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{{Short description|Species of large felid}}
{{About|the cat}}
{{about|the cat|other uses|Snow Leopard (disambiguation)}}
{{Taxobox
{{pp|small=yes}}
| status = EN
{{good article}}
| status_system = iucn3.1
{{Speciesbox
| status_ref =<ref name=iucn/>
| fossil_range = {{fossilrange|0.57|0}}
| trend = left
| image = Uncia uncia.jpg
| name = Snow leopard
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| image = Irbis4.JPG
| image_caption =
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| status = VU
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| ordo = [[Carnivora]]
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Panthera uncia'' |name-list-style=amp |author=McCarthy, T. |author2=Mallon, D. |author3=Jackson, R. |author4=Zahler, P. |author5=McCarthy, K. |date=2017 |page=e.T22732A50664030 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T22732A50664030.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| familia = [[Felidae]]
| status2 = CITES_A1
| subfamilia = [[Pantherinae]]
| status2_system = CITES
| genus = '''''Uncia''''' (disputed)
| status2_ref = <ref name=iucn/>
| genus_authority = O'Brien and Johnson 2007 {{Full|date=February 2011}}
| genus = Panthera
| species = '''''U. uncia'''''
| binomial = ''Uncia uncia''
| species = uncia
| binomial_authority = ([[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]], 1775)
| authority = ([[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]], 1775)
| range_map=snow leopard range.png
| range_map = SnowLeopard distribution.jpg
| range_map_caption=Range map
| range_map_caption = Distribution of the snow leopard, 2017<ref name=iucn />
| synonyms =
| synonyms =
*''Felis irbis'' <small>[[Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg|Ehrenberg]], 1830 (= ''Felis uncia'' Schreber, 1775), by subsequent designation ([[Theodore Sherman Palmer|Palmer]], 1904).<ref name=msw3/></small>
* ''Felis uncia'' {{small|[[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]], 1777}}
*''Panthera uncia'' <small>[[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]], 1775</small>
* ''Felis irbis'' {{small|[[Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg|Ehrenberg]], 1830}}
* ''Felis uncioides'' {{small|[[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]], 1855}}
| subdivision_ranks = subspecies
* ''Uncia uncia'' {{small|[[Reginald Innes Pocock|Pocock]], 1930}}
| subdivision = [[#Taxonomy|see text]]
* ''Panthera baikalensis-romanii'' {{small|Medvedev, 2000}}
}}
}}
The '''snow leopard''' ('''''Uncia uncia''''' or '''''Panthera uncia''''') is a moderately large [[Felidae|cat]] native to the mountain ranges of [[South Asia]] and [[Central Asia|Central]] Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and its exact [[taxonomy|taxonomic]] position will not be resolved until further studies are conducted.


The '''snow leopard''' ('''''Panthera uncia''''') is a [[species]] of large cat in the genus ''[[Panthera]]'' of the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Felidae]]. The species is native to the mountain ranges of [[Central Asia|Central]] and [[South Asia]]. It is listed as [[Vulnerable species|Vulnerable]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] because the global population is estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040. It is mainly threatened by [[poaching]] and [[habitat destruction]] following infrastructural developments. It inhabits [[Alpine climate|alpine]] and [[subalpine zone]]s at elevations of {{cvt|3000|-|4500|m}}, ranging from eastern [[Afghanistan]], the [[Himalayas]] and the [[Tibetan Plateau]] to southern [[Siberia]], [[Mongolia]] and [[western China]]. In the northern part of its range, it also lives at lower elevations.
Snow leopards live between {{Convert|3000|and|5500|m|ft}} above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown, but it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild and between 600 and 700 in zoos worldwide.<ref>[http://www.snowleopardtrustuk.org/snow-leopards.htm Snow Leopard Trust information page]</ref>


[[Taxonomy (biology)|Taxonomically]], the snow leopard was long classified in the [[monotypic genus]] ''Uncia''. Since [[Phylogenetics|phylogenetic]] studies revealed the relationships among ''Panthera'' species, it has since been considered a member of that [[Genus (biology)|genus]]. Two subspecies were described based on [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] differences, but [[Genetics|genetic]] differences between the two have not yet been confirmed. It is therefore regarded as a [[monotypic species]]. The species is widely depicted in [[Culture of Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyz culture]].
Snow leopards are smaller than the other [[big cats]] but, like them, exhibit a range of sizes, generally weighing between {{Convert|27|and|55|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, with an occasional large male reaching {{convert|75|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and small female of under {{convert|25|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>Boitani, Luigi, ''Simon & Schuster's Guide to Mammals''. Simon & Schuster/Touchstone Books (1984), ISBN 978-0671428051</ref><ref>[http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-020-01-0001.pdf] (2011).</ref> Body length ranges from {{Convert|75|to|130|cm|in|sigfig=1}}, with the tail adding a further {{convert|80|to|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} to that length.<ref name=WCoW>{{cite book|author=Sunquist, Mel|author2=Sunquist, Fiona|year=2002|title= Wild cats of the World |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location= Chicago |pages= 377–394|isbn= 0-226-77999-8}}</ref><ref name=Trust>{{cite web | work = Snow Leopard Trust | year = 2008 | url = http://www.snowleopard.org/external_files/media/Snow-Leopard-Fact-Sheet.pdf | title = Snow Leopard Fact Sheet | accessdate = 2008-10-23}}</ref> These cats stand about 60 cm (24 in) at the shoulder.<ref>http://www.snowleopard.org/catfactsclassroom/catfacts/physicalfeatures</ref>


== Naming and etymology ==
Snow leopards have long thick fur, and their base color varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with whitish underparts. They have dark gray to black open rosettes on their body with small spots of the same color on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tail. Unusually among cats, their eyes are pale green or gray in color.<ref name=WCoW/><ref name=Trust/>
[[File:Ounce1.jpg|thumb|Illustration of an 'Ounce' (1658)]]
The [[Old French]] word ''once'', which was intended to be used for the [[Eurasian lynx]] (''Lynx lynx''), is where the [[Latin]] name ''uncia'' and the English word ounce both originate. ''Once'' is believed to have originated from a previous form of the word ''lynx'' through a process known as [[Rebracketing|false splitting]]. The word ''once'' was originally considered to be pronounced as ''l'once'', where ''l''' stands for the [[Elision|elided form]] of the word ''la'' ('the') in French. ''Once'' was then understood to be the name of the animal.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Allen, E. A. |title=English Doublets |year=1908 |url=https://archive.org/stream/publications23modeuoft#page/214/mode/1up |volume=23 |series=New Series 16 |issue=1 |journal=Publications of the Modern Language Association of America |pages=184–239 |doi=10.2307/456687 |jstor=456687|s2cid=251028590 }}</ref>
The word ''panther'' derives from the [[classical Latin]] ''panthēra'', itself from the [[ancient Greek]] πάνθηρ ''pánthēr'', which was used for spotted cats.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Liddell, H. G. |author1-link=Henry Liddell |author2=Scott, R. |author2-link=Robert Scott (philologist) |name-list-style=amp |year=1940 |title=A Greek-English Lexicon |edition=Revised and augmented |location=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press |chapter=πάνθηρ |chapter-url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2377441 |access-date=2021-02-21 |archive-date=2008-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411203109/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2377441 |url-status=live }}</ref>


== Taxonomy ==
Snow leopards show several adaptations for living in a cold mountainous environment. Their bodies are stocky, their fur is thick, and their ears are small and rounded, all of which help to minimize heat loss. Their paws are wide, which distributes their weight better for walking on snow, and have fur on their undersides to increase their grip on steep and unstable surfaces; it also helps to minimize heat loss. Snow leopards' tails are long and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance, which is very important in the rocky terrain they inhabit. Their tails are also very thick due to storage of fats and are very thickly covered with fur which allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when asleep.<ref name=Trust/><ref name=NatGeog>{{cite web | work = National Geographic | year = 2008 | url = http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/snow-leopard.html | title = Snow Leopard profile | accessdate = 2008-10-23}}</ref>
[[File:Panthera uncia 02 MWNH 355.jpg|thumb|Snow leopard [[skull]] in the collection of the [[Museum Wiesbaden]]]]
''Felis uncia'' was the [[scientific name]] used by [[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber]] in 1777 who [[Scientific description|described]] a snow leopard based on an earlier description by [[Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon]], assuming that the cat occurred along the [[Barbary Coast]], in [[Persia]], [[East India]] and [[China]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |date=2016-06-06 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-12-802496-6 |language=en |access-date=2019-05-24 |archive-date=2023-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108185431/https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Genus (biology)|genus]] name ''Uncia'' was proposed by [[John Edward Gray]] in 1854 for Asian cats with a long and thick tail.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gray |first1=J. E. |title=The ounces |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |date=1854 |volume=14 |series=2 |page=394 |url=https://archive.org/stream/annalsmagazineof34lond#page/394/mode/1up}}</ref> ''Felis irbis,'' proposed by [[Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg]] in 1830, was a skin of a female snow leopard collected in the [[Altai Mountains]]. He also clarified that several [[leopard]] (''P. pardus'') skins were previously misidentified as snow leopard skins.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ehrenberg |first1=C. G. |year=1830 |title=Observations et données nouvelles sur le tigre du nord et la panthère du nord, recueillies dans le voyage de Sibérie fait par M.A. de Humboldt, en l'année 1829 |journal=Annales des sciences naturelles, Zoologie |volume=21 |pages=387–412 |url=https://archive.org/details/annalesdesscienc211830audo/page/394}}</ref> ''Felis uncioides'' proposed by [[Thomas Horsfield]] in 1855 was a snow leopard skin from Nepal in the collection of the Museum of the [[East India Company]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Horsfield |first1=T. |year=1855 |title=Brief notices of several new or little-known species of Mammalia, lately discovered and collected in Nepal, by Brian Houghton Hodgson |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Including Zoology, Botany, and Geology |volume=16 |series=2 |issue=92 |pages=101–114 |doi=10.1080/037454809495489 |url=https://archive.org/details/annalsmagazineof36lond/page/105}}</ref>


''Uncia uncia'' was used by [[Reginald Innes Pocock]] in 1930 when he reviewed skins and skulls of ''Panthera'' species from Asia. He also described morphological differences between snow leopard and leopard skins.<ref name=Pocock1930>{{cite journal |last1=Pocock |first1=R. I. |year=1930 |title=The panthers and ounces of Asia. Part II. The panthers of Kashmir, India, and Ceylon |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbomb34121930bomb/page/n475 |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=307–336}}</ref>
The snow leopard has a short muzzle and domed forehead, containing unusual large [[nasal cavity|nasal cavities]] that help the animal breathe the thin, cold air of their mountainous environment.<ref name=WCoW/>
''Panthera baikalensis-romanii'' proposed by a Russian scientist in 2000 was a dark brown snow leopard skin from the [[Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky District]] in southern [[Transbaikal]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Medvedev |first1=D. G. |year=2000 |title=Morfologicheskie otlichiya irbisa iz Yuzhnogo Zabaikalia |trans-title=Morphological differences of the snow leopard from Southern Transbaikalia |journal=Vestnik Irkutskoi Gosudarstvennoi Sel'skokhozyaistvennoi Akademyi [Proceedings of Irkutsk State Agricultural Academy] |volume=20 |pages=20–30}}</ref>


The snow leopard was long classified in the [[monotypic genus]] ''Uncia''.<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft |page=548|id=14000269| heading=Species ''Uncia uncia''}}</ref>
Snow leopards cannot [[Roar (utterance)|roar]], despite possessing partial [[ossification]] of the [[hyoid bone]]. This partial ossification was previously thought to be essential for allowing the [[big cat]]s to roar, but new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] features, especially of the [[larynx]], which are absent in the snow leopard.<ref name="Walker">{{cite book | last = Nowak | first = Ronald M. | title = Walker's Mammals of the World | publisher = [[Johns Hopkins University Press]] | year = 1999 | isbn = 0-8018-5789-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Weissengruber | first = GE | coauthors = G Forstenpointner, G Peters, A Kübber-Heiss, and WT Fitch | title = Hyoid apparatus and pharynx in the lion (''Panthera leo''), jaguar (''Panthera onca''), tiger (''Panthera tigris''), cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') and domestic cat (''Felis silvestris f. catus'') | work = Journal of Anatomy | publisher = Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland | pages=195–209 | year =2002 |month=September| url = http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1570911 | doi =10.1046/j.1469-7580.2002.00088.x | accessdate = 2007-05-20}}</ref> Snow leopard vocalizations include hisses, [[Prusten|chuffing]], mews, growls, and wailing.
They were subordinated to the genus ''Panthera'' based on results of [[phylogenetic]] studies.<ref name="johnson2006"/><ref name=Davies2010>{{cite journal |author1=Davis, B. W. |author2=Li, G. |author3=Murphy, W. J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2010 |title=Supermatrix and species tree methods resolve phylogenetic relationships within the big cats, ''Panthera'' (Carnivora: Felidae) |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=64–76 |pmid=20138224 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.036 |bibcode=2010MolPE..56...64D |url=http://www.academia.edu/download/46328641/Supermatrix_and_species_tree_methods_res20160607-12326-st2bcr.pdf}}{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name=Kitchener2016>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Kitchener, A. C. |author2=Driscoll, C. A. |author3=Yamaguchi, N. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=What is a Snow Leopard? Taxonomy, Morphology, and Phylogeny |pages=3–11 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |access-date=2020-12-12 |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210100447/https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=catsg>{{cite journal |author1=Kitchener, A. C. |author2=Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. |author3=Eizirik, E. |author4=Gentry, A. |author5=Werdelin, L. |author6=Wilting, A. |author7=Yamaguchi, N. |author8=Abramov, A. V. |author9=Christiansen, P. |author10=Driscoll, C. |author11=Duckworth, J. W. |author12=Johnson, W. |author13=Luo, S.-J. |author14=Meijaard, E. |author15=O’Donoghue, P. |author16=Sanderson, J. |author17=Seymour, K. |author18=Bruford, M. |author19=Groves, C. |author20=Hoffmann, M. |author21=Nowell, K. |author22=Timmons, Z. |author23=Tobe, S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |page=69 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=2018-05-13 |archive-date=2020-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117172708/https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live}}</ref>


