Snow leopards are one of the most beautiful animals on Earth. But the available information is already enough to make a detailed picture of these animals.
Description
This predatory animal lives in the mountains and belongs to the cat family. In the 17th century, people often confused them with leopards, but later they began to be classified as a separate species. The first scientific description of the snow leopard was compiled in 1775 by the naturalist Johann Schreber.
Snow leopards are easy to distinguish from other cats due to their short paws and light color. Also, most of them look quite massive, as if they are overweight, but this is a deceptive misconception that appears due to the large amount of fur.
Origin of the species
Initially, it was believed that the first ancestors of the snow leopard appeared in the Pleistocene era, which ended 11.7 thousand years ago. However, later remains were found that were from 1.2 to 1.4 million years old. This suggests that predators appeared on the planet much earlier.
Scientists are still arguing about which family of snow leopards belong to. At the moment, they are assigned to the genus Uncia, which designates animals that have signs of large and small feline at the same time. For example, the structure of the skull of a snow leopard resembles the head of an ordinary cat, but has a hyoid bone, which is typical for panthers.
Interesting fact: Nowadays only snow leopards are related to the genus Uncia, since this is the only creature that has the signs of average cats. Moreover, this classification was invented specifically for them.
Since outwardly the snow leopard resembles a leopard, they have long been considered relatives. But detailed studies have proven that they have no kinship. But the snow leopard has a clear relationship with all kinds of panthers. It was later proved that snow leopards appeared about 1.67 million years ago and descended from the ancestors of the current tigers.
Some scientists have proposed breaking Uncia into subspecies, since the predator has a wide habitat. But more detailed studies have shown that at the genetic level, two snow leopard individuals living in different places are no different and are representatives of the same species.
Appearance
Outwardly, snow leopards are very similar to leopards, but not so large. Their paws are short, due to which the body is close to the ground. Snow leopards boast a very long tail with a black tip. In some individuals, it is 75% of the length of the body. Together with the tail, the length of the body of a snow leopard can reach up to 2.5 meters.
In height, the animal reaches up to 60 cm, males weigh up to 55 kg, and females only up to 40. Short limbs are covered with a thick layer of fur and are equipped with powerful muscles that allow you to climb the mountain. The claws are completely hidden in the paws and are released only when necessary.
Interesting fact: Snow leopard hair is similar in density to the hair of ordinary domestic cats. But since it is very thick, it allows them to live comfortably in cold climates.
The head of the snow leopard is small relative to the body, the ears are located on the sides of the eyes and do not contain tassels. On the back there are large black spots resembling stripes. They gradually go into the tail, forming incomplete rings there. The belly of the animal is often white. The smallest spots are located on the face, sometimes even resembling dots.
In summer, the snow leopard's coat has a white hue, some individuals boast a yellowish color. Closer to winter, the fur becomes more fluffy to protect the owner from the harsh cold. The hue also changes, becoming gray. This helps to better camouflage in the snow and mountains.
Behavior and lifestyle
Snow leopards love order and constancy.Adult individuals lead an independent lifestyle, each lives in its own territory with marked boundaries. As a den, they use caves in the mountains or large stone canopies, under which there is always a shadow.
She prefers to go looking for food in the early morning or evening. In the afternoon, they rest and gain strength. Interestingly, each snow leopard has a clear route, which it constantly follows when going around the territory. This is partly due to the fact that the land is covered with a thick layer of snow, and every time re-paving their way is quite problematic. Therefore, snow leopards prefer to follow the beaten path.
A predator does not like to move to a new territory, therefore, until the last it will patrol its possessions until some factors literally drive it out of there.
How long does a snow leopard live?
The average life expectancy of a snow leopard in the wild is 13 years. If the beast lives under close supervision of a person in favorable conditions, he may well live up to 20 years. The longevity record is considered to be a female who has lived 28 years.
Such a difference in life span is due to the fact that snow leopards face many difficulties every day, such as severe weather conditions, food shortages, etc. Also in captivity, their body is not subjected to high physical exertion. They don’t have to climb rocks and get food.
Habitat - where does the snow leopard live?
