Animal Facts

Few animals can match the beauty and strength of the Snow Leopards that inhabit the mountains of Central Asia. Despite being a bit smaller than the other great cats, Snow Leopards are powerful and can jump incredible distances. They average four to five feet in length, not including their long tails which can add another three feet and wraps around them when they sleep to help protect them from the cold. Their coats are thick and gorgeous, ranging from deep gray to yellow-tan with dark rosette markings and white undersides. These cats are well adapted to the extreme cold, their fur is dense and even covers their wide feet to give them better traction when chasing prey through the snow.

Another interesting characteristic about Snow Leopards is they cannot roar like other big cats. Their vocal chords have developed differently so they can only make soft “chuffing” noises to communicate. Also despite their name, it has been found that these cats are more closely related to tigers than true leopards.

Snow Leopards typically prey on the bharal (blue sheep) and the mountain ibex but will also hunt smaller animals such as hares and birds when available. These cats will sometimes eat domesticated animals, which unfortunately can cause conflicts with the people living in the same areas. In addition, poaching for their stunning pelts has caused a terrible decline in the population of these unique cats.

Solitary animals, even Snow Leopards living in the same territory will only seek each other out during mating season, which takes place from the end of January to the middle of March. The cubs are born three to four months later, typically in litters of two or three babies. Their mother starts feeding them solid food about two months later and the cubs start following her to learn to hunt a short time after. They stay with their mother through their first winter, heading out on their own when a year and a half to almost two years old.