Until spring 2017, there was no evidence available for the recognition of [[subspecies]]. Results of a [[phylogeography|phylogeographic]] analysis indicate that three subspecies should be recognised:<ref name=Janecka2017>{{cite journal |author1=Janecka, J. E. |author2=Zhang, Y. |author3=Li, D. |author4=Munkhtsog, B. |author5=Bayaraa, M. |author6=Galsandorj, N. |author7=Wangchuk, T. R. |author8=Karmacharya, D. |author9=Li, J. |author10=Lu, Z. |author11=Uulu, K. Z. |name-list-style=amp |year=2017 |journal=Journal of Heredity |title=Range-Wide Snow Leopard Phylogeography Supports Three Subspecies |volume=108 |issue=6 |pages=597–607 |doi=10.1093/jhered/esx044 |pmid=28498961 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
*''P. u. uncia'' in the range countries of the [[Pamir Mountains]]
*''P. u. irbis'' in Mongolia, and
*''P. u. uncioides'' in the Himalayas and [[Qinghai]].
This view has been both contested and supported by different researchers.<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Senn, H. |author2=Murray-Dickson, G. |author3=Kitchener, A. C. |author4=Riordan, P. |author5=Mallon, D. |name-list-style=amp |title=Response to Janecka et al. 2017 |year=2018 |journal=Heredity |volume=120 |issue=6 |pages=581–585 |doi=10.1038/s41437-017-0015-4 |pmid=29225352 |pmc=5943311}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Janecka, J. E. |author2=Janecka, M. J. |author3=Helgen, K. M. |author4=Murphy, W. J. |name-list-style=amp |title=The validity of three snow leopard subspecies: response to Senn et al. |year=2018 |journal=Heredity |volume=120 |issue=6 |pages=586–590|doi=10.1038/s41437-018-0052-7 |pmid=29434338 |pmc=5943360}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |author1=Janecka, J. E. |author2=Hacker, C. |author3=Broderick, J. |author4=Pulugulla, S. |author5=Auron, P. |author6=Ringling, M. |author7=Nelson, B. |author8=Munkhtsog, B. |author9=Hussain, S. |author10=Davis, B. |author11=Jackson, R. |chapter=Noninvasive Genetics and Genomics Shed Light on the Status, Phylogeography, and Evolution of the Elusive Snow Leopard |name-list-style=amp |editor=Ortega, J. |editor2=Maldonado, J. E. |publisher=Springer International Publishing |location=Basel |isbn=978-3-030-33334-8 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-33334-8_5 |year=2020 |title=Conservation Genetics in Mammals. Integrative Research Using Novel Approaches |pages=83–120 |s2cid=213437425 |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-33334-8_5 |access-date=2021-04-22 |archive-date=2022-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009101619/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-33334-8_5 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Korablev, M. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Poyarkov, A. D. |author3=Karnaukhov, A. S. |author4=Zvychaynaya, E. Y. |author5=Kuksin, A. N. |author6=Malykh, S. V. |author7=Istomov, S. V. |author8=Spitsyn, S. V. |author9=Aleksandrov, D. Y. |author10=Hernandez-Blanco, J. A. |author11=Munkhtsog, B. |title=Large‑scale and fine‑grain population structure and genetic diversity of snow leopards (''Panthera uncia'' Schreber, 1776) from the northern and western parts of the range with an emphasis on the Russian population |year=2021 |journal=Conservation Genetics |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=397–410 |doi=10.1007/s10592-021-01347-0 |s2cid=233480791 |url=https://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Korablev_et_al_2021.pdf |access-date=2021-04-22 |archive-date=2021-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519033452/https://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Korablev_et_al_2021.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>


An extinct subspecies ''[[Panthera uncia pyrenaica]]'' was described in 2022 based on [[fossil]] material found in France that was dated to the early [[Middle Pleistocene]] around {{Ma|0.57|0.53}}.<ref name="PantheraUnciaPyrenaica">{{Cite journal|last=Hemmer |first=H. |title=An intriguing find of an early Middle Pleistocene European snow leopard, ''Panthera uncia pyrenaica'' ssp. nov. (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae), from the Arago cave (Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales, France) |journal=Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments |year=2023 |volume=103 |issue=1 |pages=207–220 |doi=10.1007/s12549-021-00514-y |bibcode=2023PdPe..103..207H |s2cid=246433218 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Naming and etymology==
[[File:Ounce1.jpg|thumb|Ounce]]
Both the [[Latin]]ised genus name, ''Uncia'', and the occasional [[English language|English]] name "ounce" are derived from the [[Old French]] ''once'', originally used for the [[European lynx]]. "''Once''" itself is believed to have arisen by [[back-formation]] from an earlier word "''lonce''"&nbsp;– the "L" of "''lonce''" was construed as an abbreviated "''le''" ("the"), leaving "''once''" to be perceived as the animal's name. This, like the English version "ounce", became used for other lynx-sized cats, and eventually for the snow-leopard.<ref>{{cite journal|page=214|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/publications23modeuoft#page/214/mode/1up|author=Allen, Edward A |title=English Doublets |volume=23 (new series 16)|year=1908|journal=Publications of the Modern Language Association of America}}</ref><ref name="OED">''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', Oxford University Press. 1933: Ounce</ref>


== Evolution ==
The snow leopard is also known in its native lands as ''shan'' (Ladakhi), ''irves'' ({{lang-mn|ирвэс}}), ''waawrin prraang'' ({{lang-ps|واورين پړانګ}}), ''bars'' or ''barys'' ({{lang-kk|барыс}} {{IPA-kk|ˈbɑrəs|}}), ilbirs ([[Kyrgyz]]: Илбирс ) and ''barfani chita'' - "snow cheetah" (Urdu).
[[File:Two cladograms for Panthera.svg|thumb|upright=0.95|Two cladograms proposed for ''Panthera''. The upper cladogram is based on two studies published in 2006 and 2009,<ref name="johnson2006"/><ref name="werdelin2009"/> the lower one is based on studies published in 2010 and 2011.<ref name=Davies2010/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mazák|first1=J.H.|last2=Christiansen |first2=P. |last3=Kitchener |first3=A.C. |last4=Goswami |first4=A. |name-list-style=amp |title=Oldest known pantherine skull and evolution of the tiger |journal=PLOS ONE |year=2011 |volume=6 |issue=10 |pages=e25483 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0025483 |pmid=22016768 |pmc=3189913 |bibcode=2011PLoSO...625483M|doi-access=free}}</ref>]]


Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the [[DNA sequence]] sampled across the living [[Felidae]], the snow leopard forms a [[sister group]] with the [[tiger]] (''P. tigris''). The [[genetic divergence]] time of this group is estimated at {{mya|4.62|1.82}}.<ref name=johnson2006>{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=W. E. |last2=Eizirik |first2=E. |last3=Pecon-Slattery |first3=J. |last4=Murphy |first4=W. J. |last5=Antunes |first5=A. |last6=Teeling |first6=E. |last7=O'Brien |first7=S. J. |name-list-style=amp |title=The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: a genetic assessment |journal=Science |year=2006 |volume=311 |issue=5757 |pages=73–77 |pmid=16400146 |doi=10.1126/science.1122277 |bibcode=2006Sci...311...73J |s2cid=41672825 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |access-date=2018-10-21 |archive-date=2020-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004075725/https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="werdelin2009">{{cite book |year=2010 |editor1=Macdonald, D. W. |editor2=Loveridge, A. J. |title=Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-19-923445-5 |last1=Werdelin |first1=L. |last2=Yamaguchi |first2=N. |last3=Johnson |first3=W. E. |last4=O'Brien |first4=S. J. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae) |pages=59–82 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266755142 |access-date=21 October 2018 |archive-date=25 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925141956/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266755142 |url-status=live}}</ref> The snow leopard and the tiger probably diverged between {{mya|3.7|2.7}}.<ref name="Davies2010" /> ''Panthera'' originates most likely in northern Central Asia. ''[[Panthera blytheae]]'' [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavated]] in western Tibet's [[Ngari Prefecture]] has been initially described the oldest known ''Panthera'' species and exhibits skull characteristics similar to the snow leopard,<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Tseng, Z. J. |author2=Wang, X. |author3=Slater, G. J. |author4=Takeuchi, G. T. |author5=Li, Q. |author6=Liu, J. |author7=Xie, G. |name-list-style=amp |date=2014 |title=Himalayan fossils of the oldest known pantherine establish ancient origin of big cats |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=281 |issue=1774 |page=20132686 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2013.2686 |pmid=24225466 |pmc=3843846}}</ref> though its taxonomic placement has been disputed by other researchers who suggest that the species likely belongs to a different genus.<ref name=Peigne2017>{{cite journal |author1=Geraads, D. |author2=Peigné, S |title=Re-appraisal of ''Felis pamiri'' Ozansoy 1959 (Carnivora, Felidae) from the upper Miocene of Turkey: the earliest pantherine cat? |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=415–425 |year=2017 |url=https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01675275/document |doi=10.1007/s10914-016-9349-6|s2cid=207195894 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref><ref name=Hemmer2023>{{cite journal|last1=Hemmer|first1=H. |date=2023 |title=The evolution of the palaeopantherine cats, ''Palaeopanthera'' gen. nov. ''blytheae'' (Tseng et al., 2014) and ''Palaeopanthera pamiri'' (Ozansoy, 1959) comb. nov. (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) |journal=Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments |volume=103 |issue=4 |pages=827–839 |doi=10.1007/s12549-023-00571-5 |bibcode=2023PdPe..103..827H |s2cid=257842190}}</ref> The [[mitochondrial genome]]s of the snow leopard, the leopard and the [[lion]] (''P. leo'') are more similar to each other than their [[nuclear genome]]s, indicating that their ancestors [[Hybridization (biology)|hybridised]] at some point in their [[evolution]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=G. |last2=Davis |first2=B. W. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Murphy |first4=W. J. |name-list-style=amp |title=Phylogenomic evidence for ancient hybridization in the genomes of living cats (Felidae) |journal=Genome Research |date=2016 |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1101/gr.186668.114 |pmid=26518481 |pmc=4691742}}</ref>
==Taxonomy and evolution==
[[File:Snow leopard portrait-2010-07-09.jpg|thumb|left|Closeup of a male snow leopard]]
The snow leopard was first described by Schreber in 1775, in the [[Kopet-Dag]] Mountains in [[Turkmenistan]] and [[Iran]].
In the past, many [[taxonomist]]s included the snow leopard in the [[genus]] ''[[Panthera]]'', together with the other largest [[Extant taxon|extant]] [[felidae|felids]], but later it was placed in its own genus, ''Uncia''. It was thought not to be closely related to the [[leopard]] (''Panthera pardus''). However, a recent molecular study placed the species firmly within the genus ''Panthera'', its closest relative being the [[tiger]] (''[[Panthera tigris]]'')<ref>{{cite journal |last=Davis|first=B.W.|title= Supermatrix and species tree methods resolve phylogenetic relationships within the big cats, Panthera (Carnivora: Felidae)|coauthors=Li G., Murphy W.J|journal=Molecular Phylogenetic Evolution|date= 2010 Jul|issue=56|pages=64–76|PMID= 20138224}}</ref>. Its exact position remains unclear, and many sources still treat it as ''Uncia'' pending further studies.<ref name=Johnson2006>{{cite journal |last= Johnson|first= W.E. |coauthors= Eizirik, E., Pecon-Slattery, J., Murphy, W.J., Antunes, A., Teeling, E. & O'Brien, S.J.|date= 6 January 2006|title= The Late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment|journal= [[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume= 311|issue= 5757|pages= pp73–77|id= |url= http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/311/5757/73 |doi= 10.1126/science.1122277|accessdate=2008-10-24 |pmid= 16400146}}</ref>


Fossils of the snow leopard found in the Pabbi Hills of Pakistan were dated to the [[Early Pleistocene]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dennell |first=R. W. |last2=Coard |first2=R. |last3=Turner |first3=A. |date=2008 |title=Predators and scavengers in Early Pleistocene southern Asia |journal=[[Quaternary International]] |volume=192 |issue=1 |pages=78–88 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2007.06.023 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref>
A few [[subspecies]] have been proposed for animals living in different geographical regions. With the possible exception of ''U. u. baikalensis-romanii'', which requires further evaluation, these subspecies were generally not considered valid.<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = 548|id=14000269}}</ref> The [[Handbook of the Mammals of the World]] recognizes two subspecies: ''U. u. uncia'', from central Asia northwestwards to Mongolia and Russia; and ''U. u. uncioides'' in western China and the Himalayas.<ref>Wilson DE, Mittermeier RA (eds) (2009) Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 1. Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona</ref>


== Characteristics ==
==Biology and behavior==
{{multiple image | align= right | direction= vertical | image1= Panthera uncia (33172899150).jpg | caption1= Showing canines | image2= Léopard des neiges 14081.jpg | caption2= Thickly furred tail}}
The snow leopard's fur is whitish to grey with black spots on the head and neck, with larger [[Rosette (zoology)|rosette]]s on the back, [[Flank (anatomy)|flank]]s and bushy tail. Its [[Muzzle (anatomy)|muzzle]] is short, its forehead domed, and its [[nasal cavity|nasal cavities]] are large. The fur is thick with hairs measuring {{cvt|5|to|12|cm|in}} in length, and its underbelly is whitish. They are stocky, short-legged, and slightly smaller than other cats of the genus ''Panthera'', reaching a shoulder height of {{cvt|56|cm|in}}, and ranging in head to body size from {{cvt|75|to|150|cm}}. Its tail is {{cvt|80|to|105|cm}} long.<ref name=Hemmer1972>{{cite journal |author=Hemmer, H. |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-020-01-0001.pdf |journal=Mammalian Species |title=''Uncia uncia'' |pages=1–5 |year=1972 |doi=10.2307/3503882 |issue=20 |jstor=3503882 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401104725/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-020-01-0001.pdf}}</ref> Males average {{Cvt|45|to|55|kg}}, and females {{Cvt|35|to|40|kg}}.<ref name=Nowell&Jackson1996/> Occasionally, large males reaching {{cvt|75|kg}} have been recorded, and small females under {{cvt|25|kg}}.<ref name=WCoW>{{cite book |author=Sunquist, M. |author2=Sunquist, F. |name-list-style=amp |year=2002 |title=Wild Cats of the World |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |isbn=978-0-226-77999-7 |chapter=Snow leopard ''Uncia uncia'' (Schreber, 1775) |pages=377–394 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IF8nDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA378 |access-date=2020-12-12 |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210100446/https://books.google.com/books?id=IF8nDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA378 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Its [[canine teeth]] are {{cvt|28.6|mm|in}} long and are more slender than those of the other ''Panthera'' species.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Christiansen |first1=P. |year=2007 |title=Canine morphology in the larger Felidae: implications for feeding ecology |journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=91 |issue=4 |pages=573–592 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00819.x |doi-access=free}}</ref>


