snow leopards
Habitat
Mountains of central asia.
Description
It has a thick layer of soft underfur covered by thick, long hair. The beautiful coat is pale grey, with black rosettes and small spots, and a black streak along the spine; the underparts are whitish. The body length is about 1 to 1.3 m and the tail length is 0.8 to 1 m. The animal is mainly nocturnal, and there are usually two to three cubs in a litter.
Habitat and Range
Snow leopards live in the high, rugged mountains of Central Asia. Their range extends through twelve countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Snow leopards live in the high, rugged mountains of Central Asia. Their range extends through twelve countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The cat's range is roughly indicated on the map below by the red shading.
Snow leopard range covers 2 million square kilometers, about the size of Greenland or Mexico. China contains as much as 60% of snow leopard habitat. The cats have already disappeared from some areas where they formerly lived, such as certain parts of Mongolia.
Much of the snow leopard's habitat is located along international borders, some of them disputed between two countries. To some degree, this situation protects the cats because sensitive border areas are often closed to all public access, making them almost de-facto protected areas. But it also adds to the difficulty of studying snow leopards and establishing their current status and distribution.
Snow leopards are usually found between 3,000 and 5,400 meters above sea level. The environment at this elevation is harsh and forbidding. The climate is cold and dry, the mountain slopes sparsely vegetated with grasses and small shrubs.
Snow leopards prefer steep, broken terrain of cliffs, rocky outcrops, and ravines. This type of habitat provides good cover and clear views to help them sneak up on their prey.
Each individual snow leopard inhabits a defined home range. However, these home ranges overlap and snow leopards do
Snow leopard range covers 2 million square kilometers, about the size of Greenland or Mexico. China contains as much as 60% of snow leopard habitat. The cats have already disappeared from some areas where they formerly lived, such as certain parts of Mongolia.
Much of the snow leopard's habitat is located along international borders, some of them disputed between two countries. To some degree, this situation protects the cats because sensitive border areas are often closed to all public access, making them almost de-facto protected areas. But it also adds to the difficulty of studying snow leopards and establishing their current status and distribution.
Snow leopards are usually found between 3,000 and 5,400 meters above sea level. The environment at this elevation is harsh and forbidding. The climate is cold and dry, the mountain slopes sparsely vegetated with grasses and small shrubs.
Snow leopards prefer steep, broken terrain of cliffs, rocky outcrops, and ravines. This type of habitat provides good cover and clear views to help them sneak up on their prey.
Each individual snow leopard inhabits a defined home range. However, these home ranges overlap and snow leopards do
