Common Name: Snow Leopard Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata) Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae                                 Genus: Pantherinae Uncia Species: uncia

RUSSIAKazakhstan

India

CHINA

The snow leopard is unique among the felids for the smokey-gray coloring of its coat patterned with dark gray rosettes and spots, and because of that it became nearly extinct. It’s unique color makes an ideal camouflage in its mountain environment of bare rocks and snow.

Further adaptations for high altitude life include an enlarged nasal cavity, shortened limbs, well developed chest muscles, long hair with a dense, wooly undercoat, and a tail over 3 feet long. They use their tails like a coat in the winter, wrapping it around themselves when lying or sitting for added warmth.

Snow leopards molt twice a year with the summer coat being not quite as dense as the winter one. Males weigh between 90-115 lbs, with females weighing between 75-90lbs.

Their skull is large, short and broad with a short muzzle, resembling the Siberian lynx in its appearance. They have round pupils like the great cats, varying in color from pale yellow to green-grey. Their broad footpads are covered with fur to provide insulation as well as increasing the surface area allowing them to distribute their weight more evenly over the snow.

Role in environment

and Adaptations

Their prey includes wild sheep, wild boar, hares, mice, deer, marmots, and

other small mammals. They also feed on domestic livestock. Prey is either attacked or ambushed. Snow leopards attack usually from a distance up to fifteen meters and feed initially on the chest, lower abdomen, or thigh.

WEB

Range State

Habitat Area (km2) Estimated Population

Afghanistan 50,000 100-200

Bhutan 15,000 100-200

China 1,100,000 2,000-5,000India 75,000 200-600Kazakhstan 50,000 180-200

Kyrgyz Republic 105,000 150-500

Mongolia 101,000 500-1,000Nepal 30,000 300-500Pakistan 80,000 200-420

Tajikistan 100,000 180-220

Uzbekistan 10,000 20-50

ESTIMATED SNOW LEOPARD POPULATION

population

Common Name: Snow Leopard Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata) Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae                                 Genus: Pantherinae Uncia Species: uncia

Most snow leopards basically stay in the grassland biome where there is proper rainfall for itself (25-75 cm/year). Within this biome, the snow leopard survives near high mountain slopes, near the tree lines. It also lives in dense thickets, crevices in rocks, or in caves. This carnivore does most of its chores during the daytime and in the nighttime it will catch up on its rest.As a predator, The snow leopard keeps the smaller mammals population in check

 

NICHE/BALANCE

TITLE- snow leopard

Habitat- The snow leopard lives in Asia

Adaptation- the snow leopard has pads on the bottom of its paws to distribute its weight more evenly, and it has a smokey colored fur to blend in to the environment

Food Chain- the snow leopard eats the ibex, fish, hares, wild boar, sheep.

Population- the population is roughly 3500-7000. These are the only snow leopards left in the world

NICHE- the snow leopard s niche is to keep the population of the smaller mammals in check

SUMMARY

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/video/b42008/TheBigCatPictureClips/MovieClipSnowLeopard.htm

movie

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v613316pPSe4F5d?searchId=7616059700669729216&rank==2