25 Interesting Facts About Snow Leopards

1. The snow leopard is one of the five species of big cats. The other name of this mammal is ounce.
2. The snow leopard remained on the IUCN “endangered” list from 1986 to 2017. However, the organization changed its status to “vulnerable” in 2017 after finding errors in the 2008 Population assessment. The current estimated population of snow leopards is up to 10,000 adults in the wild. China, with an estimated population of over 2,000 individuals, has the largest population of snow leopards.
3. Several factors have declined the population of snow leopards. The biggest threats are hunting for illegal animal trade of their hides and bones, killing by herders to protect their livestock, and habitat destruction due to the expansion of herding and ranching.
4. Snow leopards are present in the mountains of Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. They inhabit an elevation of around 18,000 feet in the summer and 6,000 feet in the winter.
5. The name suggests snow leopards are closely related to leopards, but their closest relatives are tigers. The two big cats are “sister species” due to similarities in their DNA and visible differences from other big cats. The other three big cats (lions, leopards, and jaguars) are closely related to each other than with the former two species. Both snow leopards and tigers are the most critically endangered big cats. (Source)
6. The oldest big cat fossil belongs to a prehistoric snow leopard. This 6 to 4-million-year-old skull was discovered in 2010 from the border region of Pakistan and China. (Source)
7. Scientists previously assumed that one million-year-old fossils from China, France, and Portugal belonged to leopards. However, research has proved all these five fossils were snow leopards. The presence of snow leopards in Portugal proves that these big cats prefer mountainous terrain but can survive without snow. According to estimates, snow leopards inhabited mountainous regions of Portugal from 900,000 to 40,000 years ago. (Source)
8. Snow leopards are the smallest among big cats. It has a tail and body length of 0.75 to 1.3 m and a shoulder height of 0.6 m (1 foot 11 inches). It generally weighs between 27-55 kg, while rarely a large male can gain up to 75 kg. (Source) 

   

   Snow leopards are the smallest but have the longest tail among big cats

   
   
   
9. Snow leopards have the longest tails in proportion to body size among big cats. Its tail length accounts for 40-50% of total body length. Additionally, the tail is also thick due to the storage of fat. The leopard uses this long, thick, furry tail to cover its face and body while sleeping. (Source)
10. Several body features of snow leopards assist them in tolerating the harsh climate of their habitat. They have thick, furry coats with longhairs to withstand bitter cold. Their large paws work as snow shoes and enable them to walk on the snow without sinking. The extra-large nasal cavity of these mammals warms the air before it reaches their lungs. The pattern of their coats provides camouflage by matching the color of their habitat. Their hind legs are longer than their forelimbs, allowing them to jump higher.
11. The faces and skulls of snow leopards are different from other big cats. They have a shorter muzzle, a vertical chin, an elevated forehead, and short ears. Additionally, they have a shorter skull, rounded eye orbits, and larger nasal openings.
12. Big cats are the only felines that can roar. However, snow leopards are an exception to this rule. Unlike other big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars), snow leopards can’t roar due to the specific structure of their vocal cords. (Source)
13. Snow leopards make a distinctive sound while establishing territory and finding a mate. This call is similar to the infamous “Wilhelm Scream” from Hollywood movies. (Source)
14. Snow leopards are carnivores and eat wild mammals, such as marmots, ibex, and wild sheep. In the absence of wild animals, it may also prey upon livestock.
15. Snow leopards can kill far larger prey, such as yaks. These big cats killed 398 yaks in the west of Bhutan in five years (2015-19), comprising nearly 79% of total yaks killed by wild predators. Most of these kills were young yaks and were carried out during summer nights. Comparatively, dholes are the primary predators of adult yaks due to their social nature. (Source)
16. Like several other vertebrates, snow leopards also use scent to mark their territories or find mates. Their scent-marking procedures include spraying urine and depositing feces.
17. Male and female snow leopards come together only during breeding season from January to March. However, the male leaves after around a week and restarts its solitary life. The female gives birth to 1-5 cubs after a gestation period of 93-110 days. They are blind at birth and open their striking blue eyes after a week. The young ones remain with their mother for around 18 months.
18. The snow leopard is the least dangerous big cat to humans. So far, only two attacks on humans have been confirmed in Kazakhstan. One of these attacks was by a rabid snow leopard, while the other culprit was an old, toothless snow leopard. (Source)
19. In 2013, 12 countries that host snow leopards’ population joined to form the First Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP). All the countries agreed to work together to secure 20 landscapes across the snow leopard’s range.  
20. The snow leopard became captive for the first time in the Moscow Zoo in 1872. However, the first captive-bred snow leopard cubs were born more than a century later in the 1990s in the Beijing Zoo.  
21. Snow leopards can jump longer than any other feline. The longest jump ever by a cat was 11.7 m (38 feet 4.5 inches) when a snow leopard jumped over a ditch. The jump was recorded by Russian biologists. (Source)
22. Snow leopards can achieve a speed of up to 40 mph while chasing prey. They can cover around 25 miles (40 km) in a single night.
23. A large population of large ungulates, such as wild goats and sheep, can harm the mountainous ecosystem by overgrazing. Snow leopards preserve the ecosystem in their range by preying upon these ungulates.
24. Snow leopards are commonly known as “ghosts of the mountains” due to their camouflage coat, solitary nature, and nocturnal behavior. All these features make them difficult to spot in their native regions.
25. There is no term for a group of snow leopards due to their solitary nature. Adult snow leopards usually come together during breeding season.