Since each individual has its own territory from 15 to 200 km, which is forbidden to other brethren, even with a small number of their habitat is quite large.
Snow leopards choose steep mountains as their place of residence, preferring to settle at an altitude of 1,500 to 6,000 meters above sea level. Depending on the surrounding conditions, the beast can descend into forest territories in search of food or climb to the very tops of the cliffs.
Now snow leopards are found mainly in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Russia, India, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. They can be found in mountainous areas with a small snow cover and extensive bushes.
Interesting fact: only 2% of the total number of snow leopards live in Russia.
Nutrition
The diet of the snow leopard contains mainly meat, but in hungry times it does not disdain to eat berries and some plant species. He gives the main preference to large ungulate animals: yaks, rams, mountain goats. This is due to the fact that for full saturation the predator needs to eat at least 3 kg of meat. If he does not come across decent prey for a long time, he can switch to birds and rodents. There have been times when snow leopards descended from the mountains to nearby farms and ate livestock.
Snow leopards prefer to hunt near ponds, guard the animals that came to the watering place. He hides in the bushes or snow, merging with the terrain, after which he imperceptibly reduces the distance to several tens of meters and begins to take off. Having reduced the distance to a minimum, the beast jumps onto the back of prey and bites it behind the neck.
The snow leopard takes the food obtained during the hunt into its lair. The predator never takes food right on the spot, preferring to feast in a calm environment. Interestingly, he does not mind sharing food with others. Having eaten, a snow leopard can leave unfinished meat for birds and predators.
Breeding and offspring
The breeding season of snow leopards falls in the spring. Patrolling his possessions, the male begins to make special sounds, similar to a rough meow. Hearing them, the female living in the neighboring territory reciprocates, after which the couple meets on her territory. After that, the male returns to himself and no longer sees the female.
The gestation period lasts 3-4 months depending on the surrounding conditions.On average, three kittens are born at a time. Their length is about 30 cm, and their weight is 0.5 kg, the hair is brown and thick, strewn with spots throughout the body. The first week the cubs are blind and all the time lie near their mother, eating milk. When they open their eyes, they begin to learn to walk. The first few months, kittens do not leave the den and eat only milk.
Later, they begin to go hunting with their mother and learn how to get food. Kittens watch as a female tracks down prey, after which they try to repeat it. An adult becomes three years old when it is able to take care of itself on its own. Then she leaves the den of her mother and goes in search of a future home.
Natural enemies
The snow leopard has no natural enemies, because it lives high in the mountains, where the rest of the predators do not settle. The only living creatures that in theory can fight him back are large artiodactyls, who also live in these territories. But the herbivore would rather try to escape when he saw the snow leopard, rather than engage in battle with him.
Thanks to their lifestyle, snow leopards are at the top of the food chain. True, this does not protect them from a person who often tries to catch this or that individual.
Population and species status
The snow leopard is on the verge of extinction as a species. At present, in zoos under close scrutiny are several thousand individuals. It’s hard to say how many people live in nature, because snow leopards specifically choose places that are difficult to access for humans for safety reasons. It is estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 individuals live in vivo.
Interesting fact: in 1984, the snow leopard was officially listed in the Red Book, in most countries it is regarded as a beast that is on the verge of extinction.
The gradual disappearance of snow leopards, unfortunately, is directly related to humans. Despite the fact that hunting for these predators is prohibited in any state, poachers are not afraid to break the law for the sake of valuable fur.
Snow Leopard Protection
After being entered in the Red Book, people were seriously concerned about preserving the species. Special reserves with natural living conditions are still being created, where animals can live and breed safely.
Also, since 2000, a provision has been adopted that makes the sale of snow leopards or their fur illegal. Now any poacher who is caught in this occupation is waiting for a very real prison term.
In zoos, special attention is paid to snow leopards. Workers try to maintain favorable conditions and the right temperature. Also, the procedure for the appearance of offspring is planned in advance, a couple of individuals are selected and the necessary preparations are carried out.