The snow leopard shows several adaptations for living in cold, mountainous environments. Its small rounded ears help to minimize heat loss, and its broad paws effectively distribute the body weight for walking on snow. Fur on the undersides of the paws enhances its grip on steep and unstable surfaces, and helps to minimize heat loss. Its long and flexible tail helps the cat to balance in rocky terrain. The tail is very thick due to fat storage, and is covered in a thick layer of fur, which allows the cat to use it like a blanket to protect its face when asleep.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gish |first=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zv_ZjgEACAAJ |title=Snow Leopards |date=2016 |isbn=978-1-56660-746-9 |access-date=2023-05-20 |archive-date=2023-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108185432/https://books.google.com/books?id=Zv_ZjgEACAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref>
In summer, snow leopards usually live above the [[tree line]] on mountainous meadows and in rocky regions at an altitude from {{Convert|2700|to|6000|m|ft|abbr=on}}. In winter, snow leopards come down into the forests to an altitude of around {{Convert|1200|to|2000|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Snow leopards prefer broken terrain and can travel without difficulty in snow up to {{convert|85|cm|in}} deep, although snow leopards prefer to use existing trails made by other animals.<ref name=WCoW/>


The snow leopard differs from the other ''Panthera'' species by a shorter muzzle, an elevated [[forehead]], a vertical chin and a less developed posterior process of the lower [[jaw]].<ref name=Pocock1930/> Despite its partly [[ossification|ossified]] [[hyoid bone]], a snow leopard cannot [[roar]], as its {{cvt|9|mm}} short [[vocal fold]]s provide little resistance to airflow.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hast |first1=M. H. |year=1989 |title=The larynx of roaring and non-roaring cats |journal=Journal of Anatomy |volume=163 |pages=117–121 |pmc=1256521 |pmid=2606766}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Weissengruber |first1=G. E. |first2=G. |last2=Forstenpointner |first3=G. |last3=Peters |first4=A. |last4=Kübber-Heiss |first5=W. T. |last5=Fitch |title=Hyoid apparatus and pharynx in the lion (''Panthera leo''), jaguar (''Panthera onca''), tiger (''Panthera tigris''), cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') and domestic cat (''Felis silvestris f. catus'') |journal=Journal of Anatomy |pages=195–209 |date=2002 |doi=10.1046/j.1469-7580.2002.00088.x |pmc=1570911 |volume=201 |issue=3 |pmid=12363272}}</ref>
The snow leopard leads a largely [[wikt:solitary|solitary]] life, although mothers may rear cubs in dens in the mountains for extended periods.
Its nasal openings are large in relation to the length of its [[skull]] and width of its [[palate]]; thanks to their size the volume of air inhaled with each breath is optimised, and the cold dry air becomes warmer.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Torregrosa, V. |author2=Petrucci, M. |author3=Pérez-Claros, J. A. |author4=Palmqvist, P. |name-list-style=amp |year=2010 |title=Nasal aperture area and body mass in felids: Ecophysiological implications and paleobiological inferences |journal=Geobios |volume=43 |issue=6 |pages=653–661 |doi=10.1016/j.geobios.2010.05.001|bibcode=2010Geobi..43..653T}}</ref> It is not especially adapted to [[high-altitude hypoxia]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Janecka, J.E. |author2=Nielsen, S.S. |author3=Andersen, S.D. |author4=Hoffmann, F.G. |author5=Weber, R.E. |author6=Anderson, T. |author7=Storz, J.F. |name-list-style=amp |author8=Fago, A. |title=Genetically based low oxygen affinities of felid hemoglobins: lack of biochemical adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia in the snow leopard |date=2015 |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=218 |issue=15 |pages=2402–2409 |doi=10.1242/jeb.125369 |pmid=26246610 |pmc=4528707 |doi-access=free}}</ref>


== Distribution and habitat ==
An individual snow leopard lives within a well-defined home range, but does not defend its territory aggressively when encroached upon by other snow leopards. Home ranges vary greatly in size. In Nepal, where prey is abundant, a home range may be as small as {{Convert|12|km2|sqmi|0|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} to {{Convert|40|km2|sqmi|0|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} and up to five to ten animals are found here per {{Convert|100|km2|sqmi|0|sigfig=1|abbr=on}}; whereas in habitats with sparse prey, an area of {{Convert|1000|km2|sqmi|0|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} supports only five of these cats.<ref name="Walker"/>
The snow leopard is distributed from the west of [[Lake Baikal]] through southern Siberia, in the [[Kunlun Mountains]], Altai Mountains, [[Sayan Mountains|Sayan]] and [[Tannu-Ola Mountains]], in the [[Tian Shan]], through [[Tajikistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Kazakhstan]] to the [[Hindu Kush]] in eastern Afghanistan, [[Karakoram]] in northern [[Pakistan]], in the [[Pamir Mountains]], the Tibetan Plateau and in the high elevations of the [[Himalaya]]s in [[India]], [[Nepal]] and [[Bhutan]]. In Mongolia, they inhabit the Mongolian and Gobi Altai Mountains and the [[Khangai Mountains]]. In [[Tibet]], they occur up to the [[Altyn-Tagh]] in the north.<ref name="Nowell&Jackson1996" /><ref name=McCarthy2003>{{cite book |author1=McCarthy, T. M. |author2=Chapron, G. |name-list-style=amp |year=2003 |publisher=International Snow Leopard Trust and Snow Leopard Network |location=Seattle, USA |title=Snow Leopard Survival Strategy |url=http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/docs/slss_full.pdf |access-date=2017-10-23 |archive-date=2019-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711112322/http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/docs/slss_full.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
They inhabit [[Alpine climate|alpine]] and [[subalpine zone]]s at elevations of {{cvt|3000|to|4500|m}}, but also lives at lower elevations in the northern part of their range.<ref name=Janecka2008>{{cite journal |author1=Janečka, J. E. |author2=Jackson. R. |author3=Yuquang, Z.|author4=Diqiang, L. |author5=Munkhtsog, B.|author6=Buckley-Beason, V. |author7=Murphy, W. J. |title=Population monitoring of snow leopards using noninvasive collection of scat samples: a pilot study |journal=Animal Conservation |volume=11 |issue=5 |year=2008 |pages=401–411 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-1795.2008.00195.x |bibcode=2008AnCon..11..401J |s2cid=20787622}}</ref>


Potential snow leopard habitat in the Indian Himalayas is estimated at less than {{cvt|90000|km2}} in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Ladakh]],<!-- <ref>{{cite journal |author1=Watts, S. M. |author2=McCarthy. T.M. |author3=Namgail, T. |title=Modelling potential habitat for snow leopards (''Panthera uncia'') in Ladakh, India |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=14 |issue=1 |year=2019 |pages=1–14 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0211509 |doi-access=free}}</ref> --> [[Uttarakhand]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Sikkim]] and [[Arunachal Pradesh]], of which about {{cvt|34000|km2}} is considered good habitat, and 14.4% is protected. In the beginning of the 1990s, the Indian snow leopard population was estimated at 200–600 individuals living across about 25 protected areas.<ref name="McCarthy2003" /> The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Programme counted the number of snow leopards between 2019 and 2023 and found their number to be 718, with 477 in [[Ladakh]], 124 in [[Uttarakhand]], 51 in Himachal Pradesh, 36 in Arunachal Pradesh, 21 in Sikkim, and nine in Jammu and Kashmir.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Snow leopard census: Ladakh leads the pack with 477, J&K records minimum at 9 of total 718 |url=https://m.greaterkashmir.com/article/indias-snow-leopard-census-ladakh-leads-the-pack-with-477-jk-records-minimum-at-9-of-total-718/274709 |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Greaterkashmir |language=en |archive-date=2024-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201174837/https://m.greaterkashmir.com/article/indias-snow-leopard-census-ladakh-leads-the-pack-with-477-jk-records-minimum-at-9-of-total-718/274709 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Like other cats, snow leopards use [[scent mark]]s to indicate their territory and common travel routes. These are most commonly produced by scraping the ground with the hind feet before depositing [[urine]] or [[scat]], but they also spray urine onto sheltered patches of rock.<ref name=WCoW/>


In summer, the snow leopard usually lives above the [[tree line]] on [[alpine meadow]]s and in rocky regions at elevations of {{cvt|2700|to|6000|m}}. In winter, they descend to elevations around {{cvt|1200|to|2000|m}}. They prefer rocky, broken terrain, and can move in {{cvt|85|cm}} deep snow, but prefers to use existing trails made by other animals.<ref name=WCoW />
Snow leopards are [[crepuscular]], being most active at dawn and dusk.<ref name=Trust/> They are known for being extremely secretive and well camouflaged.


Snow leopards were recorded by [[camera trap]]s at 16 locations in northeastern Afghanistan's isolated [[Wakhan Corridor]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Simms, A. |author2=Moheb, Z. |author3=Salahudin |author4=Ali, H. |author5=Ali, I. |author6=Wood, T. |year=2011 |title=Saving threatened species in Afghanistan: snow leopards in the Wakhan Corridor |journal=International Journal of Environmental Studies |volume=68 |issue=3 |pages=299–312 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233093578|doi=10.1080/00207233.2011.577147 |bibcode=2011IJEnS..68..299S |s2cid=96170915}}</ref>
===Hunting and diet===
[[File:Snow Leopard -Taronga Zoo-8a.jpg|right|thumb|Showing teeth at [[Taronga Zoo]], Australia]]
Snow leopards are [[carnivore]]s and actively [[Hunting|hunt]] their prey, though, like all cats, they are opportunistic feeders, eating whatever meat they can find, including [[carrion]] and domestic livestock. They can kill animals three times their size, such as the [[Bharal]], [[Himalayan Tahr]] and [[Markhor]] but will readily take much smaller prey such as hares and birds.<ref name=NatGeog/> Unusually among cats, snow leopards also eat a significant amount of vegetation, including grass and twigs.<ref name=WCoW/>


==Behavior and ecology==
The diet of the snow leopard varies across its range and with the time of year, and depends on [[prey]] availability. In the [[Himalayas]], it preys mostly on [[bharal]]s (Himalayan blue sheep) but in other mountain ranges such as the [[Karakoram]], [[Tian Shan]], and [[Altai mountains|Altai]], its main prey consists of [[Siberian ibex]] and [[argali]], a type of wild sheep, although this has become rarer in some parts of the snow leopard's range.<ref name=Trust/><ref name=SLCHandbook3>{{cite web |url= http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/pdf/SL_Survey_Cons_Handbook_Part_3.pdf |title= Snow Leopard Survey and Conservation Handbook Part III |accessdate= 2009-03-14 |author= Jackson, Rodney |coauthors= Hunter, Don O. |year= 1996 |format= pdf |work= Snow Leopard Survey and Conservation Handbook |publisher= International Snow Leopard Trust & U.S. Geological Survey |location= Seattle, Washington, & Fort Collins Science Center, Colorado, US |pages= 66 }}</ref> Other large animals eaten include various types of wild goats and sheep (such as [[markhor]]s and [[urial]]s), other goat-like [[ruminant]]s such as [[Himalayan tahr]] and [[goral]]s, plus [[deer]], [[boar]]s, and [[langur monkey]]s. Smaller prey consists of [[marmot]]s, [[woolly hare]]s, [[pika]]s, various [[rodent]]s, and birds such as the [[snow cock]] and [[chukar]].<ref name=Trust/><ref name=NatGeog/><ref name=SLCHandbook3/><ref name="Conservation in Nepal">{{cite web |url= http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/dscs92.pdf |title= ''Conservation of the Snow Leopard in Nepal |accessdate= 2009-03-14 |author= unknown |year= 2004 |format= pdf |work= |publisher= The Snow Leopard Network |location= Seattle, US |pages= 2 }}</ref>
[[File:Snow Leopard Being Cute (16135561540).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Scent rubbing]]]]
[[File:Uncia uncia.jpg|thumb|upright|Walking on snow]]
The snow leopard's vocalizations include meowing, grunting, [[prusten]] and moaning. They can purr when exhaling.<ref name=Hemmer1972/>


It is [[solitary animal|solitary]] and mostly active at dawn till early morning, and again in afternoons and early evenings. They mostly rest near cliffs and ridges that provide vantage points and shade. In Nepal's [[Shey Phoksundo National Park]], the home ranges of five adult [[Radio telemetry|radio-collared]] snow leopards largely overlapped, though they rarely met. Their individual home ranges ranged from {{cvt|12|to|39|km2}}. Males moved between {{cvt|0.5|and|5.45|km}} per day, and females between {{cvt|0.2|and|2.25|km}}, measured in straight lines between survey points. Since they often zigzagged in the precipitous terrain, they actually moved up to {{cvt|7|km}} in a single night.<ref name=JacksonAhlborn1988>{{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=R. |last2=Ahlborn |first2=G. |name-list-style=amp |year=1988 |title=Proceedings of the Fifth International Snow Leopard Symposium |editor1-last=Freeman |editor1-first=H. |publisher=International Snow Leopard Trust |location=India |chapter=Observations on the ecology of snow leopard in west Nepal |pages=65–97 |chapter-url=http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Jackson_Ahlborn_1988.pdf |access-date=2019-04-09 |archive-date=2019-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712163136/http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Jackson_Ahlborn_1988.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The snow leopard is not averse to taking domestic [[livestock]], which brings it into direct conflict with humans. Herders will kill snow leopards to prevent them from taking their animals.<ref name=NatGeog/> Snow leopards have not been reported to attack humans, and appear to be among the least aggressive of all the big cats. As a result, they are easily driven away from livestock; they readily abandon their kills when threatened and may not even defend themselves when attacked.<ref name=WCoW/>
Up to 10 individuals inhabit an area of {{cvt|100|km2}}; in habitats with sparse prey, an area of {{cvt|1000|km2}} usually supports only five individuals.<ref name=Jackson1996>{{cite thesis |last=Jackson |first=R. |title=Home Range, Movements and Habitat Use of Snow Leopard in Nepal |type=PhD |publisher=University of London |year=1996 |location=London |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242563248}}</ref>


