|
Snow leopard is a native animal of mountain ranges of central and southern
Asia, including India. It is also known as Ounce and has a scientific name of "Panthera
uncia". Snow leopards can live for a maximum of 18 years in then wild. In
captivity, their lifespan increases to 20 years.
Debate
There is some disagreement regarding the genus to which the snow leopard
belongs. Some taxonomists believe that it belongs to the genus Panthera, while
others believe that it has own genus, Uncia.
No Connection with Leopard
Despite the common misconception, the snow leopard has no relation with the
leopard. Infact, some people believe that it has a close connection with
cheetah. Both of them show similar physical traits to quite an extent and both
are incapable of roaring.
Physical traits
Indian Snow Leopard The coat of a snow leopard of India is gray in color and is
covered with ringed spots and rosettes of black or brown. The tail is striped
and the fur is soft as well as beautiful. The tail as well as the bottom part of
the paws of snow leopards is covered with fur. Snow leopards may weigh upto 75
kg and the length of their head and body may reach 59 inches. Their tail is also
quite long and measures between 31 and 39 inches. The head of a male snow
leopard is much squarer and wider than that of the female.
Natural Habitat
During summer season, snow leopards prefer to stay either above the tree line on
mountainous meadows or in the rocky regions of the Indian subcontinent, which
are upto 6000 m in height. Winter season is the time for them to come down to an
altitude of somewhere around 2000 m. The home range of a snow leopard varies to
quite an extent. For example, in Nepal, they need only 30-65 sq km to survive,
while, in Mongolia, their range increase to 1,000 sq km. In central and south
Asia, they are found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, the
Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Behavior
We mostly find snow leopards leading isolated lives and rarely forming any
groups. Usually, they kill animals, which are thrice as big as they are.
Mating behavior
The mating season of the snow leopard extends from January to May and the
gestation period is usually of 98 to 103 days.
Diet
Snow leopards are carnivores and have a diet consisting of ibex, bharal, markhor,
urial, boars, marmots and other small rodents.
Status
Snow leopards have been listed under CITES, Appendix I, Endangered Species Act.
Their total population (throughout the world) ranges between 3,500 and 7,000 in
the wild and 600 to 700 being in the various zoos of the world.
National Parks
Snow leopards are mainly found in the following national parks of India:
* Hemis National Park, East Ladakh
* Nanda Devi National Park, Uttarakhand (UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site)
* Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand
Trivia
* Snow leopard is the national symbol of Tatars and Kazakhs
* Snow leopard is the symbol of the Girl Scout Association of Kyrgyzstan
* The official seal of the city of Almaty has snow leopard on it
* Tatarstan's coat of arms also has snow leopard on it
* There is a Snow Leopard award, which was given to Soviet mountaineers who
scaled all five of the Soviet Union's 7000 m peaks. |
