color and sharp outlines of dark spots. The smoky coating of fur is less pronounced in summer than in winter.

The snow leopard, unlike other big cats, cannot roar. “Purring” occurs both during inhalation and exhalation - just like in small cats.

Snow leopard habitat

The snow leopard's habitat covers the territory of 13 countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, China, Kyrgyzstan, India, Burma, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan. Animals prefer life on the slopes of gorges, high in the mountains up to 5 thousand above sea level. Therefore, snow leopards are considered exclusively mountain predators.

Previously, a family of snow leopards occupied an area of 8-12 square meters. km., today it has quadrupled due to a catastrophic decrease in the number of animals.

It would seem that the area is large enough - live and reproduce, but... the numbers show the opposite. For example: in Khakassia there are only five to seven individuals; the same amount - on the Ukok plateau; At the junction of Altai and the Western Sayans (Mongun-Taiga), only four snow leopards live.

The largest and least studied group of snow leopards lives on the North and South Chuysky ridges - there scientists counted about thirty to forty individuals.

The most stable group lives in Sayano-Shushenskoye biosphere reserve- There are about fifteen individuals there. In general, on Russian territory There are a hundred and fifty snow leopards left, or a maximum of two hundred. Moreover, the number decreases every year.

Food, hunting

The main time for snow leopard hunting is twilight. Snow leopards feed on artiodactyls (rams, goats, wild sheep, etc.), as well as mice and hares. Despite its attachment to home, the snow leopard can wander quite far in the process of searching for prey. At one time, an adult snow leopard can eat 2-3 kg of meat.

But snow leopards never attack people, even when wounded. The snow leopard is very calm about being close to people. He can live side by side with hunters or herders, and they will not even suspect his presence.

A conflict between a snow leopard and a person arises only if the snow leopard begins to lack food, then it can easily switch to livestock.

Social behavior

Adult snow leopards are territorial animals, leading a predominantly solitary lifestyle (but family groups are also found), although females raise kittens for quite a long period of time. Each snow leopard lives within the boundaries of a strictly defined individual territory. However, it does not aggressively defend its territory from other members of its species. The habitat of an adult male can be overlapped by individual habitats of one to three females.

Reproduction

The mating season is in March-April. The birth of cubs occurs once every two years. The pregnancy of a female snow leopard is about 100 days. From 1 to 5 cubs are born. Newborns weigh about 500g and are born with closed ear canals and blind. Until 4 months, kittens feed on their mother's milk. Complementary feeding with meat begins at 2 months of age, and at six months the babies go hunting with their mother. By the age of three, snow leopards reach sexual maturity.

Security

Currently, the number of snow leopards is catastrophically low.

In all countries where the range is located, the snow leopard is under state protection, but poaching still threatens it. The snow leopard is a rare, small and endangered species. Listed on the IUCN Red List (2000) as “endangered” (highest conservation category EN C2A). In the Red Book of Mongolia (1997), the species was given the status of “very rare”; in the Red Book Russian Federation(2001) - “endangered species at the limit of its range” (category 1).

Snow leopard or snow leopard (uncia uncia) - carnivorous mammal, one of the rarest, major representatives cat family.

Description

The length of the body of an adult is 1000-1300 mm, the length of the tail is about 800-1000 mm and is equal to approximately 75% to 90% of the total body length. This extremely long tail is used for balancing in the rocky and mountainous terrain where they live, and the animals also use it to keep their limbs warm during harsh winter weather. The average weight of an adult snow leopard is 35-45 kg. There is no pronounced sexual dimorphism among these animals, but males may slightly exceed females in weight. Compared to other felines, snow leopards have slightly larger front paws, with an average foot pad measuring 90 to 100 mm in length and 70 to 80 mm in width. They also have relatively long hind legs, adapted for better maneuvering and jumping in their habitat.

The fur color of the snow leopard varies from light gray to smoky gray, with a creamy yellow and white tint usually found on the belly. The entire body of the snow leopard is covered with gray-black spots, which are surrounded by black rings. Larger spots and rings surrounding them are found only on the body and tail, while solid spots are common on the head, neck and lower limbs. Juveniles have longitudinal black stripes running along the back from head to tail. As they grow and mature, these stripes break up into large spots that form lateral rows of elongated rings along the center of the back.

Snow leopards have long, thick fur that sheds twice a year. In winter it becomes thicker and longer. In summer, the length of the snow leopard's fur is about 25 mm on the sides and approximately 50 mm on the belly and tail. IN winter time years, the hair reaches 50 mm on the sides, from 30 to 55 mm on the back, 60 mm on the tail and up to 120 mm on the belly. In addition to their thick fur, they have small, rounded ears that help minimize heat loss in cold conditions. Compared to other felines, snow leopards have much larger nasal cavities, as well as small and wide heads in relation to their body size.

Area

Snow leopards live on large areas, equal to approximately 2.3 million square kilometers. They can be found on all the high mountain ranges of Central Asia. This includes the entire Himalayan mountain system, as well as areas in Bhutan, Nepal and Siberia of Russia. Snow leopards are found anywhere from the Himalayas to southern and western Mongolia and southern Russia, but 60% of the population is found in China, especially in the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Tebet, and in the provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu.

Habitat

Steep, rocky, and rugged terrain is the preferred resting place for snow leopards, particularly near natural vegetation. The cliffs and large ridges are ideal for daytime recreation. Snow leopards live in alpine and subalpine zones at altitudes from 900 to 5,500 meters and above, but most often at altitudes between 3,000 and 4,500 meters. In winter they can migrate to lower places, to an altitude of 900 meters. Snow leopards generally avoid dense forests and cultivated fields, but can live in coniferous forests, and in arid and semi-arid scrubland, grasslands, montane grasslands and barren areas.

