prefers snow-covered mountain slopes as a place of residence, but also because poachers have started a real hunt for this cat, and there are nothing left of them...

Snow leopard in a natural shelter under a stone. Even from a few steps you can hardly distinguish him

He's a "badger"

Usually this beast is called snow leopard or snow leopard. Russian merchants took the name “irbis” from the Turkic language, slightly changing it (in the Turkic language this cat is called “irbiz”).

In Tuva they call it irbish, in Semirechye - ilbers, but, as we see, it is difficult to confuse the snow leopard with anyone else - even its numerous names in languages different nations they sound almost the same. But as a species, it is quite possible to confuse this “leopard,” which is what various amateur zoologists have been doing for a long time.

At first, the snow leopard was long considered a relative of the leopard, simply because they are slightly similar in appearance. But when genetic studies were carried out, it turned out that the snow leopard is most closely related to the tiger - something like a second cousin.

Proponents of the “leopard” theory tried to refute the research of the “tigerists”. They, in turn, began a campaign to promote snow leopard into the genus of panthers (which, in fact, includes the tiger).

While zoologists fought among themselves for the right to give the snow leopard place of honor in the pantheon of tigers or leopards, much more aggressive warriors - poachers - practically reduced the snow leopard tribe to nothing. The unusually beautiful skin of this animal is an expensive trophy for a poacher. Human greed is leading to the fact that these big wild cats will soon be gone on our planet.

Universal disguise

The snow leopard is a fairly large animal, about the size of a leopard, which is why they were confused for so long. It is a little more than a meter long, and that’s not counting its gorgeous tail. The snow cat's body is elongated, squat, with rather short legs; The small rounded ears are set wide apart, and the beautiful thick, fluffy and soft coat serves as excellent protection from the cold.

The color of the snow leopard is gray with a smoky touch, sometimes almost white. Large black ring-shaped and small solid spots are scattered throughout the body, which, again, outwardly makes it similar to a leopard. There are incomplete transverse ring spots on the tail. The sides are much lighter than the back, and the belly is almost white.

In summer the color is lighter than in winter. This is the perfect protective coloration, allowing the leopard to track prey among the rocks while remaining unnoticed. Thanks to their skin, snow leopards are perfectly adapted to those harsh conditions in which they live.

Sad numbers

The habitats of the snow leopard are located on the territory of many Central Asian states. These are Afghanistan and India, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the southern Siberian territories of Russia.

It would seem that the area is large enough - live and reproduce, but... The figures, at least for Russia, show the opposite. For example: in Khakassia there are only five to seven individuals; the same amount - on the Ukok plateau; At the junction of Altai and the Western Sayans (Mongun-Taiga), only four snow leopards live.

The largest and least studied group of snow leopards lives on the North and South Chuysky ridges - there scientists counted about thirty to forty individuals.

The most stable group lives in the Sayano-Shushensky Biosphere Reserve - there are about fifteen individuals there. In general, on Russian territory There are a hundred and fifty snow leopards left, or a maximum of two hundred. Moreover, the number decreases every year.

It is difficult to say what is happening in the neighboring states, but it is unlikely that the ongoing wars there will contribute to the preservation of the local fauna.

For prey

Little is known about the snow leopard. As already said, this big cat prefers to live in difficult places in mountainous areas: on ridges, in rocky gorges, which is why it is called the snow leopard. However, the snow leopard avoids climbing high into the mountains - to the eternal snow.

In summer, the snow leopard lives at the very snow line, at an altitude of about four thousand meters, and in winter it descends. The main reason for these movements is quite banal - the search for food.

The basis of the snow leopard's diet are mountain goats, deer, roe deer, and reindeer. However, there are exceptions. There is a known case when in the Aksu-Dzhabagly nature reserve a snow leopard attacked brown bear and killed him. Snow leopards hunt in two ways: they crawl towards their prey, skillfully camouflaging themselves, or they overtake the approaching prey with huge leaps from ambush.

But snow leopards never attack people, even when wounded. There are only a few known cases of attacks by these animals on people, but such excesses only happened with snow leopards infected with rabies. And with this disease, any animal is dangerous, even hamsters.

