The snow leopard is one of the most beautiful and mysterious species of tigers.

Russian fur merchants adopted the word “irbis” from hunters in Asia back in the 17th century. In Tuva this animal was called irbish, in Semirechye it was called ilbers, east of Alma-Ata in the areas bordering China - irviz. In Turkic language - irbiz, which translated means “ snow cat" This word took root in the Russian language, only over time last letter changed from "z" to "s"

Snow Leopard(irbis; Latin names- Uncia uncia and Panthera uncia) - a mammal from the cat family that lives in mountain ranges Central Asia. Among large cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent inhabitant of the highlands. The snow leopard's habitat includes parts of the territories of 13 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The snow leopard's range in Russia is 2-3% of the current world range. In Russia, the snow leopard is found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia, Tyva and the Altai Republic, in the Eastern Sayan Mountains, in particular on the Tunkinskie Goltsy and Munku-Sardyk ridges.

Despite the external similarity with a leopard (in English, the snow leopard is called “Snow Leopard” - snow leopard), the relationship between it and the snow leopard is not very close, and besides, the size of the snow leopard is noticeably smaller. However, the snow leopard is much stronger and is considered the most ferocious predator of the cat family.

The main coat color is light gray, appearing white in contrast to the black spots. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in natural environment his habitat is among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The spots are shaped like rosettes, inside which there may be an even smaller spot. In this respect, the snow leopard is similar to the jaguar. In the area of ​​the head, neck and limbs, the rosettes turn into black strokes. The coat is very thick and long (up to 55 mm) and serves as protection from the cold in harsh conditions. climatic conditions. From head to tail, the snow leopard measures 140 cm, the tail itself is 90-100 cm long. If we compare the length of the tail and body, then of all the cats the snow leopard has the longest tail, it makes up more than three-quarters of the body length. The snow leopard's tail serves as a balance when jumping. The length of the jump during hunting is up to 14-15 meters. Weight adult snow leopards can reach 100 kg.

The snow leopard is a predator that lives and hunts alone. Each snow leopard lives within the boundaries of a strictly defined individual territory. Hunts in most cases before sunset and in the morning at dawn. In the wild, snow leopards mainly feed on ungulates: blue sheep, Siberian mountain goats, ibexes, argali, tars, takins, serows, gorals, roe deer, deer, musk deer, deer, wild boars. In addition, from time to time they feed on small animals atypical for their diet, such as ground squirrels, pikas and birds (chukars, snowcocks, pheasants). In Russia, the main food for the snow leopard is the mountain goat, and in some places also deer, roe deer, argali, and reindeer. As a rule, the snow leopard sneaks up on its prey unnoticed and jumps on it with lightning speed. He often uses high stones for this in order to unexpectedly throw the victim to the ground by jumping from above and kill him. At the end of summer, autumn and early winter, snow leopards often hunt in families of 2-3 individuals, which are formed by a female with her cubs. The snow leopard is able to cope with prey three times its mass.

There is a recorded case of two snow leopards successfully hunting a two-year-old Tien Shan brown bear. Snow leopards consume plant food - green parts of plants, grass, etc. - in addition to their meat diet only in the summer. Snow leopards do not emit a loud calling roar, characteristic of large cats, but purr like small ones. During the rut, animals make sounds similar to a bass meow. An adult snow leopard, like most other felines, has 30 teeth. Leopard cubs (snow leopard cubs) are born blind and helpless, but after about 6-8 days they begin to see. The weight of a newborn leopard is about 500 grams with a length of up to 30 cm. The maximum known life expectancy in nature is 13 years.

Life expectancy in captivity is usually about 21 years, but there is a known case where a female lived for 28 years. Illegal but financially lucrative hunting for snow leopard fur has significantly reduced its population. On the black markets of Asia, the skin of this beast can fetch up to 60 thousand dollars. In all countries of its existence, the snow leopard is placed under state protection, but poaching still threatens it.
The number of snow leopards has increased slightly in recent times and now numbers between 3,500 and 7,500 individuals, after only a thousand remained in the 1960s. The largest population of snow leopards is in China, where there are between 2,000 and 5,000 individuals.
There are 150-200 snow leopards in Russia.

