snow leopards quick facts
- Snow leopards live in the mountains of 12 Asian countries, and about 60% of their range is in China.
- A snow leopard’s tail is 80 to 100 cm long.
- Snow leopards can leap up to six times their body length.
- Snow leopards cannot roar, but they can purr and chuff.
- Only about 4,000 to 6,500 snow leopards are left in the wild.
What is a snow leopard?
The snow leopard is a big cat that lives high in the mountains of Central Asia. Its scientific name is Panthera uncia.
Its thick, smoky-grey coat is covered in large black spots called rosettes. In its rocky, snowy home, this coat makes it almost invisible, which is why snow leopards are often called the “ghost of the mountains”.
Snow leopards are shy and very hard to find. Many people who study them for years never see one in the wild. Scientists often know a snow leopard has passed by only from its footprints, droppings or a photo from a hidden camera. These camera traps take a picture whenever an animal walks past, day or night.
Where do snow leopards live?
Snow leopards live in the mountains of 12 countries in Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Their range covers about 2 million km² (772,204 square miles), and about 60% of it is in China. More than 70% of snow leopard habitat has never been properly explored.
They keep mainly to cliffs and rocky slopes, in dry, bare mountain country. In summer, snow leopards have been seen as high as 18,000 feet, far higher than most other big cats ever go.
What snow leopards look like
A snow leopard’s body is about 99 to 130 cm long, and it stands about 60 cm tall at the shoulder. WWF says snow leopards weigh about 60 to 120 pounds (27 to 54 kg), with males bigger than females.
Its fur is thick and dense, pale grey or cream with blurred black markings. That colouring blends in perfectly with rock and snow.
Built for the mountains
Everything about a snow leopard helps it survive in the cold, high mountains.
Its tail: a snow leopard’s tail is very long, about 80 to 100 cm, almost as long as its body. It helps the cat balance on narrow, rocky ledges. When the cat rests, it wraps its thick, furry tail around itself like a scarf to keep warm.
Its paws: its big paws have fur on the bottom. The fur cushions its feet, keeps them warm and gives it a good grip on snow, a bit like built-in snowshoes.
Its legs: its powerful back legs let it leap up to six times the length of its body, across gaps and up steep slopes.
Its chest and nose: a snow leopard has a big chest and a short nose, which help it breathe the thin, cold mountain air.
What do snow leopards eat?
Snow leopards are carnivores. Their main prey are wild mountain sheep and goats, especially ibex, argali and blue sheep.
They also hunt smaller animals such as marmots, pikas, hares, game birds and rodents. Sometimes they kill livestock, such as sheep and goats belonging to herders.
A snow leopard can kill an animal up to three times its own weight. It usually brings down large prey every 10 to 15 days, and it may take several days to eat it.
How snow leopards hunt
Snow leopards are most active at dawn and dusk. They stalk their prey silently across the rocks, using their spotted coat to stay hidden.
When they get close enough, they pounce, often leaping down on their prey from above. Their long tail helps them keep their balance as they chase prey across steep slopes.
A lonely life
Snow leopards usually live alone. Each one wanders over a big home range. In Nepal, a home range might be about 12 to 40 km². In Mongolia, it can be more than 500 km², and some snow leopards roam over as much as 1,000 km².
They keep in touch with each other by leaving scent marks and scrapes on rocks and paths, telling other snow leopards who has passed by.
A big cat that cannot roar
Lions and tigers can roar, but snow leopards cannot. Their throats are built more like those of smaller cats.
Instead, they make a friendly puffing sound called a chuff, and they can purr, just like a pet cat. They also mew, hiss and growl.
Snow leopard cubs
Snow leopard cubs are usually born in June or July, often in a rocky den. A mother usually has two or three cubs.
By two months old, the cubs can run and eat solid food. The mother raises them all by herself, teaching them how to hunt and survive in the mountains.
The cubs stay with her for about 18 to 22 months before setting off to find their own home ranges.
In the wild, snow leopards may live for about 10 to 13 years. In zoos, they can live up to 22 years.
How scientists study snow leopards
Snow leopards are so rare and shy that scientists hardly ever see them. So they use clever ways to learn about them.