If the paths of a snow leopard and a person accidentally cross, then the snow leopard, without showing any signs of fear or aggression, hides, using its camouflage skin, or simply quietly leaves, hiding behind natural shelters.

The snow leopard is very calm about being close to people. He can live side by side with hunters or herders, and they will not even suspect his presence.

Compromise

A conflict between a snow leopard and a person arises only if the snow leopard begins to lack food. Of course, he can hunt hares and partridges, but you won’t be satisfied with such small prey, and the snow leopard easily switches to livestock.

This is where a serious problem arises: on the one hand, the snow leopard is an extremely rare animal, listed in the Red Book, on the other, domestic goats, sheep, cows, even horses and yaks no longer feel safe. Therefore, in some areas, primarily in Tyva, shepherds often begin hunting snow leopards, motivating their actions with the need to protect livestock.

However, this problem is completely solvable. Firstly, you can adopt the practice of the Mongols. There is a special government structure that creates favorable conditions for herders who refuse to hunt snow leopards: for a domestic animal that dies from the claws of a snow leopard, the state pays compensation to the shepherds (in money, food or fuel), naturally, only if the predator was not destroyed.

Snow leopard cubs

Secondly, it is necessary to strictly control the hunting of artiodactyls, and in addition combine this with the protection of domestic herds with the help of four-legged guards, in particular, Mongolian and Tuvan shepherd dogs. Unfortunately, these breeds are almost less common than the snow leopard itself, but such guards, in any case, can be raised and trained. In this situation, the sheep will be safe and the snow leopards will be well-fed.

The most extreme, although the most reliable option for saving any animal from extermination is to keep it in captivity. Currently, snow leopards live in eight zoos in Russia - twenty-seven individuals.

They successfully breed in the Novosibirsk and Moscow zoos, and in the Leningrad zoo they even work - they carry out security functions. After the zoo is closed, human security guards who have undergone special training patrol its territory with snow leopards on a leash.

But let us agree that life in captivity is not life. Therefore, it is better to do everything so that the snow leopard can live peacefully in its rocks.

Konstantin FEDOROV

The snow leopard, also called the snow leopard, is the only species of large cat that has been able to adapt to the harsh conditions in the highlands. The snow leopard is a representative of the top of the ecological pyramid in the mountains of Central Asia. He is often called the master of the mountains, because he is permanent resident this area. Many experts claim that this species of cat has survived to this day due to its habitat in hard-to-reach places. It is very interesting where the snow leopard lives and what it eats. Indeed, today the number of representatives of this type of cat is extremely small.

Appearance of a snow leopard

Externally, the snow leopard is an incredibly beautiful and graceful predator. This is a rather large cat, with an ash-gray, sometimes brownish color and a bright ring-shaped pattern of dark spots located throughout the body. The snow leopard differs from the leopard in its ash-colored fur and long tail, which in its length is almost equal to the body of the animal. In addition, unlike its brother, the snow leopard has thicker and more luxuriant fur. The length of the animal, as a rule, reaches 170-190 cm, and its weight ranges from 50-70 kg. Males are always larger than females.

Regardless of where the snow leopard lives, its body size and color remain the same. Although some experts are inclined to claim the existence of several subspecies of snow leopards, which appeared due to different geographical habitats.

Saving a View

Today it is very easy to find out where the snow leopard lives. After all, this species has long been listed in the Red Book, since there are extremely few habitats left. This unpleasant phenomenon is due to the fact that in modern realities there are too many different threats to the life of the snow leopard. For example, in Russia, where the snow leopard lives, the species is gradually being destroyed by herders and hunters, as well as by the deteriorating condition environment due to the development of the mining industry and transport infrastructure. In addition, the number of species is significantly affected by a reduction in the number of food items.

Fortunately, over the past few years, in the areas where the snow leopard lives, the number of animals has stabilized. The situation has improved thanks to the discovery of Sailyugemsky national park in Altai. True, the risk of extinction of the species still remains quite high. In the places where the snow leopard lives in Russia, you can count approximately 70 representatives of the snow leopard, most of which live in Altai. Compared to 2002, the number of animals in Russia has now decreased by almost 3 times. This is due to the hunting of poachers who catch snow leopards in order to obtain derivatives used in oriental medicine.