Approximately 2,000 snow leopards are kept in zoos around the world and successfully breed in captivity. The snow leopard has become a symbol of the city of Almaty and is depicted on its coat of arms. A stylized winged snow leopard is depicted on the coats of arms of Khakassia and Tatarstan. The snow leopard can also be seen on the coat of arms of the city of Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. The coat of arms of Samarkand (Uzbekistan) depicts a white leopard.

The hockey club "Ak Bars" is named after the snow leopard (translated from Tatar language- "White Leopard") - an ice hockey team from the city of Kazan, as well as the hockey club "Barys" - an ice hockey team from the city of Astana (Kazakhstan).

Animal roosts can be found both in places with a good view and in shelters among stone ruins, bush thickets, and at the foot of rock walls. For long-term rest, mainly the second type of beds are used. Perches on rocky ledges, on open ridges dominating the surrounding area, attract snow leopards primarily as vantage points. This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that the animals’ routes do not pass such points, regardless of whether the snow leopards lie down there or only pause to inspect the adjacent slopes. Traces of sitting animals were also noted in such places.

The snow leopard's footprints are enclosed in a smooth semicircle left in the snow by its tucked tail. When lying down, the length of the spot melting under the animal’s body is 65-72, width - 40-45 cm. If the snow leopard changed its position, the size of the bed can increase 1.5-2 times (in a particular case, 85-125 cm). As an example of a snow leopard's shelter, we give its description made on January 24, 1988. on the right bank slope of the river valley. Chon-Kyzyl-Su. The snow leopard, apparently a large male, settled down to rest on a narrow ledge of the slope at the lower edge of a large open stone placer. From here a spruce forest stretched down the slope. The animal lay down in a small semi-grotto formed by stone slabs and a fragment of a fallen tree trunk sandwiched between them. Directly in front of the resting place stood a tall spruce tree about 40cm thick.

At the bottom of the recess there is a platform with a noticeable slope, covered with dry pine needles and spruce branches; there was no snow here. The niche went half a meter under the “roof”, its height was 25-30 cm. At the edge of the bed, where the animal touched the snow, its surface was densely icy. The clear tracks of the front paws imprinted here also became icy. Descending from this bed into the valley, the snow leopard walked for several hundred meters along a continuous spruce forest, passing through its rather dense clumps.

It was strange to see the footprint of a typically high-mountain animal in what was essentially a taiga environment. Meanwhile, animals visit the Tien Shan spruce belt quite often in winter. They periodically cross wide valleys, regardless of large differences in elevation or the boundaries of vertical landscape belts. However, the main routes of snow leopards still flow in the highlands. Ridges and spurs serve as guiding lines for animals.

Even more than along mountain ridges, snow leopards love to walk along the foothills of rocky massifs. Indicative in this regard is the increase in marking activity (frequency of scratching) of animals precisely along the path along linear landmarks. Individual individuals have their own favorite routes and repeat them regularly. At the same time, they can follow their previous trail if it is preserved in the snow. One day, a fresh snow leopard track led us to a scrape left by the same or another animal a few days earlier. But more often than not, animals do not strictly adhere to the same path, so the snow leopard, unlike, for example, a tiger, does not form clear, well-trodden paths. Animals that move in winter in pairs or larger groups (usually broods) do not follow each other for a long time.

Snow leopards disperse, moving on a parallel course, and when hunting they undertake complex maneuvers, sometimes taking up an advantageous position for hunting at a distance from their partner. There have been numerous cases where a lynx followed the trail of a snow leopard. Possibility of such superposition of trace chains once again emphasizes how careful one must be in recognizing the tracks of these cats in areas where they live together.

The snow leopard, or snow leopard, or snow leopard is a large predatory mammal from the cat family that lives in the mountains of Central Asia. The snow leopard is distinguished by a thin, long, flexible body, relatively short legs, a small head and a very long tail. Reaching a length of 200-230 cm together with the tail, it weighs up to 55 kg. The fur color is light smoky gray with ring-shaped and solid dark spots. Due to the inaccessibility of the habitat and the low density of the species, many aspects of its biology still remain poorly studied. Currently, the number of snow leopards is catastrophically small; in the 20th century, it was included in the IUCN Red Book, the Red Book of Russia, as well as in the protection documents of other countries. As of 2012, hunting snow leopards is prohibited.

