A snow leopard is a cat of Central Asian mountains. Thick fur and a long tail suit its life on rocky slopes.
When resting, snow leopards wrap their long, thick tails around their bodies.
A snow leopard uses its long tail for balance and wraps it around its body when resting. Fur-covered feet help it move through snowy terrain. Tracking studies have examined how its daily activity changes with the seasons.
Accelerometer records from 17 snow leopards (ten males and seven females), collected in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains from April 2010 to January 2020, showed an increased proportion of time active at night and dawn in summer, with reduced daytime and dusk activity. The analysis excluded periods at presumed kill sites and mothers with cubs up to five months old.
Scent left on rocks and trees communicates presence to other snow leopards. Solitary life still involves messages along shared routes.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Poaching and conflict over livestock threaten snow leopards. Conservation includes grazing management and measures that help herders cope with losses.