Threat of species extinction

The once unified snow leopard population today is represented by only a third, which exists only as unstable pockets. Nowadays, females who are capable of reproducing are found only in a few areas where the snow leopard lives. In fact, a group of animals in which there are at least 3 adult females can be considered complete. So, unfortunately, despite some stabilization of the situation in Russia, the snow leopard species today is under threat of extinction.

Snow leopard breeding

This animal is characterized by a rather low reproduction rate - the female snow leopard does not give birth to kittens every year, unlike most of her relatives. The rut occurs in the spring, and babies are born at the end of the season or early summer. During the mating season, the male attracts the female with the help of a special purr. After fertilization, the snow leopard leaves the female. Gestation for snow leopards lasts approximately 95-110 days, and litters typically consist of 2-3 kittens.

Before the appearance of her baby, the female sets up a kind of den in some hard-to-reach place, most often in rock gorges. And in order to insulate a well-maintained house, the snow leopard rips out shreds of wool from its body and covers the floor of the den with them. Leopards are born completely blind and deaf, their weight reaches half a kilogram, and in the first month the babies feed on mother's milk. In the middle of the season, the born offspring already go on their first hunt. Snow leopards become sexually mature at the age of 2-3 years.

Predator habitat

Where does the snow leopard live? The snow leopard is a territorial animal that leads a solitary lifestyle, despite the fact that females raise their offspring quite long time. These animals make their lairs in rock crevices or caves. Each animal lives within a certain area, which it chooses individually. It is not common for the snow leopard to show aggression towards representatives of its species on its own territory.

One or more females may live in the habitat of an adult male. The snow leopard marks its area different ways. Where is the snow leopard found? The predator often walks around its territory, visiting camps of wild ungulates and pastures. The animal moves along the same route, so in some places it appears several times throughout the day.

The snow leopard is considered the only member of the cat family that has adapted to the harsh conditions of the highlands in Central Asia. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitats, the snow leopard still remains the least studied animal. Today, the snow leopard is a representative of the Red Book of the International Union and has the status of an endangered species in all countries where it lives. There are 12 such countries in total: China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan. In total, there are no more than 4 thousand snow leopards on the planet.

Snow leopard in Russia

In Russia, the snow leopard is found in the north of its current range. Only a few groups of snow leopards live in the mountains of the Altai-Sayan region. In addition, the predator can be found in Buryatia, Khakassia, Tyva, Transbaikalia, Irkutsk region and Krasnoyarsk region. According to experts, it is in Russia that the northernmost population group of snow leopards lives. The number of this species in Russia is approximately 2% of the total number of snow leopards in the world. It can be said that the survival of predators in Altai largely depends on genetic and spatial connections with animals in Mongolia and China.

Snow cats in Kazakhstan

The places where the snow leopard lives in Kazakhstan are distinguished by the richness and diversity of flora and fauna. Here, the snow leopard is found in open forests, among rocks and in alpine meadows, where colonies of marmots and pastures of ungulates are located. The highlands of Kazakhstan have extremely complex terrain with many cliffs, stones, precipices, gorges and snow-covered slopes. In these places there is an increased risk of avalanches and mudflows, which is why people rarely appear here. For the most part, it was thanks to this factor that the snow leopard was not exterminated in these parts. Other species of large cat animals that lived in more accessible places became extinct even before the creation of the Red Book.

Character and lifestyle of the snow leopard

In its territory, the snow cat occupies the top of the food pyramid and experiences virtually no competition from other predators. A leopard can easily cope with prey that is three times its weight. As a rule, the animal hunts alone at night, carefully crawling up to the animal from behind cover or waiting for prey in ambush, hiding behind a rock. When the distance between the predator and potential prey is reduced to several tens of meters, the leopard emerges from cover and quickly overtakes the animal with large leaps. If the snow leopard misses, it chases its prey for a maximum of 300 meters or does not chase it at all.

In the second half of the year, snow leopards regularly hunt in families: male, female and offspring. In general, snow leopards hunt only on their own territory - exceptional need can force an animal to move to a foreign territory. In times of famine, predators can go hunting near populated areas, even attacking pets. However, the main food sources for snow leopards are considered to be hares, mountain goats, wild boars, snowcocks, rams, marmots and roe deer. Leopards eat grass and other greens exclusively in the summer as a supplement to their meat diet.