Appearance Relatively large cat. By general appearance resembles a leopard, but is smaller, more stocky, with a long tail and is distinguished by very long hair with an unclear pattern in the form of large dark spots and rosettes. The body is very elongated and squat, slightly raised in the sacrum area. The length of the body with the head is 103-130 cm, the length of the tail itself is 90-105 cm. Height at the shoulders is about 60 cm. Males are slightly larger than females. The body weight of males reaches 45-55 kg, females - 22-40 kg. The length of the hind foot is 22-26 cm. The coat is high, very thick and soft, its length on the back reaches 55 mm - it provides protection from cold, harsh environmental conditions. In terms of the thickness of its fur, the snow leopard differs from all big cats and is more similar to small ones. The general background color of the fur is brownish-gray without any admixtures of yellow and red (a yellowish tint of fur was noted in some individuals that died in captivity and may be an artifact). The main color of the coat on the back and upper parts of the sides is light gray or grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating. The sides below, the belly and the inner parts of the limbs are lighter than the back. Scattered across the general light gray background are rare large ring-shaped spots in the shape of rosettes, inside of which there may be an even smaller spot, as well as small solid spots of black or dark gray. The spotted pattern is relatively pale, formed by vague spots, the diameter of the largest of which reaches from 5 cm to 7-8 cm. Solid spots of various sizes are located on the head (the smallest of them), neck and legs (larger ones, turning into small ones at the bottom ), where there are no ring spots. In the back of the back, the spots sometimes merge with each other, forming short longitudinal stripes. Between the annular spots there are a few small solid ones. Large solid spots on the terminal half of the tail often cover the tail in the transverse direction with an incomplete ring. The very end of the tail is usually black on top. The dark spots are black in color but appear dark grey.

The general color of the main background of winter fur is very light, grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating, more noticeable along the back and along the top of the sides, while a slight light yellowish tint may be developed. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in its natural habitat - among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The general background of summer fur is characterized by a lighter, almost white color and sharp outlines of dark spots. The smoky coating of fur is less pronounced in summer than in winter. There is information that requires further confirmation that with age, the spotted pattern on the skin fades, becoming even more vague and unclear. In young individuals, the spotted pattern is more pronounced, and the color of the spots is more intense than in adult individuals. There is no sexual dimorphism in coloration. Geographical variation in color in the snow leopard is not expressed or, if it exists, it is very insignificant. The lack of clearly defined geographic variability is determined by the relatively small range of the species. The snow leopard is an extremely stenotypic species and adheres to identical conditions and habitats throughout its entire range. The head, relative to the size of the body, is small and round in shape. The ears are short, bluntly rounded, without tufts at the ends, and are almost hidden in the fur in winter. The mane and sideburns are not developed. Vibrissae are white and black, up to 10.5 cm long. The eyes are large, with a round pupil. The skull is relatively powerful, with tubercles and ridges, strongly developed zygomatic arches, but less massive and heavy than those of other representatives of the Panther genus. The length of the male skulls is 18-19 cm, the condylo-basal length is 16.5-17.3 cm, the zygomatic width is 12-13.5 cm, the interorbital width is 4.3-4.7 cm, the width of the rostrum above the canines is 4.8-5 .3 cm, the length of the upper tooth row is 5.8-6.3 cm. An adult snow leopard, like most other cats, has 30 teeth. There are 6 incisors and 2 canines on the upper and lower jaws; on the upper jaw - 3 premolars and 1 molar; on the lower jaw - 2 premolars and 1 molar. The long and mobile tongue is equipped on the sides with special tubercles, which are covered with keratinized epithelium and allow the meat to be separated from the skeleton of the victim. These bumps also help with "washing". The tail is very long, exceeding three-quarters of the body length, covered long hair and therefore it seems very thick (visually its thickness is almost equal to the thickness of the snow leopard’s forearm). Serves as a balancer when jumping. The limbs are relatively short. The snow leopard's paws are wide and massive. The claws on the paws are retractable. The marks are large, round, without claw marks. The snow leopard, unlike other big cats, cannot roar, despite the incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was thought to allow big cats to roar. New research suggests that the ability to growl in felids is determined by different morphological features of the larynx that are absent in the snow leopard. Despite the structure of the hyoid apparatus like that of big cats (Panthera), there is no calling “roar or growl”. "Purring" occurs both during inhalation and exhalation - as in small cats (Felis). The methods of tearing apart prey are similar to those of big cats, and the position when eating is similar to that of small cats.

