One of the most beautiful of the cats, snow leopards are also exceptional athletes capable of making huge leaps over ravines. They can also bring down prey almost three times their own size.

Subspecies
U.u.uncia, U.u.uncioides

Life span
Snow leopards can live for up to 21 years.

Statistics
Body length: 100-130cm, Tail length: 80-100cm, Shoulder height: 60cm, Weight: male: 45-55kg, female: 35-40kg.

Physical description
Snow leopards have smoky grey fur with solid brown spots on the neck and lower limbs, and rosettes on the rest of the body. They have very thick fur, an exceptionally long tail, relatively short legs and broad, furry paws that act as snow shoes.

Distribution
Snow leopards inhabit Central Asia from Afghanistan to Lake Baikal and eastern Tibet.

Habitat
They have been recorded living in mountain steppes and coniferous forest scrub at altitudes from 2000-6000m. In the summer, they frequent alpine meadows and rocky areas but in the winter they may descend to lower elevations following migrating prey.

Diet
Snow leopards are opportunistic predators and can take prey up to three times their own weight. The main part of their diet is made up of wild sheep and goats. They also feed on marmots, musk deer, pika, hare, birds and domestic livestock. Prey is either stalked or ambushed.

Behaviour
Snow leopards are crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) and are solitary, although males and females have been known to hunt together during the breeding season.

They have a broad home range covering about 160 sq.km because of the lack of abundant prey. Snow leopards cannot roar which helps to separate them from the big cats.

Reproduction
Snow leopards mate between December and March and after 98-104 days of gestation, females give birth to one to five cubs (usually two or three). The cubs stay with their mothers for at least a year.

Conservation status
Snow leopards are listed as Endangered by the IUCN and are on CITES: Appendix I, mainly due to hunting for their fur. They are protected throughout most of their range but they are still hunted illegally. There are estimated to be only 4,500 to 7,500 snow leopards remaining in the wild.