A study in the [[Gobi Desert]] from 2008 to 2014 revealed that adult males used a mean home range of {{cvt|144|-|270|km2}}, while adult females ranged in areas of {{cvt|83|-|165|km2}}. Their home ranges overlapped less than 20%. These results indicate that about 40% of the 170 protected areas in their range countries are smaller than the home range of a single male snow leopard.<ref name=Johansson2016>{{cite journal |author1=Johansson, Ö. |author2=Rauset, G. R. |author3=Samelius, G. |author4=McCarthy, T. |author5=Andrén, H. |author6=Tumursukh, L. |author7=Mishra, C. |name-list-style=amp |title=Land sharing is essential for snow leopard conservation |date=2016 |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=203 |issue=203 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.034 |bibcode=2016BCons.203....1J |url=http://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Johansson_et_al_2016.pdf |access-date=2019-05-24 |archive-date=2021-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519031602/https://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Johansson_et_al_2016.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Snow leopards prefer to [[ambush]] prey from above, using broken terrain to conceal their approach, and can leap as far as {{Convert|14|m|ft|sp=us}}.<ref name="sandiego">{{cite web | work = San Diego Zoo | year = 2007 | url = http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-snow_leopard.html | title = Animal Bytes: snow leopard | accessdate = 2007-05-05}}</ref> They will actively pursue prey down steep mountainsides, using the momentum of their initial leap to chase animals for up to {{convert|300|m|ft}}. They kill with a bite to the neck, and may drag the prey to a safe location before feeding. They consume all edible parts of the carcass, and can survive on a single [[bharal]] for two weeks before hunting again.<ref name=WCoW/>


Snow leopards leave [[scent mark]]s to indicate their territories and common travel routes. They scrape the ground with the hind feet before depositing [[urine]] or [[feces]], but also [[spraying (animal behavior)|spray]] urine onto rocks.<ref name=WCoW /> Their urine contains many characteristic low molecular weight compounds with diverse functional groups including [[pentanol]], [[hexanol]], [[heptanol]], [[3-octanone]], [[nonanal]] and [[indole]], which possibly play a role in chemical communication.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Das, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Manna, S. |author3=Ray, S. |author4=Das, P. |author5=Rai, U. |author6=Ghosh, B. |author7=Sarkar, M. P. |title=Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 14 |chapter=Do Urinary Volatiles Carry Communicative Messages in Himalayan Snow Leopards &#91;Panthera uncia, (Schreber, 1775)&#93;? |year=2019 |publisher=Springer |place=Cham |volume=14 |pages=27–37 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-17616-7_3 |isbn=978-3-030-17615-0 |s2cid=200084900 |editor=Buesching, C.}}</ref>
===Reproduction and life cycle===


===Hunting and diet===
[[File:SnowCubs01.jpg|right|thumb|Snow Leopard cubs at the Cat Survival Trust, [[Welwyn]], UK.]]
{{multiple image | align= right | direction= vertical | image1= Wild Snow Leopard Goes Grocery Shopping.png | caption1= Snow leopard with a [[gray marmot]] in Kyrgyzstan}}
Snow leopards are unusual among large cats in that they have a well-defined birth peak. They usually [[mating|mate]] in late winter, marked by a noticeable increase in marking and calling. The Snow Leopards have a [[gestation period]] of 90–100 days, so that the cubs are born between April and June. [[Oestrus]] typically lasts from five to eight days, and males tend not to seek out another partner after mating, probably because the short mating season does not allow sufficient time. Paired snow leopards mate in [[Lordosis behavior|the usual felid posture]], from 12 to 36 times a day.<ref name=WCoW/>


The snow leopard is a [[carnivore]] and actively [[Hunting|hunts]] its [[prey]]. Its preferred wild prey species are [[Himalayan blue sheep]] (''Pseudois nayaur''), [[Himalayan tahr]] (''Hemitragus jemlahicus''), [[argali]] (''Ovis ammon''), [[markhor]] (''Capra falconeri'') and [[wild goat]] (''C. aegagrus''). It also preys on domestic livestock.<ref name=Johansson>{{cite journal |last1=Johansson |first1=Ö. |last2=McCarthy |first2=T. |last3=Samelius, G. |last4=Andrén, H. |last5=Tumursukh, L. |last6=Mishra, C. |name-list-style=amp |year=2015 |title=Snow leopard predation in a livestock dominated landscape in Mongolia |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=184 |pages=251–258 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2015.02.003 |bibcode=2015BCons.184..251J |url=http://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Johansson_et_al_2015.pdf |access-date=2015-03-25 |archive-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128162142/http://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Johansson_et_al_2015.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Namgail, T. |last2=Fox, J.L. |last3=Bhatnagar, Y.V. |name-list-style=amp |year=2007 |title=Carnivore-caused livestock mortality in Trans-Himalaya |journal=Environmental Management |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=490–496 |doi=10.1007/s00267-005-0178-2 |pmid=17318699 |s2cid=30967502 |url=http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/29268318.pdf |access-date=2023-10-25 |archive-date=2023-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108185441/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/29268318.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> It prefers prey ranging in weight from {{cvt|36|to|76|kg}}, but also hunts smaller mammals such as [[Himalayan marmot]] (''Marmota himalayana''), [[pika]] and [[vole]] species. Its diet depends on prey availability and varies across its range and season. In the Himalayas, it preys mostly on Himalayan blue sheep, [[Siberian ibex]] (''C. sibirica''), [[white-bellied musk deer]] (''Moschus leucogaster'') and [[wild boar]] (''Sus scrofa''). In the [[Karakoram]], [[Tian Shan]], Altai and Mongolia's Tost Mountains, its main prey consists of Siberian ibex, [[Thorold's deer]] (''Cervus albirostris''), [[Siberian roe deer]] (''Capreolus pygargus'') and argali.<ref name=Lyngdoh2014>{{cite journal |title=Prey preferences of the snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''): regional diet specificity holds global significance for conservation |last1=Lyngdoh, S. |last2=Shrotriya, S. |last3=Goyal, S. P. |last4=Clements, H. |last5=Hayward, M. W. |last6=Habib, B. |name-list-style=amp |year=2014 |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=e88349 |pmid=24533080 |pmc=3922817 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0088349 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...988349L |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=Shehzad2012>{{cite journal |title=Prey Preference of Snow Leopard (''Panthera uncia'') in South Gobi, Mongolia |year=2012 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0032104 |last1=Shehzad, W. |last2=McCarthy, T. M. |last3=Pompanon, F. |last4=Purevjav, L. |last5=Coissac, E. |last6=Riaz, T. |last7=Taberlet, P. |name-list-style=amp |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=7 |issue=2 |page=e32104 |pmid=22393381 |pmc=3290533 |bibcode=2012PLoSO...732104S|doi-access=free}}</ref> Snow leopard feces collected in northern Pakistan also contained remains of [[rhesus macaque]] (''Macaca mulatta''), [[masked palm civet]] (''Paguma larvata''), [[Cape hare]] (''Lepus capensis''), [[house mouse]] (''Mus musculus''), [[Kashmir field mouse]] (''Apodemus rusiges''), [[grey dwarf hamster]] (''Cricetulus migratorius'') and [[Turkestan rat]] (''Rattus pyctoris'').<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Khatoon, R. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Hussain, I. |author3=Anwar, M. |author4=Nawaz, M. A. |year=2017 |title=Diet selection of snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') in Chitral, Pakistan |journal=Turkish Journal of Zoology |volume=41 |issue=41 |pages=914–923 |doi=10.3906/zoo-1604-58|url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/tbtkzoology/issue/35897/402767 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2017, a snow leopard was photographed carrying a freshly killed [[woolly flying squirrel]] (''Eupetaurus cinereus'') near [[Gangotri National Park]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Pal, R. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Bhattacharya, T. |author3=Sathyakumar, S. |year=2020 |title=Woolly flying squirrel ''Eupetaurus cinereus'': A new addition to the diet of snow leopard ''Panthera uncia'' |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=117 |issue= |pages= |doi=10.17087/jbnhs/2020/v117/142056 |s2cid=266289402 |url=https://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Pal_et_al_2020_JBNHS_Note.pdf |access-date=2 August 2021 |archive-date=21 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921115030/https://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Pal_et_al_2020_JBNHS_Note.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> In Mongolia, [[domestic sheep]] comprises less than 20% of its diet, although wild prey has been reduced and interactions with people are common.<ref name=Shehzad2012 /> It is capable of killing most ungulates in its habitat, with the probable exception of the adult male [[wild yak]]. It also eats grass and twigs.<ref name=WCoW />
The mother gives birth in a rocky den or crevice lined with fur shed from her underside. [[Litter (animal)|Litter]] sizes vary from one to five [[cub]]s, but the average is 2.2. The cubs are blind and helpless at birth, although already with a thick coat of fur, and weigh from {{convert|320|to|567|g|oz}}. The eyes open at around seven days, and the cubs can walk at five weeks and are fully weaned by 10 weeks.<ref name=WCoW/> Also when they are born they have full black spots and turn into rosettes as they grow up.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}


The snow leopard actively pursues prey down steep mountainsides, using the momentum of its initial leap to chase animals for up to {{cvt|300|m}}. Then it drags the prey to a safe location and consumes all edible parts of the carcass. It can survive on a single Himalayan blue sheep for two weeks before hunting again, and one adult individual apparently needs 20–30 adult blue sheep per year.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=WCoW/> Snow leopards have been recorded to hunt successfully in pairs, especially mating pairs.<ref name=hunt>{{cite journal |author1=Macri, A. M. |author2=Patterson-Kane, E. |title=Behavioural analysis of solitary versus socially housed snow leopards (''Panthera uncia''), with the provision of simulated social contact |name-list-style=amp |year=2011 |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |pages=115–123 |volume=130 |issue=3–4 |doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2010.12.005}}</ref>
The cubs leave the den at around two to four months of age, but remain with their mother until they become independent after around 18–22 months. Once independent, they may disperse over considerable distances, even crossing wide expanses of flat terrain to seek out new hunting grounds. This likely helps reduce the inbreeding that would otherwise be common in their relatively isolated environment. Snow leopards become sexually mature at two to three years, and normally live for 15–18 years, although in captivity they can live for up to 21 years.<ref name=WCoW/>


The snow leopard is easily driven away from livestock and readily abandons kills, often without defending itself.<ref name=WCoW/> Only two attacks on humans have been reported, both near [[Almaty]] in Kazakhstan, and neither were fatal. In 1940, a [[Rabies|rabid]] snow leopard attacked two men; and an old, toothless [[emaciated]] individual attacked a person passing by.<ref name=Heptner1972>{{cite book |author=Heptner, V. G. |title=Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola |author2=Sludskij, A. A. |publisher=Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation |year=1992 |location=Washington DC |pages=276–319 |trans-title=Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats) |chapter=Snow Leopard, Ounce [Irbis] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov221992gept#page/276/mode/2up |orig-year=1972}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |chapter=Diseases of Free-Ranging Snow Leopards and Primary Prey Species |last1=Ostrowski |first1=S. |last2=Gilbert |first2=M. |name-list-style=amp |date=2016 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-802213-9.00009-2 |editor=Nyhus, P.J. |title=Snow Leopards. Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |pages=97–112 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=9780128022139 |place=Amsterdam}}</ref>
==Ecology==
===Distribution===
[[File:Snow Leopard at the Toronto Zoo.jpg|thumb|right|A snow leopard at the [[Toronto Zoo]]]]
The snow leopard's habitat in [[Central Asia|central]] and [[South Asia|south]] [[Asia]] is rugged mountainous regions of approximately {{Convert|1230000|km2|sigfig=2}}, which extends through twelve countries: [[Afghanistan]], [[Bhutan]], [[China]], [[India]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Mongolia]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]], [[Russia]], [[Tajikistan]], and [[Uzbekistan]].