In general, for snow cats, hunting is not only a way of obtaining food, but also a kind of entertainment. The snow leopard is capable of tracking down a potential victim for hours, while practically not moving. Leopards have almost no enemies, so they are not at all afraid of hunting in the dark.

Only a wild wolf can cause trouble for a leopard, but even such an animal is quite easy for a snow leopard to cope with. For people, the snow cat does not pose any threat: having noticed a person, the predator simply tries to move away unnoticed. True, in times of famine, cases of animal attacks were still recorded.

Compared to its other feline counterparts, the snow leopard has a completely friendly character. You can even train him. In addition, tamed snow leopards love to play and spend time with people. When a predator feels good, he, like domestic cats, purrs. The leopard also knows how to growl, like his famous brothers, although he does not do it very loudly.

One of the most powerful representatives of the cat family is the snow leopard. Another name for this animal is snow leopard or snow leopard. Snow leopard hunting is always popular because of its valuable fur. Because of this, the number of individuals of this species decreased greatly in the middle of the last century.

It was recorded that in the sixties of the 20th century there were only one thousand adult snow leopards left on the planet. Recently, the snow leopard population has increased and reached a value of 5000–7500 individuals. This was achieved thanks to the ban on hunting this predator. In all states where the snow leopard lives, the animal is protected and listed in the Red Book.

Habitats and numbers of snow leopards

You can meet this magnificent animal in Central Asia. The main habitats of snow leopards are located in such states as:

• Afghanistan,
• Russia,
• China,
• India,
• Kazakhstan,
• Kyrgyzstan,
• Mongolia,
• Uzbekistan and others.

You can meet a mammalian predator in the highlands, approximately at an altitude of 1500 to 5 thousand meters above sea level. In Russia, snow leopard habitats are located in Khakassia, Altai, Tyva, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Appearance of a snow leopard (irbis)

Description of the appearance of the snow leopard

The appearance of the snow leopard resembles a leopard, despite its rather distant relationship. In addition, the snow leopard is much smaller than its relative. At the withers the animal grows up to 60 centimeters. The body of the snow leopard reaches one and a half meters in length, the tail is a whole meter! From the entire cat family snow leopards have the longest tail in relation to their body. The tail is used to maintain balance during huge jumps - over a distance of 15 meters. Moreover, the weight of an adult leopard can reach 100 kilograms. Males are usually larger than females.

The snow leopard's head is small, about 20 centimeters long. The tips of the ears are rounded, there are no tassels. Wide paws prevent the predator from falling into the snow.

The coat color is predominantly gray with black spots. In winter, the skin has a darker color, and in summer it becomes lighter. The spots are shaped like a five-leaf flower, often with an additional spot in the middle. The head, neck and limbs do not have clearly defined spots, but rather black smears. The spots are large and can reach a diameter of 7 centimeters. The predator's fur is thick and long, the hairs reach a length of 5.5 centimeters. This is due to the fact that snow leopards live mainly in cold climates. It is noteworthy that snow leopards fur grows even between the toes. This saves the snow leopard from the cold in winter and from hot stones in summer. It also prevents it from slipping on ice.

An adult animal has 30 teeth. They do not emit a roar like other large representatives of the cat family, but mostly meow in low tones.

Food and hunting

Snow leopards are predatory animals of the cat family. They prefer to hunt at dusk or dawn. As a rule, they hunt the following animals:

• on ungulates: sheep, mountain goats, roe deer, deer;
• on small animals: gophers, pikas;
• for birds: snowcocks, pheasants.

However, attacking small animals and birds is not typical for snow leopards. Snow leopards hunt for them if there are not enough large horned animals nearby.

The hunt is carried out as follows. The predator sneaks up on the chosen game and quickly jumps on it. For an ambush, high stones are used; in this case, the victim will be thrown from above. They can pursue prey at a distance of about 300 meters, but if they fail to catch up with the victim, they stop the chase. Snow leopards can hunt in families of 2–3 individuals. In this case, these mammalian predators can even successfully attack a bear.

Snow leopards drag their prey onto a bed, where they eat it. Remains, as a rule, are not guarded or hidden. At the same time, one large game, a snow leopard, is enough for several days.