Spreading The snow leopard is an exclusively Asian species. The snow leopard's range in central and southern Asia covers approximately 1,230,000 km2 of mountainous regions and extends across the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The geographical distribution extends from the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan and the Syr Darya through the Pamir, Tien Shan, Karakoram, Kashmir, Kunlun, and Himalaya mountains, to Southern Siberia, where the range covers the Altai, Sayan, and Tannu-Ola mountains. In Mongolia, it was found in the Mongolian Altai and Gobi Altai and in the Khangai Mountains. In Tibet it is found as far as Altun Shan in the north. On the territory of Russia there is a small part of the snow leopard's range, which is approximately 2-3% of the modern world range and represents its northwestern and northern outskirts. The total area of ​​probable snow leopard habitats in Russia is at least 60,000 km 2 . It is found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia, Tuva and the Altai Republic, in the Eastern Sayan Mountains, in particular on the Tunkinskie Goltsy and Munku-Sardyk ridges. However, there is a gradual decrease and fragmentation of the snow leopard's range in Russia, although in some places an increase in numbers may be observed following an increase in mountain goat populations. In the territory former USSR The snow leopard's habitat occupied the Pamir-Gissar system and the Tien Shan - the entire Pamirs, the Darvaz ridge, including the southwestern spurs, the Peter the Great, Trans-Alay, Gissar ridges, including the Baysuntau mountains, the Zeravshan ridge to the Penjikent region. The southern border runs in southern Tajikistan in an arc from Pyanj to the north and covers the Kulyab, Dashti-Jum, Muminabad and Kzyl-Mazar regions, where the animal is found regularly. Further, the border runs to the northwest, skirting Dushanbe from the north. Further, the border runs along the southern slope of the Gissar ridge to the west, and then to the southwest. To the north and northeast, the snow leopard is found along all the ridges of the Tien Shan system, to the south including the Kurama and Fergana ridges, limiting the Fergana Valley, in the west - to the western spurs of the Chatkal, Pskem, Ugam and Talas ridges. In Altai, the snow leopard is distributed in the extreme south, where its range covers the Chuya steppe, as well as partially or entirely the main ridges of the southern, part of the central, eastern and northeastern Altai and associated massifs.

Habitat The snow leopard is a characteristic representative of the fauna of the high rocky mountains of Central and Central Asia. Among large cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent inhabitant of the highlands. It predominantly inhabits alpine meadows, treeless cliffs, rocky areas, rocky outcrops, steep gorges and is often found in the snowy zone. But, at the same time, in a number of areas the snow leopard lives at much lower altitudes, populating the zone of tree and shrub vegetation. Inhabiting the upper belts of high mountains, the snow leopard prefers areas of small open plateaus, gentle slopes and narrow valleys covered with alpine vegetation, which alternate with rocky gorges, heaps of rocks and screes. The ridges where snow leopards usually live are usually characterized by very steep slopes, deep gorges and rock outcrops. Snow leopards can also be found on more leveled areas, where bushes and rocky screes provide them with shelter for resting. Snow leopards mainly stay above the forest line, but can also be found in forests (usually in winter time). The habitat covers biotopes located in the belt between 1500-4000 meters above sea level. Sometimes it is found at the border of eternal snow, and in the Pamirs in the upper reaches of Alichur its traces were found several times even in winter at an altitude of 4500-5000 meters above sea level. In the Himalayas, the snow leopard has been recorded at an altitude of 5400-6000 meters above sea level and below 2000-2500 meters above sea level. In summer, it most often stays at an altitude of 4000-4500 meters above sea level. On the slopes of the Turkestan Range in summer, snow leopards were observed exclusively from approximately 2600 meters above sea level and higher. Here the snow leopard stays in rocky places. In Talas Alatau it lives in the belt between 1200 - 1800 and 3500 meters above sea level. In the Dzhungar Alatau it is found at an altitude of 600-700 meters above sea level. On the Kungei Alatau ridge in summer, snow leopards are rarely found in the belt spruce forest(2100-2600 meters above sea level) and especially often in the Alpine (altitudes up to 3300 m above sea level). In the Trans-Ili Alatau and Central Tien Shan, in summer the snow leopard rises to heights of up to 4000 meters or more, and in winter sometimes descends to heights of 1200 m above sea level. u. m. However, the snow leopard is not a high-mountain animal everywhere - in a number of places it lives year-round in the area of ​​low mountains and in the mountain steppe at altitudes of 600-1500 meters above sea level, staying, as in the highlands, near rocky gorges, cliffs and rock outcrops, in places where goats and argali live. At altitudes of 600-1000 meters above sea level, snow leopards are common all year round in the spurs of the Dzhungar Alatau, Altynemel, Chulak and Matai. In summer, following its main prey, the snow leopard rises to the subalpine and alpine zones. In winter, when high snow cover sets in, the snow leopard descends from the highlands to the middle mountain zone - often in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bconiferous forest. Seasonal migrations are characterized by a fairly regular nature and are caused by seasonal migrations of ungulates - the main prey of the snow leopard.