===Reproduction and life cycle===
Its geographic distribution runs from the [[Hindu Kush]] in eastern Afghanistan and the [[Syr Darya]] through the mountains of [[Pamir Mountains]], [[Tian Shan]], [[Karakoram]], [[Kashmir]], [[Kunlun Mountains|Kunlun]], and the [[Himalaya]] to southern [[Siberia]], where the range covers the Russian [[Altai mountains]], [[Sajan]], [[Tannu-Ola mountains]] and the mountains to the west of [[Lake Baikal]]. In [[Mongolia]], it is found in the Mongolian and Gobi Altai and the [[Khangai Mountains]]. In [[Tibet]] it is found up to the [[Altyn-Tagh]] in the north.<ref name=Trust/><ref name=NatGeog>{{cite web | work = National Geographic | year = 2008 | url = http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/snow-leopards/chadwick-text/1 | title = Out of the Shadows By Douglas H. Chadwick | accessdate = 2010-01-29}}</ref><ref>Mammals of the Soviet Union. Vol III: Carnivores (Feloidea).</ref>
{{multiple image |align=right |perrow=1 |image1=SnowCubs01.jpg |caption1=Cubs at the Cat Survival Trust in [[Welwyn]] |image2=Schneeleoparden Kailash und Dshamilja frontal.jpg |caption2=Female with her cub in [[Zurich Zoo]]}}
Snow leopards become [[sexually mature]] at two to three years, and normally live for 15–18 years in the wild. In captivity they can live for up to 25 years. [[Oestrus]] typically lasts five to eight days, and males tend not to seek out another partner after mating, probably because the short mating season does not allow sufficient time. Paired snow leopards mate in [[Lordosis behavior|the usual felid posture]], from 12 to 36 times a day. They are unusual among large cats in that they have a well-defined birth peak. They usually [[mating|mate]] in late winter, marked by a noticeable increase in marking and calling. Females have a [[gestation period]] of 90–100 days, and the cubs are born between April and June.<ref name=WCoW />
A [[Litter (animal)|litter]] usually consists of two to three cubs, in exceptional cases there can be up to seven.<ref name=Heptner1972/>


The female gives birth in a rocky den or crevice lined with fur shed from her underside. The cubs are born blind and helpless, although already with a thick coat of fur, and weigh {{cvt|320|to|567|g}}. Their eyes open at around seven days, and the cubs can walk at five weeks and are fully weaned by 10 weeks. The cubs leave the den when they are around two to four months of age.<ref name=WCoW /> Three radio-collared snow leopards in Mongolia's Tost Mountains gave birth between late April and late June. Two female cubs started to part from their mothers at the age of 20 to 21 months, but reunited with them several times for a few days over a period of 4–7 months. One male cub separated from his mother at the age of about 22 months, but stayed in her vicinity for a month and moved out of his natal range at 23 months of age.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Johansson, Ö. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Ausilio, G. |author3=Low, M. |author4=Lkhagvajav, P. |author5=Weckworth, B. |author6=Sharma, K. |year=2021 |title=The timing of breeding and independence for snow leopard females and their cubs |journal=Mammalian Biology |volume=101 |issue=2 |pages=173–180 |doi=10.1007/s42991-020-00073-3 |s2cid=225114786|doi-access=free }}</ref>
==Conservation status==
There are numerous agencies working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems. These include the [[Snow Leopard Trust]], the [[Snow Leopard Conservancy]], the Snow Leopard Network, and the [[Panthera Corporation]]. These groups and numerous national governments from the snow leopard’s range, non-profits and donors from around the world recently worked together at the 10th International Snow Leopard Conference in Beijing. Their focus on research, community programs in snow leopard regions and education programs are aimed at understanding the cat's needs as well as the needs of the villagers and herder communities affecting snow leopards' lives and habitat.<ref>Theile, Stephanie "Fading footprints; the killing and trade of snow leopards" TRAFFIC International, 2003</ref><ref>Foreign Correspondent, [http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2562298.htm "Cats in the Clouds"], Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.</ref>
===Population and protected areas===
[[File:Léopard des neiges 14081.jpg|thumb|Snow leopard at [[zoo d'Amnéville]], France, showing the thickly furred tail]]
[[File:Schneeleopard P1040242.jpg|thumb|Snow leopard]]
The total ''wild'' population of the snow leopard was estimated at only 4,080 to 6,590 individuals by McCarthy, et al., 2003 (see table below). Many of these estimates are rough and outdated.<ref name="iucn">{{IUCN2008|assessors=Jackson, R., Mallon, D., McCarthy, T., Chundaway, R.A. & Habib, B.|year=2008|id=22732|title=Panthera uncia|downloaded=9 October 2008}}</ref>


The snow leopard has a [[Generation time|generation length]] of eight years.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Generation length for mammals |author1=Pacifici, M. |author2=Santini, L. |author3=Di Marco, M. |author4=Baisero, D. |author5=Francucci, L. |author6=Grottolo Marasini, G. |author7=Visconti, P. |author8=Rondinini, C. |name-list-style=amp |journal=Nature Conservation |year=2013 |issue=5 |pages=87–94 |url=https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/1343/download/pdf/ |access-date=2021-12-14 |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210100440/https://public.pensoft.net/items/?p=7TVeXpoqfNYT89tyrm3ifrTeG9Wv8P676JSQp%2FH2pj9hhtoybol4GF7LEbj3fxHT5Fo8esHssd8AZJJjYwzdbg3GcZsNHuJOa4gmjCSnaHvANmBj%2Fwp1NviUrA%3D%3D&n=jBkDGoBjLZpLg8l0u3DocbiHT4vo7NGs6a%2BO%2Bfbm7w%3D%3D |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 1972, the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN) placed the snow leopard on its [[IUCN Red List|Red List of Threatened Species]] as globally "Endangered"; the same threat category was applied in the assessment conducted in 2008.


== Threats ==
There are also 600-700 snow leopards in zoos around the world.<ref name=sltrust>{{cite web | work = Snow Leopard Trust | year = 2008 | url = http://www.snowleopard.org/catfactsclassroom/catfacts/population/document_view | title = Population and Protections | accessdate = 2008-07-03}}</ref>
Major threats to the population include poaching and illegal trade of its skins and body parts.<ref name=iucn /> Between 1999 and 2002, three live snow leopard cubs and 16 skins were [[confiscated]], 330 [[Trapping|traps]] were destroyed and 110 poachers were arrested in Kyrgyzstan. [[Undercover operation]]s in the country revealed an illegal trade network with links to Russia and China via Kazakhstan. The major skin trade center in the region is the city of [[Kashgar]] in [[Xinjiang]].<ref name=Dexel2002>{{cite book |author=Dexel, B. |year=2002 |title=The Illegal Trade in Snow Leopards – A Global Perspective |publisher=German Society for Nature Conservation |citeseerx=10.1.1.498.7184 |place=Berlin}}</ref> In Tibet and Mongolia, skins are used for traditional dresses, and meat in [[traditional Tibetan medicine]] to cure [[kidney]] problems; bones are used in [[traditional Chinese medicine|traditional Chinese]] and [[traditional Mongolian medicine|Mongolian medicine]] for treating [[rheumatism]], injuries and pain of human bones and [[tendon]]s. Between 1996 and 2002, 37 skins were found in wildlife markets and tourist shops in Mongolia.<ref name=Theile2003>{{cite book |author=Theile, S. |year=2003 |title=Fading footprints; the killing and trade of snow leopards |publisher=TRAFFIC International |place=Cambridge, UK |isbn=1-85850-201-2 |url=https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/4012/fading_footprints.pdf |access-date=2021-04-20 |archive-date=2021-04-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420080149/https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/4012/fading_footprints.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Between 2003 and 2016, 710 skins were traded, of which 288 skins were confiscated. In China, an estimated 103 to 236 animals are poached every year, in Mongolia between 34 and 53, in Pakistan between 23 and 53, in India from 21 to 45, and in Tajikistan 20 to 25. In 2016, a survey of Chinese websites revealed 15 advertisements for 44 snow leopard products; the dealers offered skins, canine teeth, claws and a tongue.<ref>{{cite book |author=Nowell, K. |author2=Li, J. |author3=Paltsyn, M. |author4=Sharma, R.K. |name-list-style=amp |year=2016 |title=An Ounce of Prevention: Snow Leopard Crime Revisited |publisher=TRAFFIC International |location=Cambridge, UK |isbn=978-1-85850-409-4 |url=https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/2358/ounce-of-prevention.pdf |access-date=2021-04-20 |archive-date=2021-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410225531/https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/2358/ounce-of-prevention.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2014, nine snow leopard skins were found during a market survey in Afghanistan.<ref name=Maheshwari_al2016>{{cite journal |author1=Maheshwari, A. |year=2016 |name-list-style=amp |author2=Niraj, S. K. |author3=Sathyakumar, S. |author4=Thakur, M. |author5=Sharma, L. K. |title=Snow leopard illegal trade in Afghanistan: A rapid survey |journal=Cat News |issue=64 |pages=22–23}}</ref>


[[Greenhouse gas]] emissions will likely cause a shift of the [[treeline]] in the Himalayas and a shrinking of the [[alpine zone]], which may reduce snow leopard habitat by an estimated 30%.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Forrest, J. L. |author2=Wikramanayake, E. |author3=Shrestha, R. |author4=Areendran, G. |author5=Gyeltshen, K. |author6=Maheshwari, A. |author7=Mazumdar, S. |author8=Naidoo, R. |author9=Thapa, G. J. |author10=Thapa, K. |name-list-style=amp |date=2012 |title=Conservation and climate change: Assessing the vulnerability of snow leopard habitat to treeline shift in the Himalaya |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=150 |issue=1 |pages=129–135 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2012.03.001 |bibcode=2012BCons.150..129F |url=http://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Forrest%20J.%20L%20et%20al_2012.pdf |access-date=2019-05-24 |archive-date=2017-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809022320/http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Forrest%20J.%20L%20et%20al_2012.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{| class=wikitable

Where snow leopards prey on domestic [[livestock]], they are subject to [[human–wildlife conflict]].<ref name=iucn />
The loss of natural prey due to overgrazing by livestock, poaching, and defense of livestock are the major drivers for the ever decreasing snow leopard population.<ref name=WCoW /> Livestock also cause habitat degradation, which, alongside the increasing use of forests for fuel, reduces snow leopard habitat.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://undp-biodiversity.exposure.co/what-water-means-to-snow-leopards |title=What water means to snow leopards |publisher=UNDP |date=2 June 2022 |access-date=6 August 2022 |archive-date=1 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601223215/https://undp-biodiversity.exposure.co/what-water-means-to-snow-leopards |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Conservation ==
{| class="wikitable sortable floatright"
|+ Global snow leopard population
|- valign=bottom
|- valign=bottom
! Country !! Year !! Estimate
! Range Country !! Habitat Area<br>(km<sup>2</sup>.) !! Estimated<br>Population<ref name=iucn/>
|-
|-
| Afghanistan || 2016|| 50–200<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Moheb, Z. |author2=Paley, R. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Central Asia: Afghanistan |pages=409–417 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
| Afghanistan || 50,000 || 100-200?
|-
|-
| Bhutan || 2023 || 134<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023 |title=The National Snow Leopard Survey 2022-23 Confirms 134 snow leopards in the country |work=Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources |place=Thimphu, Bhutan |url=https://www.moenr.gov.bt/?p=13349#:~:text=The%20survey%20confirmed%20the%20presence,leopards%20per%20100%20km%20sq |access-date=2024-11-21 }}</ref>
| Bhutan || 15,000 || 100-200?
|-
|-
| China || 2016 || 4,500<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |name-list-style=amp |author1=Liu, Y. |author2=Weckworth, B. |author3=Li, J. |author4=Xiao, L. |author5=Zhao, X. |author6=Lu, Z. |chapter=China: The Tibetan Plateau, Sanjiangyuan Region |pages=513–521}}</ref>
| China || 1,100,000 || 2,000-2,500
|-
|-
| India || 2024 || 718<ref>{{Cite web |last=Das |first=B. |date=2024 |title=First baseline estimate of India's snow leopard numbers |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d44151-024-00015-9 |work=Nature India |doi=10.1038/d44151-024-00015-9}}</ref>
| India || 75,000 || 200-600
|-
|-
| Kazakhstan || 2016 || 100–120<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Loginov, O. |chapter=Central Asia: Kazakhstan |pages=427–430 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
| Kazakhstan || 50,000 || 180-200
|-
|-
| Kyrgyzstan || 2016 || 300–400<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Daveltbakov, A. |author2=Rosen, T. |author3=Anarbaev, M. |author4=Kubanychbekov, Z. |author5=Jumabai uulu, K. |author6=Samanchina, J. |author7=Sharma, K. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan |pages=419–425 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
| Kyrgyzstan || 105,000|| 150-500
|-
|-
| Mongolia || 2016 || 1,000<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Munkhtsok, B. |author2=Purevjav, L. |author3=McCarthy, T. |author4=Bayrakçismith, R. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Northern Range: Mongolia |pages=493–500 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
| Mongolia || 101,000 || 500-1,000
|-
|-
| Nepal || 2016 || 301–400<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Ale, S. |author2=Shah, K. B. |author3=Jackson, R. M. |author4=Rosen, T. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=South Asia: Nepal |pages=471–479 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
| Nepal || 30,000 || 300-500
|-
|-
| Pakistan || 2016 || 250–420<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Khan, A. |chapter=South Asia: Pakistan |pages=481–491 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
| Pakistan || 80,000 || 200-420
|-
|-
| Russia || 2016 || 70–90<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Paltsyn, M. |author2=Poyarkov, A. |author3=Spitsyn, S. |author4=Kuksin, A. |author5=Istomov, S. |author6=Gibbs, J.P. |author7=Jackson, R. M. |author8=Castner, J. |author9=Kozlova, S. |author10=Karnaukhov, A. |author11=Malykh, S. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Northern Range: Russia |pages=501–511 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA501 |access-date=2020-12-12 |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210100514/https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA501 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Tajikistan || 100,000 || 180-220
|-
|-
| Tajikistan || 2016 || 250–280<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Saidov, A. |author2=Karimov, K. |author3=Amirov, Z. |author4=Rosen, T. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Central Asia: Tajikistan |pages=433–437 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
| Uzbekistan || 10,000|| 20-50
|-
| Uzbekistan || 2016 || 30–120<ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Esipov, A. |author2=Bykova, E. |author3=Protas, Y. |author4=Aromov, B. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Central Asia: Uzbekistan |pages=439–448 |chapter-url=}}</ref>
|}
|}
The snow leopard is listed in [[CITES Appendix I]].<ref name="Nowell&Jackson1996">{{cite book |author1=Nowell, K. |author2=Jackson, P. |title=Wild cats: Status survey and conservation action plan |year=1996 |publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |location=Gland, Switzerland |isbn=9782831700458 |chapter=Snow leopard, ''Uncia uncia'' |pages=91–95}}</ref> They have been listed as threatened with extinction in Schedule I of the [[Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals]] since 1985.<ref name=Theile2003/>
[[File:Lightmatter snowleopard.jpg|thumb|Snow leopard in the [[San Diego Zoo]].]]
Hunting snow leopards has been prohibited in Kyrgyzstan since the 1950s.<ref name=Dexel2002/> In India, the snow leopard is granted the highest level of protection under the [[Wildlife Protection Act, 1972]], and hunting is sentenced with [[imprisonment]] of 3–7 years.<ref name=Bhatnagar_al2016>{{cite book |author1=Bhatnagar, Y. V. |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |author2=Mathur, V. B. |author3=Sathyakumar, S. |author4=Ghoshal, A. |author5=Sharma, R. K. |author6=Bijoor, A. |author7=Raghunath, R. |author8=Timbadia, R. |author9=Lal, P. |publisher=Academic Press |year=2016 |isbn=9780128024966 |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |pages=457–470 |chapter=South Asia: India |chapter-url= |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> In Nepal, they have been legally protected since 1973, with penalties of 5–15 years in prison and a [[Fine (penalty)|fine]] for poaching and trading them.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Kattel, B. |author2=Bajiimaya, S. |name-list-style=amp |year=1995 |chapter=Status and conservation of Snow Leopard in Nepal |pages=21–27 |title=Proceedings of the Eighth International Snow Leopard Symposium, 12–16 November 1995, Islamabad, Pakistan |editor1=Jackson, R. |editor2=Ahmad, A. A. |publisher=International Snow Leopard Trust |location=Islamabad, Pakistan}}</ref>
Since 1978, they have been listed in the [[Soviet Union]]’s Red Book and is still inscribed today in the [[Red Data Book of the Russian Federation]] as threatened with extinction. Hunting snow leopards is only permitted for the purposes of conservation and monitoring, and to eliminate a threat to the life of humans and livestock. [[Smuggling]] of snow leopard body parts is punished with imprisonment and a [[Fine (penalty)|fine]].<ref>{{cite report |author1=Paltsyn, M.Y. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Spitsyn, S.V. |author3=Kuksin, A.N. |author4=Istomov, S.V. |year=2012 |title=Snow Leopard Conservation in Russia – Data for Conservation Strategy for Snow Leopard in Russia |publisher=WWF Russia |place=Krasnoyarsk |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312300841}}</ref>
Hunting snow leopards has been prohibited in Afghanistan since 1986.<ref name=Maheshwari_al2016/>
In China, they have been protected by law since 1989; hunting and trading snow leopards or their body parts constitute a [[crime|criminal]] offence that is punishable by the [[confiscation]] of property, a fine and a [[Sentence (law)|sentence]] of at least 10 years in prison.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Riordan, P. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Kun, S. |year=2010 |title=The Snow Leopard in China |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 5 |pages=14–17 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274340237}}</ref>
They have been protected in Bhutan since 1995.<ref name="Lham_al2016">{{cite report |title=National Snow Leopard Survey of Bhutan – Phase II: Camera Trap Survey for Population Estimation |author1=Lham, D. |author2=Thinley, P. |publisher=Wildlife Conservation Division, Department of Forests and Park Services |location=Thimphu, Bhutan |author3=Wangchuk, S. |author4=Wangchuk, N. |author5=Lham, K. |author6=Namgay, T. |author7=Tharchen, L. |author8=Wangchuck, T. |name-list-style=amp |year=2016}}</ref>