In western Nepal, an area with high prey densities, the average habitat range size ranges from 12 to 39 square kilometers. However, in areas with difficult terrain, the actual range is likely to be 20-30% greater.

Reproduction

Snow leopards are solitary animals and do not communicate with others of their own kind unless it is mating season. Due to the long time spent raising their young, females mate every second year. They are polygamous in the wild, but some snow leopards have been known to become monogamous in captivity.

Snow leopard breeding is highly seasonal and occurs from January to March. When females come into heat, they make a continuous squeaking sound that attracts males. The female offers herself to the male - she raises her tail and walks around him. During mating, the male grabs the hair on the female's neck, thereby holding her in one position. Gestation lasts 90-105 days, with cubs born from April to June. The number of offspring per litter is 2-3 kittens, but in rare cases varies from 1 to 5. They are born in rocky shelters, where the female makes a warm nest of wool on her belly. At birth, weight ranges from 300 to 600 grams.

Breastfeeding lasts about 5 months, but young animals can consume solid food as early as 2 months of age. The first year of life there is a close connection between the mother and her offspring. Females reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years, and males at 4 years.

Since snow leopards are solitary animals, the longest social contact occurs during the period when females are raising their offspring. Kittens are born blind and open their eyes when they reach one week of age.

The reproductive rate of snow leopards is higher in areas where females have the opportunity to hide in reliable shelter and also feed on prey nearby. This is necessary for the safety of their offspring, since inaccessible and reliable shelter helps hide the babies from other predators and allows females to hunt freely. After reaching three months of age, kittens follow their mother and learn basic survival skills such as hunting. During the first year of life, the mother provides the cubs with food, protection, training and other necessary resources.

Lifespan

Since snow leopards lead a very solitary lifestyle, it is quite difficult to accurately determine the average life expectancy of these animals. In captivity, snow leopards live up to 21 years.

Behavior

Snow leopards are most active during dawn and dusk. They are also very mobile and can move from one place to another every day and change their resting place several times during the day. Generally, they stay in one specific area for several weeks and then move to another.

Snow leopards are solitary animals, but during the mating season they are in pairs, so they share territory with each other. Individuals that are forced to share territory maintain a distance of approximately 2 km from the nearest individual. Snow leopards avoid each other by marking their paths with scratches, feces and special glands that can describe the sex and reproductive status of the individual.

They have a well-developed ability to jump high thanks to their wide paws and elongated hind legs. Snow leopards prefer to spend their time on tall structures, especially when living in captivity. A rare observation of the behavior of snow leopards in captivity has determined that the animals reduce their activity in places where people are present.

The preferred method of hunting is stalking. They then ambush their prey from higher ground, using rocky terrain and shrubby vegetation for camouflage.

Communication and perception

Unlike other large cats, snow leopards do not growl. Instead, they emit a high-pitched howl, especially females during the breeding season. This sound allows females to notify males of their location and, as a rule, this happens late in the evening. Vocalizations are non-aggressive and the sound is produced through the nostrils of the animals. The presence of one snow leopard in close proximity to another produces this sound, and can be described as a greeting.

Snow leopards make high-pitched sounds and communicate their location. Their long tails used in a number of communication functions. Animals also use tactile communication, namely rubbing the head and neck of their social partner, which indicates a peaceful mood.

Another way of communication is facial expressions. For example, when defending, they open their jaws quite wide and lift their lips to expose their fangs. However, when they are friendly, they only open their mouth without exposing their fangs, and also wrinkle their nose.

Snow leopards, likewise, prefer to communicate through smells and other chemicals.

Nutrition

Snow leopards are carnivores and actively hunt for their prey. They are also opportunistic predators and will consume any meat to provide their body with the energy it needs. Snow leopards are capable of killing animals 3-4 times their weight, but if necessary they can consume much smaller prey.

The main animal that snow leopards feed on is nakhur (Pseudois nayaur). Other types of production are Siberian Mountain goat (Capra ibex sibrica), horned goat (Capra failconeri), argali (Ovis ammon), mouflon (Ovis orientalis), Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), Sumatran serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), Himalayan goral (Naemorhaedus goral), red-bellied musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), boar (Sus scrofa), orongo (Pantholops hodgsonf), Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata), goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and kulan (Equus hemionus). Small prey includes marmots (Marmota), hares (Lepus), pikas (Ochotona), gray voles (Microtus), mice and birds.

Due to overhunting by humans, the population of wild ungulates in certain regions has declined significantly, and snow leopards have begun to prey on livestock.

Threats

Snow leopards are predatory animals, so they have fewer threats from wild animals than from people. However, interspecific killing between leopards ( Panthera pardus) And snow leopards can occur when competition for resources increases. Adults are also a potential threat to young animals.

In the last two decades, the population has declined by at least 20% due to habitat loss, prey, poaching and persecution. The main factor influencing population decline is human activity. Wool, bones and other body parts are of particular value to poachers. The skin is in great demand. IN Lately, their bones have become a popular substitute for tiger bones in Chinese medicine. Many farmers are responsible for killing snow leopards and risk losing their livestock.

Security status

Snow leopards are endangered. The number of individuals worldwide is estimated to range from 4,080 to 6,590 individuals.

Role in the ecosystem

Snow leopards are apex predators, meaning they play a key role in maintaining biodiversity in the ecosystem. They are an important indicator of health environment and help regulate populations of animals lower on the food chain.

Snow leopards can be recognized as indicator species, and this is important because it provides an opportunity to motivate the public to support ecosystem conservation. If snow leopard habitats are protected, many other animals will also have their habitats protected.