One is the camera trap, a hidden camera that takes a photo when an animal walks past. Each snow leopard’s spot pattern is different, so scientists can recognise individual cats from their photos.
Scientists also collect droppings and even samples of river water. Tiny traces of DNA in the water can show that a snow leopard has been nearby. In Bhutan, this method has revealed snow leopards living in the mountains above rivers.
The big cat family
Snow leopards belong to the same group of big cats as lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars. Scientists call this group Panthera.
But snow leopards have followed their own path. Their thick fur, long tail, furry paws and big chest suit a life in the cold, high mountains, where no other big cat lives.
Why snow leopards matter
As top predators, snow leopards help keep the numbers of wild sheep and goats in balance. That protects the mountain plants those animals eat.
Scientists also see snow leopards as a sign of how healthy their mountain ecosystem is. Their mountains hold some of the planet’s largest stores of fresh water, in glaciers and snow. If snow leopards thrive, it is a good sign that the whole mountain world is healthy.
Are snow leopards in danger?
Snow leopards are rare. Scientists think there are only about 4,000 to 6,500 left in the wild. They are listed as Vulnerable, and their numbers are very likely falling.
People are their only predators. Snow leopards are poached for their beautiful fur, and for their bones and body parts, which are used in some traditional medicines.
Some are killed by herders when they attack livestock. Others lose their homes and prey to mining, roads and too many farm animals grazing the mountains. Climate change is also changing their high-mountain habitat.
Conservation groups work with local communities to protect snow leopards. They help herders build predator-proof pens for their animals and support more than 100 protected areas where snow leopards live.
Living alongside people
Many snow leopards live near herders, who graze their sheep and goats on the mountain slopes. When a snow leopard kills livestock, it can cost a family a lot, and some herders kill snow leopards in return.
Conservation groups help herders protect their animals, for example with stronger night-time pens that snow leopards cannot get into. In some places, communities earn money from tourists who come in the hope of seeing a snow leopard, which gives people a reason to protect them.
Three things people get wrong
Snow leopards cannot roar. Unlike lions and tigers, they chuff, purr, mew and growl instead.
Snow leopards do not live in deep snow all year. They mostly live on dry, rocky mountain slopes below the permanent snow line.
Snow leopards are not dangerous to people. They are shy and are not known to be aggressive towards humans.
Did you know? A snow leopard wraps its long, furry tail around its body like a scarf to keep warm when it rests.
Try it
Measure your own height, then multiply it by six. That is how far you could leap if you could jump like a snow leopard, compared with your body length.
Knowledge check
Why are snow leopards called the ghost of the mountains?
Show answer
Because their spotted grey coat blends in so well with rock and snow that they are almost invisible.
What sounds can a snow leopard make instead of roaring?
Show answer
It can chuff, purr, mew, hiss and growl.
Frequently asked questions
Where do snow leopards live?
Snow leopards live in the high, rocky mountains of 12 countries in Central Asia, including China, Mongolia, Nepal, India and Russia. About 60% of their range is in China.
What do snow leopards eat?
Snow leopards mainly eat wild mountain sheep and goats such as ibex, argali and blue sheep. They also hunt marmots, pikas, hares, birds and sometimes livestock.
Can snow leopards roar?
No. Snow leopards cannot roar, because their throats are more like those of smaller cats. Instead they make a puffing sound called a chuff, and they can purr.
How far can a snow leopard jump?
A snow leopard can leap up to six times the length of its body, thanks to its powerful back legs. Its long tail helps it balance.
How many snow leopards are left?
Scientists estimate there are only about 4,000 to 6,500 snow leopards left in the wild. They are listed as Vulnerable, and their numbers are probably falling.
How long do snow leopards live?
Snow leopards may live about 10 to 13 years in the wild and up to 22 years in zoos.
Sources
- WWF: snow leopard — appearance, leaping, tail, prey, the 12 countries, range, home ranges, status, population and threats
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: snow leopard — habitat, altitude, size, tail, fur and paws, prey, cubs, lifespan, sounds and threats
- Snow Leopard Trust: snow leopard facts — population estimate, behaviour, home ranges, cubs, prey and temperament
