| Perhaps the most beautiful of all big cats, | | | | habitats, Snow Leopards have evolved to be |
| the Snow Leopard is an amazing animal. Living | | | | specialized predators and opportunistic |
| at altitudes higher than those of most | | | | hunters. They take a variety of prey, |
| predators, the Snow Leopard creates a niche | | | | including animals much bigger than |
| for itself in some of the most difficult | | | | themselves. |
| terrains and hostile climates in the world. | | | | |
| | | | Their leaping ability (45 feet) surpasses |
| Panthera Uncia, the Snow Leopard, is | | | | even that of the cougar enabling the |
| frequently grouped in small cats owing to its | | | | marvelous cat to surprise its prey and |
| inability to roar, even as it is gifted a | | | | encounter the hilly ranges of its territory. |
| predator as any other felid. The cat is | | | | Distributed over a large mountainous terrain |
| characterized by its nearly meter long tail | | | | in South and Central Asia, Snow Leopards hunt |
| that helps protect its face during extreme | | | | a number of animals including boars, ibexes |
| cold and enables it to balance itself while | | | | and rodents. |
| encountering adverse topography. The weight | | | | |
| ranges from 80-130 lbs. Males are larger with | | | | Conservation efforts over the past few |
| a squarer face. The feet are bigger and | | | | decades have helped bring Snow Leopard |
| furrier for its size relative to other cats, | | | | population out of imminent threat of |
| helping the leopard tread over snow. The coat | | | | extinction. Numerous national parks and |
| is very attractive with thick fur and | | | | protection programs have sprouted in local |
| beautiful rosettes characteristic of | | | | countries with aim at boosting the numbers in |
| leopards. In winter the coat gets more white | | | | wild, complemented by successful breeding in |
| than yellow. | | | | captivity. Numbers in the wild, though, hover |
| | | | around five to six thousand - the |
| Owing to inhospitable terrain and difficult | | | | conservation status still being 'endangered'. |