At the end of 2020, 35 cameras were installed on the outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan in hopes to catch footage of snow leopards. In November 2021, it was announced by the Russian World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that snow leopards were spotted 65 times on these cameras in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains since the cameras were installed.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bulatkulova |first=Saniya |date=2021-11-21 |title=Snow Leopards Caught On Camera 65 Times and Counting This Year Alone in Almaty Region |url=https://astanatimes.com/2021/11/snow-leopards-caught-on-camera-65-times-and-counting-this-year-alone-in-almaty-region/ |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=The Astana Times |language=en |archive-date=2021-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123020849/https://astanatimes.com/2021/11/snow-leopards-caught-on-camera-65-times-and-counting-this-year-alone-in-almaty-region/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Johansson2016/><ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards: Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Esipov, A. |author2=Bykova, E. |author3=Protas, Y. |author4=Aromov, B. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Central Asia: Uzbekistan |pages=439–447 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA439 |access-date=2020-12-12 |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210100451/https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA439 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Jackson, R. |year=1998 |chapter=People-Wildlife Conflict Management in the Qomolangma Nature Preserve, Tibet |pages=40–46 |title=Tibet's Biodiversity: Conservation and Management. Proceedings of a Conference, August 30 – September 4, 1998 |editor1-last=Wu Ning |editor2-last=D. Miller |editor3-last=Lhu Zhu |editor4-last=J. Springer |publisher=Tibet Forestry Department and World Wide Fund for Nature |chapter-url=http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/pdf/Tibet%20Biodiversity%20Conference%201998.pdf |access-date=June 3, 2013 |archive-date=June 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629144722/http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/pdf/Tibet%20Biodiversity%20Conference%201998.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Snow Leopards |editor1=McCarthy, T. |editor2=Mallon, D. |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam, Boston, Heidelberg, London, New York |isbn=9780128024966 |author1=Liu, Y. |author2=Weckworth, B. |author3=Li, J. |author4=Xiao, L. |author5=Zhao, X. |author6=Lu, Z. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=China: The Tibetan Plateau, Sanjiangyuan Region |pages=513–521 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA513 |access-date=2020-12-12 |archive-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210100452/https://books.google.com/books?id=nAvSBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA513 |url-status=live}}</ref>
'''Protected areas:'''
* [[Chitral National Park]], in the [[Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa]], Pakistan.
* [[Hemis National Park]], in east [[Ladakh]], India.
* [[Khunjerab National Park]], [[Gilgit-Baltistan]], Pakistan.
* [[Nanda Devi National Park]], in state of [[Uttarakhand]], India, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.<ref>UNESCO World Heritage Centre [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/335 Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks. Brief Description]. Retrieved 27 November 2006.</ref>
* [[Qomolangma National Nature Preserve]], [[Tibet]], China.<ref name=qomolangma>Snow Leopard Conservancy. 2006. [http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/conservation5.htm ''Training park managers in the conservation of snow leopards'']. Retrieved 27 November 2006.</ref>
* [[Sagarmatha National Park]], Nepal, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.<ref>UNESCO World Heritage Center. [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/120 Sagarmatha National Park: Brief Description]. Retrieved 27 November 2006.</ref>
* [[Tumor Feng Nature Reserve]], western [[Tianshan Mountains]], [[Xinjiang]], China.<ref>Snow Leopard Network. 2005. [http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/docs_news/SLNnews2136.htm ''Camera Trapping of Snow Leopards in the Muzat Valley'']. Retrieved 27 November 2006.</ref>
* [[Valley of Flowers|Valley of Flowers National Park]], Uttaranchal, India, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.
* [[Shey-Phoksundo National Park]], [[Dolpa]], Nepal.
* [[Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve]], [[Baglung]], Nepal.
* [[Annapurna Conservation Area]], Western Nepal.
* [[Jigme Dorji National Park]], Bhutan
* [[Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park]], Mongolia
* [[Ubsunur Hollow]], on the territorial border of [[Mongolia]] and the [[Tuva|Republic of Tuva]], [[Russia]]
* [[Anini#Dibang Wild Life Sanctuary|Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary]], near [[Anini]], India
* [[Aksu-Djabagly Nature Reserve]], Kazakhstan
* [[Sarychat-Ertash State Nature Reserve]], Kyrgistan
* [[Katun Nature Reserve]], Russia


=== Global Snow Leopard Forum ===
Much progress has been made in securing the survival of the Snow Leopard, with Snow Leopards being successfully bred in captivity. The animals usually give birth to two to three cubs in a litter, but can give birth to up to seven in some cases.
In 2013, government leaders and officials from all 12 countries encompassing the snow leopard's range (Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) came together at the Global Snow Leopard Forum (GSLF) initiated by the then-President of Kyrgyzstan [[Almazbek Atambayev]], and the State Agency on Environmental Protection and Forestry under the government of Kyrgyzstan. The meeting was held in [[Bishkek]], and all countries agreed that the snow leopard and the high mountain habitat need trans-boundary support to ensure a viable future for snow leopard populations, and to safeguard its fragile environment. The event brought together many partners, including [[Non-governmental organisation|NGOs]] like the [[Snow Leopard Conservancy]], the [[Snow Leopard Trust]], and the [[Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union]]. Also supporting the initiative were the Snow Leopard Network, the [[World Bank]]'s [[Global Tiger Initiative]], the [[United Nations Development Programme]], the [[World Wild Fund for Nature]], the [[United States Agency for International Development]], and [[Global Environment Facility]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum|url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2013/10/02/global-snow-leopard-conservation-forum|access-date=2021-04-17|website=World Bank |archive-date=2021-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417150126/https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2013/10/02/global-snow-leopard-conservation-forum|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Snow leopard toronto.jpg|thumb|Snow Leopard at Toronto zoo.]]


=== In captivity ===
A "surprisingly healthy" population of Snow Leopards has been found living at 16 locations in the isolated [[Wakhan Corridor]] in northeastern Afghanistan giving rise to hopes for survival of wild Snow Leopards in that region.<ref>"Snow Leopards found in Afghanistan." Ben Farmer. ''The Telegraph'', Saturday 16 July 2011. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8640161/Snow-leopards-found-in-Afghanistan.html]</ref>
[[File:Lightmatter snowleopard.jpg|thumb|Snow leopard in the [[San Diego Zoo]]]]
The [[Moscow Zoo]] exhibited the first captive snow leopard in 1872 that had been caught in [[Turkestan]]. In Kyrgyzstan, 420 live snow leopards were caught between 1936 and 1988 and exported to zoos around the world. The [[Bronx Zoo]] housed a live snow leopard in 1903; this was the first ever specimen exhibited in a North American zoo.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foderaro |first=L. W. |date=2013 |title=Almost 5 Months Old, Bronx Native Makes Zoo Debut |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/nyregion/baby-snow-leopard-born-at-bronx-zoo-is-now-on-display.html |access-date=2023-05-15 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2013-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828204827/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/nyregion/baby-snow-leopard-born-at-bronx-zoo-is-now-on-display.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The first [[captive breeding|captive bred]] snow leopard cubs were born in the 1990s in the [[Beijing Zoo]].<ref name=Dexel2002/>
The Snow Leopard [[Species Survival Plan]] was initiated in 1984; by 1986, [[List of zoos in the United States|American zoos]] held 234 individuals.<ref>{{cite book |author=Wharton, D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Freeman, H. |year=1988 |chapter=The Snow Leopard in North America: Captive Breeding Under the Species Survival Plan |pages=131–136 |title=Proceedings of the Fifth International Snow Leopard Symposium |editor1=Freeman, H. |publisher=International Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Institute of India |location=Seattle and Dehra Dun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |chapter=Chapter 23 - The Role of Zoos in Snow Leopard Conservation: Captive Snow Leopards as Ambassadors of Wild Kin |date=2016 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128022139000237 |title=Snow Leopards |pages=311–322 |editor-last=McCarthy |editor-first=T. |publisher=Academic Press |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-802213-9.00023-7 |isbn=978-0-12-802213-9 |editor2-last=Mallon |editor2-first=D. |archive-date=2024-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505145525/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128022139000237 |url-status=live}}</ref>


==Cultural significance==
==Relationships with humans==
[[File:SnowLeopard10000KZT.jpg|thumb|Snow leopard on the reverse of the old 10,000-Kazakhstani tenge banknote]]
===Snow leopard in film and television===
[[File:Coat_of_arms_of_Tatarstan.svg|thumb|Emblem of [[Tatarstan]], depicting the Aq Bars, a mythical winged Snow leopard]]
The first documentary on snow leopards was made by Hugh Miles, named ''Silent Roar - In Search of the Snow Leopard''.
The snow leopard is widely used in [[heraldry]] and as an emblem in Central Asia. The ''[[Aq Bars]]'' ('White Leopard') is a political symbol of the [[Tatars]], [[Kazakhs]], and [[Bulgars]]. A mythical winged ''Aq Bars'' is depicted on the national [[coat of arms of Tatarstan]], the seal of the city of [[Samarqand]], Uzbekistan and the old coat of arms of [[Astana]]. A snow leopard is depicted on the official seal of [[Almaty]] and on the former 10,000 [[Kazakhstani tenge]] banknote. In Kyrgyzstan, it is used in highly stylized form in the modern emblem of the capital [[Bishkek]], and the same art has been integrated into the badge of the [[Scouting in Kyrgyzstan#Kyrgyzstan Girl Scouts Association|Kyrgyzstan Girl Scouts Association]]. It is also considered to be a sacred creature by the [[Kyrgyz people]]. A crowned snow leopard features in the arms of [[Shushensky District]] in Russia. It is the [[List of Indian state animals|state animal]] of [[Ladakh]] and [[Himachal Pradesh]] in India.<ref>{{Cite book |chapter=Religion and Cultural Impacts on Snow Leopard Conservation |date=2016 |title=Snow Leopards |pages=197–217 |editor-last=McCarthy |editor-first=T. |editor2-last=Mallon |editor2-first=D. |publisher=Academic Press |place=Cambridge |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-802213-9.00015-8 |isbn=978-0-12-802213-9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hussain |first=S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlbHDwAAQBAJ |title=The Snow Leopard and the Goat: Politics of Conservation in the Western Himalayas |date=2019 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-74658-6 |access-date=2023-06-25 |archive-date=2023-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108185431/https://books.google.com/books?id=GlbHDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}</ref>


The 1978 book ''[[The Snow Leopard]]'' is an account by [[Peter Matthiessen]] about his two-month journey through the [[Dolpo]] region of the Nepal Himalayas in search of the snow leopard.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Matthiessen |first=P. |date=1978 |title=The Snow Leopard |publisher=Viking Press |place=New York |isbn=0-670-65374-8}}</ref>
''[[Planet Earth (TV series)|Planet Earth]]'' has a segment on snow leopards. The series took some of the first video of snow leopards in the wild and also featured a snow leopard hunting a [[markhor]].<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/02_february/01/earth_firsts.shtml</ref>


==See also==
Nisar Malik, a Pakistani journalist, and cameraman Mark Smith (who had worked on the Planet Earth segment) spent a further 18 months filming snow leopards in the [[Hindu Kush]] for the [[BBC]] film ''Snow Leopard - Beyond the Myth.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008mcdq</ref>
* [[List of largest cats]]


== References ==
===Snow leopard in heraldry===
{{Reflist|30em}}
Snow leopards have symbolic meaning for Turkic people of Central Asia, where the animal is known as ''irbis'' or ''bars'', so it is widely used in heraldry and as an emblem.