Modern technologies allow painlessly implanting beasts with chips showing their location. This is especially true when you consider that the snow leopard can live alone in an area of 200 km2. And if he suddenly gets into trouble, thanks to the sensor, searches will come down from a few days to a couple of hours. Zoologists are still developing effective ways to protect snow leopards.
Snow leopard and man
As mentioned above, man is the only creature on Earth that snow leopards should be wary of. Despite the fact that there are people who are sincerely trying to protect the snow leopards, there will always be those who want to harm them and make them objects of profit. Because of this, the interaction of man and the snow leopard can be very different and can be both positive and negative.
Snow leopard hunting
Before the ban on hunting snow leopards, they were tracked all over the world. Moreover, there was a stereotype that snow leopards are pests, attack livestock, people and try to interfere with other creatures in every possible way.Now, when the habits of the animal are less studied, it is hard to believe, but then there were such convictions, so the hunters freely went on campaigns on this beast.
Interesting fact: in the 1950s, the skin of a snow leopard on the territory of the USSR cost about 3 rubles. They made carpets, lips and warm clothes from it.
After the recognition of snow leopards as an endangered species and the prohibition of hunting, the number of skins harvested decreased significantly. If in the 1910s during the year 700-800 animals fell into the hands of hunters, then in 1998, 20 hides were obtained, and even then it was illegal. It is worth noting that the hunt for snow leopards continues to this day, despite all the bans. There is also a place to be illegal capture of animals and their sale.
Human attacks
Snow leopards are afraid of people and try not to contact them. Only two cases of attacks on humans have been officially registered. In the first situation, the animal attacked two tourists who entered its territory. The predator was able to overcome and study. The analysis revealed that the individual is sick with rabies, which was the cause of the conflict.
In the second case, the beast attacked the man. After studying the carcass, it became clear that the leopard was very old and completely exhausted, since it had not eaten for several days, and there were practically no teeth in its mouth. Obviously, the beast was no longer able to get its own food, and in man he saw the only chance of salvation. Both conflicts occurred on the territory of Almaty.
Captivity
About 2,000 snow leopards currently live in captivity, with 1,200 of them in China. The owners of reserves and zoos are trying to create the most favorable conditions for animals. Even cases have been recorded when organizations refused to take snow leopards to themselves, because they doubted that they could provide them with everything necessary.
In artificial conditions, snow leopards breed well. An average of 200 cubs appears per year. Now only 12% of individuals from zoos were brought from the wild. The rest were already born in artificial conditions. Every year, new programs are developed to improve the conditions for the maintenance of snow leopards.
Snow Leopard in Heraldry
Previously, only a leopard was depicted on the arms, since people did not see a significant difference between the animals. But when there was a clear distinction between the species, those heraldic figures where the animal was white began to refer to the snow leopard, and where yellow to the leopard.
Now the snow leopard is depicted on the arms: the city of Bishkek, the Shushensky district, the city of Samarkand, the largest city of Kazakhstan - Alma-Ata, the Republic of Khakassia, the Republic of Tatarstan. On each coat of arms, the beast is represented with a different level of detail and drawing. For example, on the Samarkand coat of arms he even has wings.
Since snow leopards live in snow-capped mountains, they are more associated with winter sports, especially with hockey. Under the symbolism of a white predator are two clubs from the KHL: Ak-Bars and Barys.
In 2011, the snow leopard became the mascot of the Asian Winter Games, thanks to which symbolism with its image was used everywhere. And in 2014, when the Olympic Games were being prepared for the Sochi city, the commission considered various options for mascots. Among them was an image of a white leopard, which the council workers mistakenly called a leopard.
Why is the snow leopard (snow leopard) so called?
In XVII, the animal had many consonant names. Turkic hunters called him “irbish”, in Central Asia they called him “ilbers”, in the territories of Kazakhstan - “irvis”. Over time, these names merged together and turned into an “irbis”, but the sonorous ending quickly changed to a dull one. Closer to the XVIII century, the beast began to call “irbis”.
At the same time, the name “snow leopard” began to be attached to them. The leopards were called leopards, but due to the outward resemblance to snow leopards, this term gradually migrated to the latter.However, due to the peculiarities of the color, the prefix “snowy” was added.
