snow leopards are one of the world’s
most elusive cats
nicknamed ghosts of the mountains they
live in the world’s highest ranges
and are one of the least understood
felines
snow leopards inhabit the highest
altitude documented of any cat
their habitat includes the highest
mountain ranges across central asia with
altitudes up to 20 000 feet
snow leopards have adapted to thrive in
these extremely high elevations where
the air has low levels of oxygen
they’ve developed wide nasal passages
and large chest cavities that increase
the volume of air breathed in
and they have smaller and more numerous
red blood cells than typical cats
maximizing the amount of oxygen absorbed
by the body
snow leopards can endure temperatures as
low as negative 40 degrees fahrenheit
to keep warm in this inhospitable
climate snow leopards have the densest
fur of all cats with nearly 26 000 hairs
per square inch
a human only has about 1
300 per square inch
snow leopards also have giant paws that
act as snowshoes distributing their
weight so they can walk on top of snow
instead of sinking in
to stay warm while they rest snow
leopards wrap their furry tails around
their bodies like a blanket
snow leopard tails are balancing tools
the snow leopard tail is one of the
thickest and longest tails of all big
cats it can grow up to 90
as long as their bodies
the long tail acts as a counterweight
similar to a tightrope walker’s
balancing bar
this helps snow leopards to hunt agile
wild sheep and goats in steep rugged
environments
it helps them balance and quickly pivot
as they chase nimble prey
snow leopards can leap farther than any
other animal
snow leopards can grow to seven feet
long including their tail
thanks to strong legs they can leap
distances up to 50 feet
that’s seven times their own length
snow leopard’s front legs are shorter
than their hind legs
helpful for quick starts and rapid
speeds
their broad muscular chests are like
shock absorbers dampening the impact of
nearly vertical hunts
snow leopards are vulnerable to
extinction
by some estimates there could be fewer
than 8 000 wild snow leopards
climate change might impact their
habitat reducing the big cats range and
food sources
increased ranching and herding has
caused the decline in wild prey
and conflict between snow leopards and
humans has developed when wild prey is
scarce snow leopards prey on domestic
livestock
this causes herders to lose income and
some then kill the cats in retaliation
community-based conservation efforts
have focused on reducing this conflict
creating greater understanding and
protection of these mountain ghosts is
needed to prevent them from disappearing
entirely
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