In summer, snow leopards are known to nibble on grass and green parts of young bushes in addition to meat obtained from hunting.

Reproduction

Snow leopards lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle, but can form family groups. The territory of one male has an area of ​​150–160 square kilometers. Partially overlapped by female territories. They prefer to settle in rocky places, often occupying natural caves or nests of large birds.

Mating occurs in spring or early summer. The mating season is very short - only a week. Pregnancy lasts 3–3.5 months. The female makes a warm, secluded den, the bottom of which is lined with her fur. There are 2–3 kittens in a litter. The cubs are born blind and their eyes open after about a week. Babies weigh approximately 500 grams and reach a length of 30 centimeters. The color is brown with small spots. At first they feed only on mother's milk. Only the mother takes care of the babies.

The cubs sit in a cave hidden from prying eyes for about 2 months. All this time, in addition to milk, the female feeds them with meat. Little leopards begin to go hunting with their mother at about six months.. At first, only the mother rushes to the prey.

Children become independent at about two years of age, and sexual maturity occurs at 4 years. The lifespan of snow leopards reaches 13 years; in captivity they can live up to 20.

Meeting these legendary animals in the wild is not an easy task, because snow leopards (lat. Uncia uncia), or irbis (snow leopards), at the snow-capped peaks of some of the highest mountains in the world - in the Himalayas, Tien Shan, and Altai.

Its secretive nature and almost mystical ability to dissolve with lightning speed among sharp rocks have made the snow leopard a character in the folklore of many Asian peoples, in which it is described as “an elusive spirit of the mountains, capable of taking on any form and even becoming invisible.”

According to a number of characteristics, the SNOW LEOPARD (IRBIS) occupies an intermediate position between large and small cats. The leopard is similar to big cats in the pattern on its head, the way it holds its tail when the animal is calm, and a number of other anatomical features. But the leopard, like other small cats, can purr; the posture that an animal takes when eating. Given this similarity with both cats, leopards are sometimes called “average cats.” But in terms of their dimensions, they are in no way inferior to the leopard, a typical representative of the “big ones”.

Males are usually larger, more massive, stronger than their fellow tribesmen. Adult males weigh from 65 to 75 kg. Body length is up to 2.1 m. The tail (3/7 of the total length) is thick, covered with thick hair, which is why it seems that leopards have a thicker tail than leopards. The body is also covered with long hair, it looks dirty and smoky. In order not to freeze among its snows, the leopard had to acquire a thick, long undercoat, on top of which there is a long whitish-gray outer coat, often marked with a yellowish coating. In winter, the leopard's fur becomes thicker and acquires a very beautiful color. Even the paw pads are covered with hair, which helps him move through the snow. This beautiful animal is being mercilessly hunted for its beautiful fur and is now on the verge of extinction as a species. The leopard's head seems small and quite elegant. It is decorated with small, entirely black spots. The spots on the body (up to the hips and tail) are different; they are black-gray or black ring-shaped (in this case, the main gray-yellow color dominates in the middle). The underside of the body, as well as the inside of the legs, is colored white. Along the edge of the white fur, the spots are completely black: they are the same on the outside of the legs (there are, of course, more of them there). The pupil is round; vision is sharp, well developed, and other senses serve the leopard well. When this “kitty” is feeling good, she, like your pets, purrs. He can also growl, like representatives of the famous, royal felines, only the owner of the snow growls quietly.

Ibris is found in the mountains of Central Asia: from the Pamirs, Tien Shan, Altai to the Indian states of Kashmir and Sikkim and Southeast Tibet, it usually spends time at an altitude of 2000-3000 meters. In warm weather, it even climbs under the “roof of the world” - 6000 meters, which is only two thousand meters lower than. It lives in dense thickets of bushes (rhododendron) and on mountain plains, where there is almost no vegetation. It chooses rock crevices and caves as a home, where it breeds offspring. Here, among mountain ice and snow, its fur perfectly camouflages it from both enemies and victims.

Although the snow leopard prefers to hunt at dusk, it does not waste time during the day; during these hours it likes to visit the solarium, that is, lie down and bask in the sun. The leopard is very attached to his “home”, although when hunting he wanders very far from it. He feeds on all the mammals living in his domain - from mice to mountain goats and sheep; sometimes he even deals with yaks. In summer, the leopard goes high into the mountains in search of marmots and other small mammals. At this time, you can also feast on wild sheep lambs. This is an easy prey for a leopard. Severe cold and deep snow drive it down into the valleys, where the leopard attacks domestic animals.

