Snow Leopards

Snow Leopards
Real Life
Scientific name	Panthera uncia
Lifespan	22 years (In captivity) 10 to 12 years (in the Wild)
Diet	Carnivorous
Weight	22 kg - 55 kg (49 - 121 lb) 75 kg (165 lb) (rarely)
Height	55 - 65 cm (22 - 26 in)
Length	90 - 115 cm (36 - 44 in) ca. 100 cm (40 in) (tail)
Conservation	Vulnerable

Snow Leopards are felines that appear in The Lion Guard universe.

Appearance

Snow leopards have whitish to gray fur with black spots on their head and neck, but larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail. The belly is whitish. The fur is thick with hairs between 5 and 12 cm (2.0 and 4.7 in) long. The colors of their eyes can vary from pale green to gray in color. Additionally, compared to other cats of the Panthera genus, the body of a snow leopard is stocky, short-legged and slightly smaller.

Information

Snow leopards live in the various mountainous regions of central Asia (including, but not limited to, the Himalayas, the Kunlun Mountains, the Altai mountains and the Pamir Mountains). They hunt blue sheep, wild sheep, argails, ibexes, marmots, pikas, hares, etc. Snow leopards are vulnerable animals, as they are threatened by humans through poaching and illegal trade of skins and body parts.

Snow leopards feature several distinct adaptations for living in a cold, arid mountainous environment; they are as follows:

• Their bodies are stocky, with thick, soft fur and their ears are small and rounded. (these features help minimize heat loss)
• Their paws are broad and well distribute their body weight for walking on snow (acting like natural snowshoes) and have fur on their undersides to help increase their grip on steep and unstable surfaces. (they also help minimize heat loss)
• Their tail is long and flexible to help maintain balance on rocky terrain; it is also very thick due to fat storage, and is very thickly covered in fur, thus letting the leopard use it like a blanket to protect its face while it sleeps.
• Their nasal cavities are wide, and short, which helps to warm the air before it reaches the leopard's lungs.

Additionally - unlike other big cats like lions and tigers - snow leopards are incapable of roaring, despite possessing partial ossification of the hyoid bone (a feature that was previously thought to be essential for enabling big cats to roar; however, new studies have shown that the ability to roar is due to other features of their throats, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard); instead of roaring, snow leopards are capable of producing a non-aggressive puffing sound called a "chuff", in addition to the normal sounds (purring, wailing, etc.) of a cat. They are crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk; they are also solitary animals, known for being extremely secretive and well camouflaged. Because they are so rarely seen, they are often referred to as "ghosts of the mountains", or "a filmmaker's holy grail".

When it comes to hunting, snow leopards prefer to ambush their prey from above, using broken terrain to conceal their approach; they will also actively pursue their prey down the steep mountainsides, using the momentum from their initial leap to chase animals for up to 300 meters (roughly 980 feet).

In terms of behavior, snow leopards are primarily shy, elusive and solitary; in addition, they are not aggressive towards humans (There has never been a verified snow leopard attack on a human being, and even if disturbed while feeding, a snow leopard is more likely to run away than try to defend their territory).

Notable Snow Leopards in The Lion Guard

• Chuluun