Wildlifeof Nepal
Snow Leopard
Cats
Photo: Ismail Shariff · CC BY 3.0
Panthera uncia
Basic stats
Diet
Wild hoofed animals and domestic livestock
Habitat
Alpine and subalpine zones with cliffs and ridges, typically 3,000–4,500m
Range
High mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas, including Nepal
Size
Head and body 75–150cm; tail 80–105cm; shoulder height about 56cm
The snow leopard has thick whitish to grey fur, with black spots on the head and neck and larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail. Its small rounded ears limit heat loss, its broad paws spread its weight on snow, and its long, flexible tail helps balance on rock. It is stocky and short-legged, and slightly smaller than other Panthera cats (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lives alone and is mostly active at dawn and dusk. In Nepal's Shey Phoksundo National Park the home ranges of five radio-collared adults overlapped broadly, although the animals rarely met. Across its range, up to ten individuals live in 100 square kilometres, but in areas with sparse prey an area of 1,000 square kilometres may support only five. Nationally Endangered (Nepal National Red List 2011).
Quick answers
- What does the Snow Leopard eat?
- Wild hoofed animals and domestic livestock
- What habitat does the Snow Leopard live in?
- Alpine and subalpine zones with cliffs and ridges, typically 3,000–4,500m
- Where is the Snow Leopard found?
- High mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas, including Nepal
- How big is the Snow Leopard?
- Head and body 75–150cm; tail 80–105cm; shoulder height about 56cm