Lifestyle Adult snow leopards are territorial animals, leading a predominantly solitary lifestyle (but family groups are also found), although females raise kittens for quite a long period of time. Each snow leopard lives within the boundaries of a strictly defined individual territory. However, it does not aggressively defend its territory from other members of its species. The habitat of an adult male can be overlapped by individual habitats of one to three females. Snow leopards mark their personal territories different ways. Individual territories can vary significantly in size. In Nepal, where there is a lot of prey, such an area can be relatively small - with an area from 12 km 2 to 39 km 2, and 5-10 animals can live on an area of ​​100 km 2. In an area with low prey abundance, an area of ​​1000 km 2, only up to 5 individuals live. The snow leopard regularly makes the rounds of its hunting area, visiting winter pastures and camps of wild ungulates. At the same time, he moves, adhering to the same routes. When going around pastures or descending from the upper belt of mountains to lower areas, the snow leopard always follows a path that usually follows a ridge or along a river or stream. The length of such a detour is usually long, so the snow leopard reappears in one place or another once every few days. The animal is poorly adapted to movement on deep, loose snow cover. In areas where there is loose snow, snow leopards mainly trample permanent paths along which they move for a long time.

Food and hunting A predator that usually hunts large prey, corresponding to its size or larger. The snow leopard is able to cope with prey three times its mass. The main prey of the snow leopard almost everywhere and all year round is ungulates. In the wild, snow leopards mainly feed on ungulates: blue sheep, Siberian mountain goats, ibexes, argali, tars, takins, serows, gorals, roe deer, deer, musk deer, deer, wild boars. In addition, from time to time they feed on small animals atypical for their diet, such as ground squirrels, pikas and birds (chukars, snowcocks, pheasants). In the Pamirs, it mainly feeds on Siberian mountain goats, and less often on argali. In the Himalayas, the snow leopard hunts mountain goats, gorals, wild sheep, small deer, and Tibetan hares. In Russia, the main food for the snow leopard is the mountain goat, and in some places also deer, roe deer, argali, and reindeer. At sharp decline Given the number of wild ungulates, the snow leopard, as a rule, leaves the territory of such regions, or sometimes begins to attack livestock. In Kashmir, it occasionally attacks domestic goats, sheep, and also horses. There is a recorded case of 2 snow leopards successfully hunting a 2-year-old Tien Shan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus). Snow leopards consume plant food - green parts of plants, grass, etc. - in addition to their meat diet only in the summer. Snow leopards hunt alone, stealthily (creeping up to the animal from behind shelters) or from ambush (watching for prey near trails, salt licks, watering holes, or hiding on rocks). When there are several tens of meters left to the potential prey, the snow leopard jumps out of its cover and quickly overtakes it with jumps of 6-7 meters. If it misses, and does not immediately catch the prey, the snow leopard pursues it at a distance of no more than 300 meters, or does not pursue it at all. The snow leopard tries to grab large ungulates by the throat, and then strangle them or break their necks. Having killed the animal, the snow leopard drags it under a rock or other shelter, where it begins to eat it. It usually throws away the remains of its prey, and occasionally remains near it, driving away vultures and other scavengers. At the end of summer, autumn and early winter, snow leopards often hunt in families of 2-3 individuals, which are formed by a female with her cubs. In hungry years, they can hunt near populated areas and attack domestic animals. It mainly catches birds while roosting. It hunts goats of any age, but mainly females and young animals (which are caught mainly in early summer). Throughout its range, the snow leopard is the top of the food pyramid and experiences almost no competition from other predators. At one time, an adult snow leopard can eat 2-3 kg of meat.

