Carnivores
Snow leopard
Panthera uncia
IUCN Red ListVulnerable
Snow leopard
- Description
- The snow leopard measures 100–130 cm with a bushy tail of a further 80–105 cm and weighs 22–55 kg. Dark rosettes mark the smoke-grey to cream coat, the fur is up to 5 cm long and dense, and the paws are strikingly broad and furred underneath — they work like snowshoes.
- Habitat
- The high mountains of Central Asia at 3,000–4,500 m: the Himalayas, the Pamirs, the Tibetan Plateau, the Altai and the Tian Shan. It favours steep rocky slopes, ravines and alpine meadows above the treeline.
- Diet
- It hunts mainly mountain ungulates — ibex, blue sheep and argali — supplemented by marmots, snowcocks and hares. It can bring down prey three times its own weight.
- Reproduction
- Gestation lasts 90–100 days. The female usually bears 2–3 cubs (exceptionally up to five) in a rock crevice lined with her own fur. The young stay with their mother for 18–22 months before finding a territory of their own.
- Lifespan
- 10–12 years in the wild, over 20 years in human care.
- Did you know?
- The tail, nearly as long as the whole body, balances the cat during leaps across the rocks, and while sleeping it wraps the tail around its muzzle like a scarf. Unlike a lion or a tiger it cannot roar — it lacks the necessary vocal apparatus. It can, however, leap fifteen metres.
Homeland & habitat
Where the snow leopard lives
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High mountains of Central AsiaIt lives on steep rocky slopes of the Himalayas, the Pamirs, the Altai and the Tian Shan at 3,000–4,500 m; an estimated 4,000–6,500 adults remain in the wild.
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Native range
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9 facts about the snow leopard
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- GroupCarnivoresŠelmy (Carnivora) · Kočkovití (Felidae)
- Scientific namePanthera unciaLatin name of the species
- Homeland & habitatVysokohorské oblasti střední Asie ve výškách 3 000–4 500 m: Himálaj, Pamír, Tibetská náhorní plošina, Altaj a Ťan-šan. Vyhledává strmé skalnaté svahy, rokle a alpínské louky nad hranicí lesa.
- DietLoví hlavně horské kopytníky — kozorožce, nahury a argali — a doplňkově svišti, ulary a zajíce. Poradí si i s kořistí trojnásobně těžší, než je sám.
- ReproductionBřezost trvá 90–100 dní. Samice rodí obvykle 2–3 koťata (výjimečně až pět) v skalní rozsedlině vystlané vlastní srstí. Mláďata zůstávají s matkou 18–22 měsíců, než si najdou vlastní teritorium.
- LifespanVe volné přírodě 10–12 let, v lidské péči přes 20 let.
- Conservation statusVulnerableAccording to the IUCN Red List
- Did you know…?Ocas dlouhý téměř jako celé tělo slouží k balancování při skocích po skalách a ve spánku si jím irbis zakrývá tlamu jako šálou. Na rozdíl od lva či tygra řvát neumí — chybí mu k tomu ozvučený jazylkový aparát. Zato skočí až patnáct metrů daleko.
- Where in the zooArea B — enclosures among the pools
Conservation status
Species vulnerability index
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Podle IUCN zranitelný druh (Vulnerable). Ve volné přírodě žije odhadem 4 000–6 500 dospělých jedinců.
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