Panthera uncia
1~The snow leopard has adapted to the thin mountain air and rarely ever descends below 6,000 feet in the summer. Generally its habitat is in the area between 10,000 and 20,000 feet however, it lives at the edge of the snow line. It does not live in regions of year round snow.
2~It's coat is made up of indefinite large rosettes.
3~It's total length is about 7 feet, including a 3 foot tail. This cat looks much heavier than it really is because of its luxuriously thick fur.
4~The diet of the Snow leopard contains mountain goats, gazelle, deer, wild boar, rabbits, ground squirrels, and birds, which it hunts at night.
5~Due to the harsh climate in which they live, this is the ONLY cat that has a specific breeding season. Mating occurs in late winter. The gestation period is about 100 days and the cubs generally, 2 to 4 are born just as the weather begins to warm in the spring.
6~Not the easiest of targets, Snow leopards are equipped with great strength and agility. They can clear 30 feet in a single bound and leap to a height of 10 or 12 feet.
Facts from the book The Endangered ONes written by: James A. Cox (copyright 1975)
(ABOVE FACTS PROVIDED BY WILDLIFE FACT FILE, PUBLISHED BY INTERNATIONAL MASTERS PUBLISHERS, 444 LIBERTY AVE. PITTSBURGH, PA 15222-1207 (800) 599-9694)