Reproduction Data on the reproduction of the species are scarce. Sexual maturity occurs at 3-4 years of age. Estrus and breeding season occur at the end of winter or the very beginning of spring. The female usually gives birth once every 2 years. Pregnancy lasts 90-110 days. It makes its lair in the most inaccessible places. Cubs, depending on geographical area range, are born in April - May or May - June. The number of cubs in a litter is usually two or three, much less often - four or five. According to other sources, the birth of 3-5 cubs in one litter is common. Larger litters are probably possible, as there are known cases of encounters between groups of seven snow leopards. The male does not take part in raising the offspring. The cubs are born blind and helpless, but after about 6-8 days they begin to see. The weight of a newborn snow leopard is about 500 grams with a length of up to 30 cm. Newborn snow leopards are distinguished by pronounced dark pigmentation of spots, of which there are few, especially few ring ones, but there are large solid black or brownish spots on the back, as well as short longitudinal stripes on its back. For the first 6 weeks they feed on mother's milk. By mid-summer, the kittens already accompany their mother on the hunt. Finally to independent life young snow leopards are becoming ready for their second winter. The maximum known lifespan in nature is 13 years. Life expectancy in captivity is usually about 21 years, but there is a known case where a female lived for 28 years.

Snow leopards are large predators from the cat family. They are often classified as part of the group of big cats that includes the tiger, lion, jaguar, puma and leopard.

Snow leopard (Uncia uncia).

The appearance of this animal indicates a strong resemblance to a leopard. Indeed, these animals are similar in size and posture (the body length of a snow leopard is a little more than a meter, weight is 25-40 kg). The snow leopard has the same spotted coloring, but nevertheless they are completely different animals.

Home distinctive feature The snow leopard has relatively short legs with wide soft paws-snowshoes and a very long and thick tail.

The main color of the snow leopard's coat is light gray (white on the belly), and the spots are dark gray; the fur of these animals is long and very thick. All these signs indicate that snow leopards live in harsh conditions with cold winter and can jump well.

Indeed, the range of these animals is located exclusively in the mountainous and cold regions of Asia - snow leopards live in the Himalayas, Tibet, the Pamirs, Altai and Tien Shan. Everywhere they prefer to inhabit highlands with vast areas of bare rocks and descend into valleys and dense forests only in winter. The upper limit of habitat can reach an altitude of 6000 m above sea level. Like all cats, snow leopards are hermits, living alone. They are sedentary and migrate only in the vertical direction: in the summer they rise to the mountains, in the winter they descend to the foothills. These animals settle in caves, less often they make shelter in some windfall. There are cases when snow leopards rested even in abandoned vulture nests. The character of these animals matches their surroundings - stern, but calm. There are rarely any clashes between them because snow leopards live separately and each individual occupies a huge territory, so questions about boundaries do not arise.

A snow leopard walks around the territory.

Snow leopards hunt primarily on ungulates - mountain goats and sheep, but on occasion they can be content with smaller prey - birds, rodents. The snow leopard tracks its prey using its keen sense of smell and camouflage coloring, which makes it invisible against the background of stones. As it approaches, it overtakes its prey with several large leaps. This is where you need a long tail to move, because it acts as a balancer! A leopard can drag a killed victim a long distance.

Snow leopards use constant hunting trails.

The mating season for snow leopards living in the Pamirs and Altai occurs in February-March, and in Tibet and the Himalayas animals mate all year round. The mating song of the snow leopard resembles a rough and at the same time gentle meow.

A pair of snow leopards.

Pregnancy lasts 3 months. The female brings 3-5 cubs. For the first month, the kittens sit in the den without leaving, then with great caution they begin to explore the outside world. The young accompany their mother for almost a year, learning the difficult art of hunting in the highlands. The life expectancy for such a large animal is relatively short: in the wild, leopards barely live to be 12-14 years old, although in zoos they live up to 20 years.

