Snow Leopard
Moon Critter
Food
-Snow leopards eat whatever meat they can find, such as carrion.
-They can also hunt animals three to four times their size. These animals include the bharal, Himalayan tahr, markhor and argali, which are types of sheep and goats.
-Snow leopards are also known to eat birds and hares.(WIK)
Habitat
-Snow leopards can be found in the high rugged mountains of Central Asia ( Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Mongolia, India, Bhutan , Uzbekistan etc.) .
-They prefer to reside in rocky outcrops, ravines , broken terrain and cliffs.(KEWA)
Climate
-It is usualy very cold in their habitat, since they live in high mountains in Central Asia.
- Since they live in cold areas, they are equipped with thick fur and enlarged nasal cavities.(SLO)
Lifespan
Behavior
Interesting Facts
-Snow leopards can leap further than any other cat, jumping up to 40 feet.
-Snow leopards, unlike other cats, have the inability to roar.
-Their long tails are able to help them balance well.(SL)
Descriptions
-The snow leopard is a mammal and a carnivore. It has fur, and it could be spotted as well.(SL)
-They also have sharp teeth used to tear flesh off their prey and have hind legs which help contribute the hunting its prey.(KEWA)
Reproduction
-Snow leopards mate anywhere from January to mid-March.
-It takes 3 to 3.5 months to produce cubs during pregnancy.(SLF)
Predators
Why are they endangered?
-They are endangered because people are moving into their range and cutting down their habitat. Hence there are only about 600-700 leopards in zoos and anywhere between 3500-7000 of them in the wild.
-Poachers, or people who illegaly hunt animals, frequently shoot them down for their fur, so zoos are trying to save them by protecting them.(SLO)
Body Structures
-Snow leopards have hind legs, which can help them stalk prey from 20 to 50 feet away.
-Their fur helps them camouflage perfectly with their terrain.(SLO)
Bibliography
" Cat Facts." Cat Facts.Snow Leopard Trust.Web.28 May 2012.
<http://www.snowleopard.org/learn/cat-facts>
" Facts about the Snow Leopard." Facts about the Snow Leopard. Web.28 May 2012.
< http://www.kewa.org/leo.html>
Hussain, Shafqat, and Tshewang R. Wangchuk." Snow Leopard," National Geographic. Web. 28 May 2012
<http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/snow-leopard/>
Ignjatovic, Zoran. "Interesting facts you didn't know.": Snow Leopard Facts. Web.28 May 2012.
<http://interesting facts12.blogspot.com/2010/04/snow-leopard-facts.html>
Johnston, Marianne. Snow Leopards and their babies. New York.
Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated, The, 2001.Print.
Wilson, Don,and Russell Mittermeier." Handbook of the mammals of the world."Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 28 May 2012.