Snow leopards
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How are snow leopards suited to their environment?
They are insulated by thick hair, and their wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes. Snow leopards have powerful legs and are tremendous leapers, able to jump as far as 50 feet. They use their long tails for balance and as blankets to cover sensitive body parts against the severe mountain chill.
What do snow leopards eat?
Wherer do snow leopards live?
- Snow leopards live in the mountains of Central Asia. While their habitat range covers 2 million km2 (approximately the size of Greenland or Mexico), there are only between 3,920 and 6,390 snow leopards left in the wild.
Baby snow leopards
- Like kittens, snow leopard cubs are small and helpless at birth – they do not open their eyes until they are about 7 days old.
- For about two or three months, newborn cubs will remain in their well-protected den site, shielded away from predators. Their mother will stay close during that time, frequently returning to the den to nurse her cubs.
- When the little cubs are around 3 months old, they start following their mother as she ventures further and further away from the den site to go about her business of hunting for food. Step by step, the cubs learn all the skills it takes to live on their own in their harsh, mountainous home range.
- Young cats disperse from their mother and set out on their own when they’re 19 to 24 months old. Usually, female snow leopards will only have their next litter once the cubs have dispersed.