Snow leopard kittens peek out of their den.

In nature, snow leopards have practically no enemies, except for lack of food. It is the harsh living conditions that naturally limit the numbers of these animals. The only real enemy of leopards is man. Despite the rarity of snow leopards, they have always been a coveted hunting trophy; the fur of these animals is very highly valued. Now hunting for snow leopards is prohibited everywhere, but there are still cases of poaching. In captivity, these animals are also rare, because not all zoos can afford such a rare exhibit.

The irbis, or snow leopard, hunts alone in the most high mountains peace.

Taxonomy

Russian name - snow leopard

English name - snow leopard

Latin name - uncia

Order - carnivores (Carnivora)

Family - cats (Felidae)

Genus - snow leopards (Uncia), has 1 species.

Conservation status of the species

The snow leopard is endangered and is listed in the IUCN Red List.

Species and man

The snow leopard has been persecuted by humans in the past because of its beautiful fur. Since 1952, it has been protected in India and the USSR. Currently, hunting it is prohibited everywhere.

Distribution and habitats

The snow leopard lives in the mountainous regions of Asia from Afghanistan to western China, in the Himalayas, Tibet, the mountains of Mongolia, and Altai. This is one of the highest mountain animals. In most areas in summer, the snow leopard stays near alpine meadows along the snow line at an altitude of 3500–4000 m, in the Himalayas – up to 5500–6000 m. In winter, following the ungulates, it descends to 1800 m, and in the Dzhungar Alatau – to 600 m. Everywhere it selects areas where small open plateaus and narrow valleys alternate with steep gorges and piles of rocks.

Appearance and morphology

The snow leopard's body length is 110–125 cm, weight 20–40 kg. If we compare the length of the tail and body, then of all the cats the snow leopard has the longest tail, it makes up more than three-quarters of the body length. The general color tone of the back and sides of the body is grayish-smoky, sometimes slightly yellowish. Against this background there are dark spots with blurred outlines - large ring-shaped and small solid ones. On a small head there are short, wide-set ears and large, high-set eyes. The fur of the animal is very thick, lush and soft. Thick fur grows even between the toes and protects the paw pads from cold in winter and from hot stones in summer.

Snow leopard hunts alone in the world's highest mountains

Snow leopard hunts alone in the world's highest mountains

Snow leopard hunts alone in the world's highest mountains

Snow leopard hunts alone in the world's highest mountains

Snow leopard hunts alone in the world's highest mountains

Snow leopard hunts alone in the world's highest mountains

Lifestyle and social behavior

Animals live alone. They mark their areas with scratch marks and scent marks. The home ranges of males may partially overlap with areas of 1–3 females.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

The basis of the snow leopard's diet is large ungulates: the Siberian mountain goat, argali. In the foothills, the snow leopard hunts roe deer and wild boar. Throughout its huge hunting area (up to 100 sq. km), the predator moves, adhering to the same routes, bypassing the pastures of potential victims known to it. Like other high-mountain animals, the snow leopard makes regular seasonal vertical migrations: in the summer it follows ungulates to high-mountain alpine meadows; in spring - into the forest belt; after heavy snowfalls it descends to the foothill plains.

On alpine meadows and outcrops of rocks, the snow leopard, in addition to ungulates, catches marmots and ground squirrels, snowcocks and chukars. The leopard silently creeps up to its victim and suddenly jumps on it. He can jump up to 10 meters in length and up to 3 meters in height. Having not caught the prey immediately, it stops pursuing after several jumps. Having killed a large animal, the predator drags it under a rock or tree and begins to eat. At one time he eats only 2-3 kg of meat, and throws away the abundant leftovers of the meal and never returns to them.

Vocalization

Snow leopards do not emit a loud calling roar, characteristic of large cats, but purr like small ones. During the rut, animals make sounds similar to a bass meow.

Reproduction and raising offspring

The snow leopard's rut ​​occurs in March - May. The male meets the female only at this time and subsequently does not take part in raising children. After three months, 2–4 kittens are born in a den that the female makes in a cave or in a crevice in a hard-to-reach gorge. Newborns are the size of a small domestic cat, completely helpless, covered with thick brownish fur, mottled with dark solid spots. They open their eyes at the age of one and a half weeks. At the age of two months, kittens begin to leave the den to play at its entrance, from this time the mother gives them meat food. At the age of 3 months, cubs begin to follow their mother, and five- to six-month-old ones already hunt with her. The entire family steals the prey, but the female makes the decisive throw. The animals begin an independent solitary life at the beginning of next spring.