The range of the snow leopard in Asia. (Information from the book: O. Loginov, I. Loginova “SNOW LEOPARD. Symbol of the Heavenly Mountains” - Ust-Kamenogorsk, 2009 - 168 pages)

They don’t attack a person, but if they do, they boldly fight them off. However, this doesn't help much. In pursuit of valuable fur, people can exterminate this beautiful animal, although in India and Central Asia it has long been protected by law. But what are the laws in the Pamirs now?

Pregnancy lasts 90 days. Two to four blind cubs are born, resembling puma babies. In the mountains, their mother hides them in the depths of caves, where neither enemies nor bad weather will harm them. During the first five months, kittens are fed their mother's milk. Sexual maturity is reached in the third year of life (females, apparently, in the second year).

Leopards love to play and love to wallow in the snow. Exhausted, they often slide down a steep slide on their backs, and at the bottom they quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift on all four paws (like children)!!! After playing or hunting, they make themselves comfortable and bask in the sun.

The snow leopard also has another common name - snow leopard. It took root a long time ago. Back in the 17th century, Russian merchants and fur traders adopted this name from local Asian hunters, many of whom spoke the Turkic dialect. They pronounced this word as “irbiz”, which meant “snow cat”.

Word "irbis" Russian merchant furriers adopted it from Turkic hunters back in the 17th century. In Tuva this beast was called Irbish, in Semirechye it was called ilbers, east of Almaty in the areas bordering China - irviz. In Turkic language - irbiz. This word took root in the Russian language, only over time the last letter changed from “z” to “s”

In the 18th century, but obviously earlier, in Siberia, and then in Semirechye and Central Asia, the word “leopard”, which was used to call a leopard, began to be applied in popular usage to the snow leopard ( Uncia uncia). Due to the similarities between both species, it was only natural. However, “irbiz” were also mentioned in the fur trade in the 17th century. In the 19th - early 20th centuries in Russian-language zoological literature Uncia uncia the name “snow leopard” (identical in meaning to the English, German and French names) and snow leopard (from Turkic and Mongolian) were strengthened. The term “leopard” itself remained with the leopard ( Panthera pardus)

The first mention and image of a snow leopard called "Once" was given by Georges Buffon in 1761, who indicated that he lived in Persia and was trained for hunting

The first scientific description of the snow leopard was made under the name Felis uncia German physician and naturalist Johann Schreber in 1775. Later, in 1830, the species was described by Christian Ehrenberg under the name Felis irbis. In 1855 Thomas Horsfield describes it as Felis uncioides

Specific volume scientific information on the biology and distribution of the snow leopard was accumulated over a period of approximately two centuries. Many famous researchers participated in the study of the snow leopard, including Peter Simon Pallas and Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. At the beginning of the 20th century, information about the species was supplemented by A. Ya. Tugarinov, S. I. Ognev and others. Later, the reports of V. G. Heptner and A. A. Sludsky in 1972 became an important stage in updating information regarding the snow leopard. Later, some information about the biology of the species was given in the works of L. V. Sopin, M. N. Smirnov, A. K. Fedosenko, V. N. Nikiforov, D. G. Medvedev, G. G. Sobansky, V. A. Shilov , B.V. Shcherbakova, N.P. Malkova, N.S. Sochina and many others.

And snowy because the animal lives in the mountains at an altitude of up to 4.5 thousand meters above sea level, where there are snowfields, ice tongues and mountain peaks covered with eternal white caps, where it can be very cold and strong icy winds blow. The snow leopard is well adapted to these conditions: it is dressed in a warm fur coat, the muscles of its paws are very strong - with ease, in one fell swoop, the leopard jumps over gorge up to 10 meters wide. With one jump he can deftly overcome a height of 2.5 - 3 meters, as if flying from one ledge to another. He walks without fear along rocky ledges above the abyss, can jump from a great height and attack his prey with sniper precision. The favorite habitats of the snow leopard are rocky areas of the Mountains, piles of stones, screes, where there is usually little snow - it is blown away by the winds, it is easier to hide from bad weather, find a place for an ambush, and hide from enemies. Here the animal also makes a lair, choosing a suitable cave, crevice or stone canopy. He spends daylight hours in these shelters, and at dusk he goes out hunting. He walks boldly, he has no enemies among the animals, only in winter there can be serious clashes with hungry wolves, but the snow leopard can stand up for itself.