== Further reading ==
The snow leopard (in [[heraldry]] known as the ounce) ([[Aq Bars]]) is a national symbol for [[Tatars]] and [[Kazakhs]]: a snow leopard is found on the official seal of the city of [[Almaty]], and a [[Aq Bars|winged snow leopard]] is found on [[Tatarstan]]'s [[coat of arms of Tatarstan|coat of arms]]. A similar leopard is featured on the [[coat of arms of North Ossetia-Alania]]. The [[Snow Leopard award]] was given to Soviet mountaineers who scaled all five of the [[Soviet Union]]'s 7000m peaks. In addition, the snow leopard is the symbol of the [[Scouting in Kyrgyzstan#Kyrgyzstan Girl Scouts Association|Girl Scout Association of Kyrgyzstan]].
* {{cite magazine |last1=Jackson |first1=R. |first2=D. |last2=Hillard |date=June 1986 |title=Tracking the Elusive Snow Leopard |magazine=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]] |pages=793–809 |volume=169 |issue=6 |oclc=643483454}}
<gallery perrow="5">
* {{cite journal | last1 = Janczewski | first1 = D. N. | last2=Modi | first2 = W. S. | last3 = Stephens | first3 = J. C. | last4 = O'Brien | first4 = S. J. | date = July 1995 | title = Molecular Evolution of Mitochondrial 12S RNA and Cytochrome b Sequences in the Pantherine Lineage of Felidae | journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution | volume=12 | issue=4 |pages=690–707 | pmid =7544865 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a040232| doi-access = free }}
File:SnowLeopard10000KZT.jpg|Snow leopard on the reverse of the old 10000 [[tenge]] ([[Kazakhstan]]) banknote.
File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Tatarstan.svg|''Aq Bars'' is the coat of arms of [[Tatarstan]]. It is an ancient [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] and [[Bulgars|Bulgar]] symbol translated as "white leopard" or "snow leopard".
File:Coat of arms of Almaty.svg|Snow leopard as a symbol of [[Almaty]], [[Kazakhstan]].
File:Old coat of arms of Astana.svg|Snow leopard as a symbol (old coat of arms) of [[Astana]], the capital of [[Kazakhstan]].
File:Coat of arms of Bishkek Kyrgyzstan.svg|Snow leopard as a symbol of [[Bishkek]], the capital of [[Kyrgyzstan]].
File:Coat of Arms of Shushensky rayon (Krasnoayarsk krai).png‎|Snow leopard on coat of arms of Shushensky district, Krasnoyarsk Krai.
File:Coat of Arms of North Ossetia-Alania.png|Snow leopard{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} on the [[coat of arms of North Ossetia-Alania]].
File:Coat of arms of South Ossetia.svg|Snow leopard{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} on the [[coat of arms of South Ossetia]].
File:Kyrgyzstan Girl Scouts Association.png|Membership badge of the [[Kyrgyzstan Skaut-Kyzdar Assotsiatsiyasy|Girl Scout Association of Kyrgyzstan]].
File:Coat of arms of Samarkand.svg|Seal of City of [[Samarqand]], Uzbekistan.
</gallery>


== External links ==

{{Commons and category|Panthera uncia|Uncia_uncia}}
==References==
<!---- BEFORE adding links here please MAKE SURE you understand Wikipedia's policy on external links, [[Wikipedia:External links]] ----->
<!-- If not explicitly said, all URLs accessed prior to March 27, 2006. -->
*{{cite web |title=The Snow Leopard Network |url=http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/ |website=Snow Leopard Network}}
{{Reflist|2}}
*{{cite web |title=Ensuring Snow Leopard survival and conserving mountain landscapes by expanding environmental awareness and sharing innovative practices through community stewardship and partnerships |url=http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/ |website= Snow Leopard Conservancy}}
<!-- Please inline these references:
*{{cite web |url=http://www.panthera.org/species/snow-leopard/ |title=Snow Leopard Program |website=Panthera |access-date=2015-02-27 |archive-date=2015-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007030610/http://www.panthera.org/species/snow-leopard/ |url-status=dead }}
* Janczewski, Dianne N., William S. Modi, J. Claiborne Stephens, and Stephen J. O'Brien. 1995. [http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/12/4/690 Molecular Evolution of Mitochondrial 12S RNA and Cytochrome b Sequences in the Pantherine Lineage of Felidae]. ''Molecular Biology and Evolution'' '''12'''(4):690-707.
*{{cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=100 |title=Snow Leopard |website=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group}}
* Theile, Stephanie. 2003. [http://assets.panda.org/downloads/trafficsnowleopardreportaugust2003.pdf ''Fading Footprints: The Killing and Trade of Snow Leopards'']. TRAFFIC International. ISBN 1-85850-201-2.
-->

==External links==
{{Commons|Panthera uncia}}
{{wikispecies|Panthera uncia}}
<!----

BEFORE adding links here please make sure you've understood Wikipedia's policy on external links, [[Wikipedia:External links]]

----->
*[http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/snow-leopards/winter-photography Snow leopard photo gallery at National Geographic]
*ARKive - [http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Panthera_uncia/ images and movies of the Snow leopard ''(Uncia uncia)'']
*[http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/snowleopard/index.html PBS Nature: ''Silent Roar: Searching for the Snow Leopard'']
*[http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org Snow Leopard Network]
*[http://www.snowleopard.org/ Snow Leopard Trust]
*[http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/ Snow Leopard Conservancy] ([http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/pics/rangemap.jpg detailed range map])
*[http://www.wildnet.org/snowleopard.htm/ Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN)]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Snow_Leopard Video footage from the BBC including a Snow Leopard hunt]
*[http://panda.org/species/snowleopard WWF snow leopard species profile]
Handbook of the Mammals of the World 1. Carnivores, Chiefly Edited by Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier


{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{Panthers in India}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q30197}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Pantherinae]]
[[Category:Apex predators]]
[[Category:Mammals of India|Leopard, Snow]]
[[Category:Big cats]]
[[Category:Big cats of India|Leopard, Snow]]
[[Category:Mammals of East Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Pakistan|Leopard, Snow]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Himalayas]]
[[Category:Fauna of Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Fauna of Siberia]]
[[Category:Mammals of China|Leopard, Snow]]
[[Category:Felids of Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Asia|Leopard, Snow]]
[[Category:Felids of India]]
[[Category:IUCN Red List vulnerable species]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1775|Snow leopard]]
[[Category:Mammals of Central Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of South Asia]]
[[Category:National symbols of Pakistan]]
[[Category:National symbols of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Fauna of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Panthera|Snow leopard]]
[[Category:Snow|Leopard]]
[[Category:Symbols of Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Monotypic mammal genera]]
[[Category:Vulnerable animals]]
[[Category:Animals described in 1775]]
[[Category:Vulnerable biota of Asia]]
[[Category:National symbols of Afghanistan]]

[[Category:Taxa named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber]]

{{Link GA|de}}
{{Link FA|ru}}

[[af:Sneeuluiperd]]
[[ar:نمر الثلوج]]
[[av:Ирбис]]
[[az:Qar bəbiri]]
[[zh-min-nan:Seh-pà]]
[[ba:Барыс]]
[[bo:གསའ་གཟིག]]
[[br:Loupard an erc'h]]
[[bg:Барс]]
[[ca:Lleopard de les neus]]
[[cs:Irbis]]
[[da:Sneleopard]]
[[de:Schneeleopard]]
[[nv:Náshdóíłgaii łikizhígíí]]
[[et:Lumeleopard]]
[[es:Panthera uncia]]
[[eo:Neĝleopardo]]
[[fa:پلنگ برفی]]
[[fr:Once (félin)]]
[[ga:Liopard sneachta]]
[[gd:Leopard-sneachda]]
[[ko:눈표범]]
[[hi:हिम तेन्दुआ]]
[[hr:Snježni leopard]]
[[io:Unco]]
[[id:Macan Tutul Salju]]
[[os:Фыранк]]
[[it:Panthera uncia]]
[[he:נמר שלג מצוי]]
[[kn:ಹಿಮ ಚಿರತೆ]]
[[ka:ირბისი]]
[[kk:Барыс (жануар)]]
[[sw:Chui-theluji]]
[[ltg:Snīga leopards]]
[[la:Uncia uncia]]
[[lv:Sniega leopards]]
[[lt:Irbis]]
[[hu:Hópárduc]]
[[mk:Снежен леопард]]
[[mr:हिमबिबट्या]]
[[mn:Ирвэс]]
[[my:နှင်းကျားသစ်]]
[[nl:Sneeuwpanter]]
[[ne:हिउँ चितुवा]]
[[ja:ユキヒョウ]]
[[no:Snøleopard]]
[[nn:Snøleopard]]
[[mhr:Ирбис]]
[[pnb:برفانی چیتا]]
[[pl:Irbis]]
[[pt:Leopardo-das-neves]]
[[ro:Leopardul zăpezilor]]
[[ru:Ирбис]]
[[sah:Баарыс]]
[[simple:Snow Leopard]]
[[sk:Leopard snežný]]
[[sr:Снежни леопард]]
[[fi:Lumileopardi]]
[[sv:Snöleopard]]
[[ta:பனிச்சிறுத்தை]]
[[te:మంచు చిరుత]]
[[th:เสือดาวหิมะ]]
[[tr:Kar parsı]]
[[udm:Ирбис]]
[[uk:Барс сніговий]]
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[[vi:Báo tuyết]]
[[yi:שניי לעמפערט]]
[[zh:雪豹]]

Latest revision as of 01:39, 30 November 2024

Snow leopard
Temporal range: 0.57–0 Ma
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Species:
P. uncia
Binomial name
Panthera uncia
(Schreber, 1775)
Distribution of the snow leopard, 2017[1]
Synonyms

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a species of large cat in the genus Panthera of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040. It is mainly threatened by poaching and habitat destruction following infrastructural developments. It inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft), ranging from eastern Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia and western China. In the northern part of its range, it also lives at lower elevations.

Taxonomically, the snow leopard was long classified in the monotypic genus Uncia. Since phylogenetic studies revealed the relationships among Panthera species, it has since been considered a member of that genus. Two subspecies were described based on morphological differences, but genetic differences between the two have not yet been confirmed. It is therefore regarded as a monotypic species. The species is widely depicted in Kyrgyz culture.

Naming and etymology

Illustration of an 'Ounce' (1658)

The Old French word once, which was intended to be used for the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), is where the Latin name uncia and the English word ounce both originate. Once is believed to have originated from a previous form of the word lynx through a process known as false splitting. The word once was originally considered to be pronounced as l'once, where l' stands for the elided form of the word la ('the') in French. Once was then understood to be the name of the animal.[2] The word panther derives from the classical Latin panthēra, itself from the ancient Greek πάνθηρ pánthēr, which was used for spotted cats.[3]

Taxonomy

Snow leopard skull in the collection of the Museum Wiesbaden

Felis uncia was the scientific name used by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1777 who described a snow leopard based on an earlier description by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, assuming that the cat occurred along the Barbary Coast, in Persia, East India and China.[4] The genus name Uncia was proposed by John Edward Gray in 1854 for Asian cats with a long and thick tail.[5] Felis irbis, proposed by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1830, was a skin of a female snow leopard collected in the Altai Mountains. He also clarified that several leopard (P. pardus) skins were previously misidentified as snow leopard skins.[6] Felis uncioides proposed by Thomas Horsfield in 1855 was a snow leopard skin from Nepal in the collection of the Museum of the East India Company.[7]

Uncia uncia was used by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1930 when he reviewed skins and skulls of Panthera species from Asia. He also described morphological differences between snow leopard and leopard skins.[8] Panthera baikalensis-romanii proposed by a Russian scientist in 2000 was a dark brown snow leopard skin from the Petrovsk-Zabaykalsky District in southern Transbaikal.[9]

The snow leopard was long classified in the monotypic genus Uncia.[10] They were subordinated to the genus Panthera based on results of phylogenetic studies.[11][12][13][14]

Until spring 2017, there was no evidence available for the recognition of subspecies. Results of a phylogeographic analysis indicate that three subspecies should be recognised:[15]

  • P. u. uncia in the range countries of the Pamir Mountains
  • P. u. irbis in Mongolia, and
  • P. u. uncioides in the Himalayas and Qinghai.