Lifespan

In captivity they live up to 20 years, in nature - less.

Snow leopards have been kept in the Moscow Zoo for over a hundred years. The first snow leopard appeared on display in 1901. This was a gift from the Honorary Trustee of the Zoological Garden K.K. Ushakov. Since then, the zoo's collection has seen more than one generation of these amazing cats. There was a time when eight snow leopards were kept on “Cat Row”. The workers of the section achieved regular reproduction among these inhabitants of the snowy expanses, so many of the leopards exhibited at the zoo were of their own breeding. For many years at the “Cat Row” exhibition in the enclosure between Far Eastern leopard and a puma lived a female snow leopard named Olga, born at the Moscow Zoo in 1996. She had kittens only once, but this honored grandmother had a very calm, balanced character, was not at all afraid of visitors and sat near the bars for a long time. She lived for more than 20 years and died at the end of January 2017.

Besides her, we now have three more cats – two males and a female. In 2013, she gave birth to three kittens. Blue-eyed furry babies were surrounded by maternal care from the first minutes. In a secluded den in the interior, the female fed them milk and licked them, carefully protecting them from prying eyes. Even the employees were not allowed to look at the kittens right away. As soon as the babies could be taken away from their mother, who stopped feeding them, they moved to a new place of residence, each to their own. Some - to Finland, to the homeland of their father, one of our two males, some - to conquer the inhabitants of France with their beauty, the third - to Hungary.

The snow leopard, like all predators in the zoo, is fed meat once a day. Various vitamin and mineral mixtures must be added to it to maintain a balanced diet, and hydroponic greens are periodically added. One day a week the snow leopard always has a fasting day, when the cat does not receive food at all. With this diet, predators feel better and do not overeat.

The snow leopard can hardly be called an aggressive animal, but even after living in captivity for a long time, it remains wild and is not tamed. As true inhabitants of the highlands, living near the edge of the ice, snow leopards do not tolerate heat well. Therefore, in the summer, our cats often hide in the shade, and it can be difficult to see them.

Or the snow leopard - endemic to Central and Central Asia. This is the only representative of large cats that permanently lives in the highlands.

About 200 years ago, snow leopards were found in Russia from the Altai Mountains to the sources of the Lena River. However, mass extermination has led to the fact that the number of animals has decreased so much that today the snow leopard is listed in the Red Book.

Countries where the snow leopard lives

The habitat of the snow leopard passes through the territory of the following countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bhutan. The total area where the snow leopard lives is 1,230,000 km².

Often in these countries, the snow leopard inhabits mountainous regions. Geographically, the range extends from the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan through the Karakoram, Pamir, Tien Shan, Himalayas, Kashmir and Kunlun Mountains. On the territory of Mongolia, the snow leopard was seen in the Khangai Mountains, as well as in the Mongolian and Gobi Altai. In the Tibetan Plateau it was found up to the Altun Shan mountain range.

Russia is home to 3-5% of the world's snow leopard population. Here it is found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia, Tyva and the Altai Republic, Tunkinsky and Kitoi Goltsy.

Snow leopard habitats

The main habitats of the snow leopard are rocky mountains. In summer they stay near the snow line at an altitude of 3600-4000 m above sea level. Climbers and Nepalese Sherpas claim to have met these animals at an altitude of 5500-6000 m. This is the only feline that lives so high. Although in some areas, the snow leopard descends to a height of 600-1200 m. This happens in the Dzungarian and Talas plateaus. Severe frosts force him to descend so low. In the Transbaikal Gobi, the snow leopard is even found in rocky oases that are even lower. The snow leopard has to descend so low because its main food, mountain goats and rodents, moves to this belt.

The favorite places of the snow leopard in mountainous areas are areas with small open plateaus, narrow valleys and gentle slopes with alpine vegetation. Often these areas alternate with rocky gorges and rock slides. The mountain ranges where snow leopards usually live are characterized by steep slopes and deep gorges. On flatter terrain, where there are bushes and scree, the animal finds shelter.