How do snow leopards manage to survive in such extreme conditions? For this, nature has endowed them with many unique features. A small head with small rounded ears, wide nostrils that warm the cold rarefied air, a long, very thick and dense coat - all this helps to retain heat where the line of eternal snow begins.

Huge paws with soft pads surrounded by thick, warm fur are perfectly adapted to both climbing slippery mountain slopes and walking through deep, loose snow, while short muscular front legs and a developed chest help maintain balance and easily climb even steep slopes. rocks

The magnificent thick tail, the length of which sometimes exceeds the length of the entire body, performs several useful functions at once - it helps balance during jumps, serves as a blanket for its owner at night, and also stores fat reserves.

The harsh, rocky terrain that snow leopards call home forces them to be excellent jumpers. When hunting prey, these predators are able to make jumps up to 14 meters long! The smoky gray coat with black markings is excellent camouflage for experienced hunters, who are rightly called “ghost cats.”

Snow leopards are real predators, ready to eat any meat that comes their way. They are not at all embarrassed by the large size of the prey, often three times larger than their own.

The main food of snow leopards is Siberian mountain goats and argali, marking goats, deer, and wild boars. Smaller prey includes marmots, hares, pikas, different kinds birds.

The love of snow leopards for marmots has become one of the reasons for their conflict with humans - in winter, rodents hibernate, and snow leopards are often forced to attack livestock. Snow leopards hunt large prey once every 10-15 days.

Unlike other big cats, snow leopards cannot roar. Their vocal repertoire consists mainly of purring, hissing, meowing, howling and snorting sounds.

To somehow indicate their presence to other individuals, snow leopards leave claw marks on large stones or tree trunks, rub their cheeks against them, or mark their territory with urine. All these signs remain for weeks, urging unexpected guests to refrain from encroaching on their territory.

Lifespan:

In nature, no more than 20 years, in captivity up to 28 years.

Habitat:

Animals live alone. The home ranges of males may partially overlap with the areas of 1-3 females.

Threats to the species:

• Poaching
• Conflict with pastoralist interests
• Depletion of food supply
• Habitat destruction
• Low reproduction rate

Interesting Facts:

Snow leopards are very playful and love to wallow in the snow. They often slide down a steep hill on their back, and at the bottom quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift on all four paws. After games or hunting, they settle down to bask in the sun.

When in a good mood, the snow leopard purrs just like a domestic cat.

Many animals have disappeared from the face of the earth forever. They are considered extinct, but there are those that are on the verge of extinction - these are rare animals. They are listed in the Red Book and their extermination is punishable by law. One of these animals is the snow leopard, or otherwise the snow leopard.

The snow leopard is a large predator from the cat family. The habitat of these cats is Central Asia (China, Nepal, Mongolia, India and other countries). This species is difficult for scientists to study because... The snow leopard lives in hard-to-reach places - the Himalayan, Caucasus mountains, Altai. Therefore, it is impossible to say with accuracy what the snow leopard population is at the moment. According to 2003 data, there were 4 - 7 thousand individuals.

The snow leopard is slightly smaller in size than a regular leopard, but is very similar to it. Therefore, the cat is often called a snow leopard. The very name of the animal “irbis” comes from Turkic languages. Different peoples call the beast differently:

• irbish,
• ilbers,
• irbiz.

Due to its habitat, the animal’s fur is very thick and long. The color is light gray with dark spots - this helps the cat to camouflage well. The snow leopard is less strong than the leopard, but it has a very flexible body, because living in the mountains and getting food there requires great dexterity. The animal feeds on mountain sheep and goats, elk, wild boars, hares, and gophers. In hungry years, it can also hunt mice and birds. It does not eat its prey on the spot, but drags it to a secluded place.