This view has been both contested and supported by different researchers.[16][17][18][19]

An extinct subspecies Panthera uncia pyrenaica was described in 2022 based on fossil material found in France that was dated to the early Middle Pleistocene around 0.57 to 0.53 million years ago.[20]

Evolution

Two cladograms proposed for Panthera. The upper cladogram is based on two studies published in 2006 and 2009,[11][21] the lower one is based on studies published in 2010 and 2011.[12][22]

Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the DNA sequence sampled across the living Felidae, the snow leopard forms a sister group with the tiger (P. tigris). The genetic divergence time of this group is estimated at 4.62 to 1.82 million years ago.[11][21] The snow leopard and the tiger probably diverged between 3.7 to 2.7 million years ago.[12] Panthera originates most likely in northern Central Asia. Panthera blytheae excavated in western Tibet's Ngari Prefecture has been initially described the oldest known Panthera species and exhibits skull characteristics similar to the snow leopard,[23] though its taxonomic placement has been disputed by other researchers who suggest that the species likely belongs to a different genus.[24][25] The mitochondrial genomes of the snow leopard, the leopard and the lion (P. leo) are more similar to each other than their nuclear genomes, indicating that their ancestors hybridised at some point in their evolution.[26]

Fossils of the snow leopard found in the Pabbi Hills of Pakistan were dated to the Early Pleistocene.[27]

Characteristics

Showing canines
Thickly furred tail

The snow leopard's fur is whitish to grey with black spots on the head and neck, with larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail. Its muzzle is short, its forehead domed, and its nasal cavities are large. The fur is thick with hairs measuring 5 to 12 cm (2.0 to 4.7 in) in length, and its underbelly is whitish. They are stocky, short-legged, and slightly smaller than other cats of the genus Panthera, reaching a shoulder height of 56 cm (22 in), and ranging in head to body size from 75 to 150 cm (30 to 59 in). Its tail is 80 to 105 cm (31 to 41 in) long.[28] Males average 45 to 55 kg (99 to 121 lb), and females 35 to 40 kg (77 to 88 lb).[29] Occasionally, large males reaching 75 kg (165 lb) have been recorded, and small females under 25 kg (55 lb).[30] Its canine teeth are 28.6 mm (1.13 in) long and are more slender than those of the other Panthera species.[31]

The snow leopard shows several adaptations for living in cold, mountainous environments. Its small rounded ears help to minimize heat loss, and its broad paws effectively distribute the body weight for walking on snow. Fur on the undersides of the paws enhances its grip on steep and unstable surfaces, and helps to minimize heat loss. Its long and flexible tail helps the cat to balance in rocky terrain. The tail is very thick due to fat storage, and is covered in a thick layer of fur, which allows the cat to use it like a blanket to protect its face when asleep.[32]

The snow leopard differs from the other Panthera species by a shorter muzzle, an elevated forehead, a vertical chin and a less developed posterior process of the lower jaw.[8] Despite its partly ossified hyoid bone, a snow leopard cannot roar, as its 9 mm (0.35 in) short vocal folds provide little resistance to airflow.[33][34] Its nasal openings are large in relation to the length of its skull and width of its palate; thanks to their size the volume of air inhaled with each breath is optimised, and the cold dry air becomes warmer.[35] It is not especially adapted to high-altitude hypoxia.[36]

Distribution and habitat

The snow leopard is distributed from the west of Lake Baikal through southern Siberia, in the Kunlun Mountains, Altai Mountains, Sayan and Tannu-Ola Mountains, in the Tian Shan, through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan, Karakoram in northern Pakistan, in the Pamir Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau and in the high elevations of the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Bhutan. In Mongolia, they inhabit the Mongolian and Gobi Altai Mountains and the Khangai Mountains. In Tibet, they occur up to the Altyn-Tagh in the north.[29][37] They inhabit alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800 to 14,800 ft), but also lives at lower elevations in the northern part of their range.[38]

Potential snow leopard habitat in the Indian Himalayas is estimated at less than 90,000 km2 (35,000 sq mi) in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, of which about 34,000 km2 (13,000 sq mi) is considered good habitat, and 14.4% is protected. In the beginning of the 1990s, the Indian snow leopard population was estimated at 200–600 individuals living across about 25 protected areas.[37] The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Programme counted the number of snow leopards between 2019 and 2023 and found their number to be 718, with 477 in Ladakh, 124 in Uttarakhand, 51 in Himachal Pradesh, 36 in Arunachal Pradesh, 21 in Sikkim, and nine in Jammu and Kashmir.[39]

In summer, the snow leopard usually lives above the tree line on alpine meadows and in rocky regions at elevations of 2,700 to 6,000 m (8,900 to 19,700 ft). In winter, they descend to elevations around 1,200 to 2,000 m (3,900 to 6,600 ft). They prefer rocky, broken terrain, and can move in 85 cm (33 in) deep snow, but prefers to use existing trails made by other animals.[30]

Snow leopards were recorded by camera traps at 16 locations in northeastern Afghanistan's isolated Wakhan Corridor.[40]

Behavior and ecology

Scent rubbing
Walking on snow

The snow leopard's vocalizations include meowing, grunting, prusten and moaning. They can purr when exhaling.[28]

It is solitary and mostly active at dawn till early morning, and again in afternoons and early evenings. They mostly rest near cliffs and ridges that provide vantage points and shade. In Nepal's Shey Phoksundo National Park, the home ranges of five adult radio-collared snow leopards largely overlapped, though they rarely met. Their individual home ranges ranged from 12 to 39 km2 (4.6 to 15.1 sq mi). Males moved between 0.5 and 5.45 km (0.31 and 3.39 mi) per day, and females between 0.2 and 2.25 km (0.12 and 1.40 mi), measured in straight lines between survey points. Since they often zigzagged in the precipitous terrain, they actually moved up to 7 km (4.3 mi) in a single night.[41] Up to 10 individuals inhabit an area of 100 km2 (39 sq mi); in habitats with sparse prey, an area of 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) usually supports only five individuals.[42]

A study in the Gobi Desert from 2008 to 2014 revealed that adult males used a mean home range of 144–270 km2 (56–104 sq mi), while adult females ranged in areas of 83–165 km2 (32–64 sq mi). Their home ranges overlapped less than 20%. These results indicate that about 40% of the 170 protected areas in their range countries are smaller than the home range of a single male snow leopard.[43]

Snow leopards leave scent marks to indicate their territories and common travel routes. They scrape the ground with the hind feet before depositing urine or feces, but also spray urine onto rocks.[30] Their urine contains many characteristic low molecular weight compounds with diverse functional groups including pentanol, hexanol, heptanol, 3-octanone, nonanal and indole, which possibly play a role in chemical communication.[44]

Hunting and diet

Snow leopard with a gray marmot in Kyrgyzstan

The snow leopard is a carnivore and actively hunts its prey. Its preferred wild prey species are Himalayan blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), argali (Ovis ammon), markhor (Capra falconeri) and wild goat (C. aegagrus). It also preys on domestic livestock.[45][46] It prefers prey ranging in weight from 36 to 76 kg (79 to 168 lb), but also hunts smaller mammals such as Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana), pika and vole species. Its diet depends on prey availability and varies across its range and season. In the Himalayas, it preys mostly on Himalayan blue sheep, Siberian ibex (C. sibirica), white-bellied musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). In the Karakoram, Tian Shan, Altai and Mongolia's Tost Mountains, its main prey consists of Siberian ibex, Thorold's deer (Cervus albirostris), Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and argali.[47][48] Snow leopard feces collected in northern Pakistan also contained remains of rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), Cape hare (Lepus capensis), house mouse (Mus musculus), Kashmir field mouse (Apodemus rusiges), grey dwarf hamster (Cricetulus migratorius) and Turkestan rat (Rattus pyctoris).[49] In 2017, a snow leopard was photographed carrying a freshly killed woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) near Gangotri National Park.[50] In Mongolia, domestic sheep comprises less than 20% of its diet, although wild prey has been reduced and interactions with people are common.[48] It is capable of killing most ungulates in its habitat, with the probable exception of the adult male wild yak. It also eats grass and twigs.[30]

The snow leopard actively pursues prey down steep mountainsides, using the momentum of its initial leap to chase animals for up to 300 m (980 ft). Then it drags the prey to a safe location and consumes all edible parts of the carcass. It can survive on a single Himalayan blue sheep for two weeks before hunting again, and one adult individual apparently needs 20–30 adult blue sheep per year.[1][30] Snow leopards have been recorded to hunt successfully in pairs, especially mating pairs.[51]

The snow leopard is easily driven away from livestock and readily abandons kills, often without defending itself.[30] Only two attacks on humans have been reported, both near Almaty in Kazakhstan, and neither were fatal. In 1940, a rabid snow leopard attacked two men; and an old, toothless emaciated individual attacked a person passing by.[52][53]

Reproduction and life cycle

Cubs at the Cat Survival Trust in Welwyn
Female with her cub in Zurich Zoo

Snow leopards become sexually mature at two to three years, and normally live for 15–18 years in the wild. In captivity they can live for up to 25 years. Oestrus typically lasts five to eight days, and males tend not to seek out another partner after mating, probably because the short mating season does not allow sufficient time. Paired snow leopards mate in the usual felid posture, from 12 to 36 times a day. They are unusual among large cats in that they have a well-defined birth peak. They usually mate in late winter, marked by a noticeable increase in marking and calling. Females have a gestation period of 90–100 days, and the cubs are born between April and June.[30] A litter usually consists of two to three cubs, in exceptional cases there can be up to seven.[52]

The female gives birth in a rocky den or crevice lined with fur shed from her underside. The cubs are born blind and helpless, although already with a thick coat of fur, and weigh 320 to 567 g (11.3 to 20.0 oz). Their eyes open at around seven days, and the cubs can walk at five weeks and are fully weaned by 10 weeks. The cubs leave the den when they are around two to four months of age.[30] Three radio-collared snow leopards in Mongolia's Tost Mountains gave birth between late April and late June. Two female cubs started to part from their mothers at the age of 20 to 21 months, but reunited with them several times for a few days over a period of 4–7 months. One male cub separated from his mother at the age of about 22 months, but stayed in her vicinity for a month and moved out of his natal range at 23 months of age.[54]

The snow leopard has a generation length of eight years.[55]

Threats

Major threats to the population include poaching and illegal trade of its skins and body parts.[1] Between 1999 and 2002, three live snow leopard cubs and 16 skins were confiscated, 330 traps were destroyed and 110 poachers were arrested in Kyrgyzstan. Undercover operations in the country revealed an illegal trade network with links to Russia and China via Kazakhstan. The major skin trade center in the region is the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang.[56] In Tibet and Mongolia, skins are used for traditional dresses, and meat in traditional Tibetan medicine to cure kidney problems; bones are used in traditional Chinese and Mongolian medicine for treating rheumatism, injuries and pain of human bones and tendons. Between 1996 and 2002, 37 skins were found in wildlife markets and tourist shops in Mongolia.[57] Between 2003 and 2016, 710 skins were traded, of which 288 skins were confiscated. In China, an estimated 103 to 236 animals are poached every year, in Mongolia between 34 and 53, in Pakistan between 23 and 53, in India from 21 to 45, and in Tajikistan 20 to 25. In 2016, a survey of Chinese websites revealed 15 advertisements for 44 snow leopard products; the dealers offered skins, canine teeth, claws and a tongue.[58] In September 2014, nine snow leopard skins were found during a market survey in Afghanistan.[59]

Greenhouse gas emissions will likely cause a shift of the treeline in the Himalayas and a shrinking of the alpine zone, which may reduce snow leopard habitat by an estimated 30%.[60]

Where snow leopards prey on domestic livestock, they are subject to human–wildlife conflict.[1] The loss of natural prey due to overgrazing by livestock, poaching, and defense of livestock are the major drivers for the ever decreasing snow leopard population.[30] Livestock also cause habitat degradation, which, alongside the increasing use of forests for fuel, reduces snow leopard habitat.[61]

Conservation

Global snow leopard population
Country Year Estimate
Afghanistan 2016 50–200[62]
Bhutan 2023 134[63]
China 2016 4,500[64]
India 2024 718[65]
Kazakhstan 2016 100–120[66]
Kyrgyzstan 2016 300–400[67]
Mongolia 2016 1,000[68]
Nepal 2016 301–400[69]
Pakistan 2016 250–420[70]
Russia 2016 70–90[71]
Tajikistan 2016 250–280[72]
Uzbekistan 2016 30–120[73]

The snow leopard is listed in CITES Appendix I.[29] They have been listed as threatened with extinction in Schedule I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals since 1985.[57] Hunting snow leopards has been prohibited in Kyrgyzstan since the 1950s.[56] In India, the snow leopard is granted the highest level of protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and hunting is sentenced with imprisonment of 3–7 years.[74] In Nepal, they have been legally protected since 1973, with penalties of 5–15 years in prison and a fine for poaching and trading them.[75] Since 1978, they have been listed in the Soviet Union’s Red Book and is still inscribed today in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation as threatened with extinction. Hunting snow leopards is only permitted for the purposes of conservation and monitoring, and to eliminate a threat to the life of humans and livestock. Smuggling of snow leopard body parts is punished with imprisonment and a fine.[76] Hunting snow leopards has been prohibited in Afghanistan since 1986.[59] In China, they have been protected by law since 1989; hunting and trading snow leopards or their body parts constitute a criminal offence that is punishable by the confiscation of property, a fine and a sentence of at least 10 years in prison.[77] They have been protected in Bhutan since 1995.[78]

At the end of 2020, 35 cameras were installed on the outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan in hopes to catch footage of snow leopards. In November 2021, it was announced by the Russian World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that snow leopards were spotted 65 times on these cameras in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains since the cameras were installed.[79][43][80][81][82]

Global Snow Leopard Forum

In 2013, government leaders and officials from all 12 countries encompassing the snow leopard's range (Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) came together at the Global Snow Leopard Forum (GSLF) initiated by the then-President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, and the State Agency on Environmental Protection and Forestry under the government of Kyrgyzstan. The meeting was held in Bishkek, and all countries agreed that the snow leopard and the high mountain habitat need trans-boundary support to ensure a viable future for snow leopard populations, and to safeguard its fragile environment. The event brought together many partners, including NGOs like the Snow Leopard Conservancy, the Snow Leopard Trust, and the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union. Also supporting the initiative were the Snow Leopard Network, the World Bank's Global Tiger Initiative, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Wild Fund for Nature, the United States Agency for International Development, and Global Environment Facility.[83]

In captivity

Snow leopard in the San Diego Zoo

The Moscow Zoo exhibited the first captive snow leopard in 1872 that had been caught in Turkestan. In Kyrgyzstan, 420 live snow leopards were caught between 1936 and 1988 and exported to zoos around the world. The Bronx Zoo housed a live snow leopard in 1903; this was the first ever specimen exhibited in a North American zoo.[84] The first captive bred snow leopard cubs were born in the 1990s in the Beijing Zoo.[56] The Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan was initiated in 1984; by 1986, American zoos held 234 individuals.[85][86]

Cultural significance

Snow leopard on the reverse of the old 10,000-Kazakhstani tenge banknote
Emblem of Tatarstan, depicting the Aq Bars, a mythical winged Snow leopard

The snow leopard is widely used in heraldry and as an emblem in Central Asia. The Aq Bars ('White Leopard') is a political symbol of the Tatars, Kazakhs, and Bulgars. A mythical winged Aq Bars is depicted on the national coat of arms of Tatarstan, the seal of the city of Samarqand, Uzbekistan and the old coat of arms of Astana. A snow leopard is depicted on the official seal of Almaty and on the former 10,000 Kazakhstani tenge banknote. In Kyrgyzstan, it is used in highly stylized form in the modern emblem of the capital Bishkek, and the same art has been integrated into the badge of the Kyrgyzstan Girl Scouts Association. It is also considered to be a sacred creature by the Kyrgyz people. A crowned snow leopard features in the arms of Shushensky District in Russia. It is the state animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh in India.[87][88]

The 1978 book The Snow Leopard is an account by Peter Matthiessen about his two-month journey through the Dolpo region of the Nepal Himalayas in search of the snow leopard.[89]

See also

References

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Further reading