Snow leopards, uncia uncia (or panthera uncia), are well known for their appearance. They can measure anywhere from 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) from its head to its tail. They are also slightly hefty cats, weighing in at 60 to 120 pounds (27 to 55 kilograms) with males being around 30 percent larger than females. Snow leopards have grey, yellowish, or even white fur with brown or black ringed spots all along their bodies. They are able to leap great distances, sometimes as far as 50 feet (15 meters) ahead of them.
As their name implies, snow leopards can be found in cold, mountainous terrain throughout Central Asia. Their paws are helpful when traversing through the snow as they act as snowshoes to prevent them from sinking in the snow. The tails of snow leopards also serve a useful purpose as they provide both balance and warmth for sensitive parts on the leopard, such as their noses and mouths. Their spots allow them to blend into their environment and hide from both predators and prey. They are solitary creatures, meaning that they live and hunt alone.
The diet of snow leopards consists of wild sheep, goats, boars, hares, rodents, deer and even game birds. Their diet is so varied because they must take what they can get in their harsh environment. They camouflage themselves to get close enough to their prey, and then use their agility to strike. Snow leopards will make a large kill about once every 10 to 15 days and will remain with it for 3 to 4 days after taking it down. They have almost no natural predators of their own, with humans being their greatest threat.
Breeding season for snow leopards takes place from January to mid March. After a gestation period of 3 to 3.5 months, females will give birth to anywhere from 1 to 5 cubs. They will give birth to their cubs inside of rock crevices which they line with fur. The cubs will nurse for about 2 months before being fed solid food. They will also begin to follow their mother on hunts at 3 months of age. The young snow leopards will remain with their mother until they are around 8 to 22 months old, at which time they will venture out on their own.
Snow leopards are an endangered species with global warming, loss of habitat, and illegal hunting being their greatest threats. Thankfully, there are actions taking place to help spread knowledge of these big cats and how to protect them. Their shy nature makes them difficult to study however, and as such there is much to learn about them. Even their average lifespan in the wild remains a mystery, although they have been known to live to be 21 years old in captivity. Hopefully, snow leopards can recover from their declining numbers and repopulate some of their historic range. After all, such beautiful creatures deserve to live and prosper for many years to come.