In their natural environment, snow leopards are ready to breed at 2-3 years of age. The female gives birth to 1-5 cubs. The female is looking for a place to give birth, usually these are caves, which she insulates and where no one will disturb the kittens. Raising kittens is entirely up to the mother; the father does not take part in this. The female teaches them to hunt from 3 months, and at the age of 1 year they are already independent animals. At this time, snow leopards leave their mother. Cats live alone and meet only to mate.

In the 19th century, the snow leopard was hunted for its beautiful and valuable fur. Cats were also captured for zoos, where living conditions were not always ideal. This led to a decrease in the animal population. Hunting is currently prohibited. Active measures are being taken to preserve the species.

Option 2

Snow leopard, snow leopard has another name - snow leopard. The snow leopard belongs to the cat family, the only representative of its genus, a predator, and also a mammal. It is intermediate between large cats and very small ones. It is included in the Red Book in all those countries where it lives.

The snow leopard is a relatively small animal; its weight reaches no more than 55 kg; rare individuals weigh more than this mark. This predator has an elongated and flexible body, and has a long elastic tail. The length of the predator from the forehead to the tip of the tail is about 2 meters to 2 m. 30 cm. Females are much smaller than males.

The habitat of the snow leopard is located within Central and Central Asia, as well as in the region of Southern Siberia. Sometimes traces of these predatory cats are found in the mountains 5 km from sea level; most snow leopards live 2–3 km from sea level.

The color of snow leopards is quite light, smoky gray, sometimes brownish; their body is covered with solid and ring-shaped dark spots. The pattern of spots is somewhat pale against the general background. The spots vary in size depending on where on the body they are located. The color tone changes depending on the time of year.

The snow leopard rut begins in the spring. The female bears offspring for 3-4 months; in one litter she produces up to 5 kittens, but this is rare, usually 2-3 kittens in a litter. The reproduction rate of these predators is quite low, because females do not participate in the rut every year. Kittens at birth weigh no more than 0.5 kg, blind and defenseless. Somewhere up to one and a half months of age, the cubs feed only on mother's milk. By July, the cubs will be able to follow their mother while hunting. Females are engaged in raising kittens for a fairly long period of time. Snow leopards are considered sexually mature at around 2–3 years of age.

Snow leopards are classified as territorial animals, but their territory can extend over 1000 square meters. m. They adhere to a solitary lifestyle and pair up only at the time of the rut. They do not defend their territory very aggressively; the possession of one male can overlap with the possession of 1-3 females. The snow leopard makes constant rounds of its possessions, it walks along pre-laid paths. It's rare that a predator can change its route. It takes 2-3 days to walk around all the properties. They also do not forget to mark their territory.

The snow leopard has virtually no competitors in its habitat; it has become the top of the food chain. Often he attacks and defeats an animal that is 2-3 times larger than himself. Snow leopards hunt alone, with the exception of a mother with her cubs. They hunt stealthily, tracking and waiting for their prey. The highest peak of activity occurs at dusk; it is rare to see a leopard during the day. Only years of famine can force the snow leopard to approach human habitation and attack livestock. The main diet of these predators is various ungulates, as well as hares, birds, and marmots. They also eat plant foods, but only during warm periods.

The snow leopard population is inexorably declining, with very few individuals remaining in their natural habitat. Poaching is open not only for snow leopards, but also for their diet, and predators also suffer greatly from this.

• Plato - report message

  Plato was one of the greatest classical Greek philosophers. He lived from 427 BC to 348 BC. He was a student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. Plato wrote about many ideas in philosophy that are still popular today.

• Chronological table of Fet (life and work)

  1812 - Afanasy Fet was born. His parents' marriage was not officially registered, so as a boy Afanasy bore his father's surname - Shenshin, and then he had to take his mother's surname, a native of Germany - Fet.

• Reindeer - message report (2nd, 3rd, 4th grade The world around us)

  Reindeer is one of the most beautiful and powerful inhabitants of the North. The main habitat of this animal is North America, Siberia, Northern Europe.

• Coelenterates - message report 7th grade biology

  Coelenterates are ancient invertebrates, multicellular animals. The first radial creatures, which, from other living creatures, are distinguished by the presence of complete symmetry.

• Boris Godunov - message report

  Boris Godunov was a controversial ruler of Russia who set ambitious goals but failed.