Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard

Panthera uncia

Vulnerable

English

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a felid species in the genus Panthera. It has a thick whitish to grey fur with black spots on the head and neck, with larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail. Males are larger than the females, and both sexes have long canine teeth. Its small rounded ears, broad paws, and thick tails are adaptations for living in cold, mountainous environments. The snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Asia, ranging from eastern Hindu Kush, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia and western China. It inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft) featuring cliffs and ridges, but also lives at lower elevations in the northern part of its range. It is a solitary animal and is mostly active at dawn and twilight. It is a carnivore and actively hunts its prey, which include various ungulates and domestic livestock. The snow leopard was long classified in the monotypic genus Uncia. Since phylogenetic studies revealed the relationships among Panthera species, it has been considered a member of that genus. Two subspecies were described based on morphological differences, but genetic differences between the two have not been confirmed. It is therefore regarded as a monotypic species. It forms a sister group with the tiger and the genetic divergence is estimated to have occurred 4.62 to 1.82 million years ago. The snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040. It is mainly threatened by poaching and habitat destruction. It is listed in CITES Appendix I and legally protected in most countries of its range. It is widely used in heraldry and as an emblem in Central Asia and parts of North India.

Français · Panthère des neiges

La Panthère des neiges, aussi appelée Léopard des neiges, Once ou Irbis, est une espèce de félins de la sous-famille des Pantherinae. Historiquement classée dans le genre monotypique Uncia, elle fait à présent partie du genre Panthera. C'est un félin de taille moyenne avec des pattes courtes, des pieds larges et une queue, épaisse et longue, représentant quasiment la moitié de sa longueur totale. Sa face, large et ronde, possède des oreilles courtes et arrondies. Sa robe est de couleur gris pâle à gris jaune constellée de taches et de rosettes.

Español · Leopardo de las nieves

El leopardo de las nieves o irbis es una especie de mamífero carnívoro de la familia Felidae que habita en las montañas de Asia Central.

Русский · Ирбис

И́рбис, или сне́жный барс, или снежный леопард — крупное хищное млекопитающее семейства кошачьих, обитающее в горах Центральной Азии. Проживает исключительно в холодном климате.

العربية · نمر الثلوج

نَمِرُ الثُّلُوجِ هو نوعٌ ضخمٌ من السنوريَّات يستوطنُ السلاسل الجبليَّة المُمتدَّة عبر آسيا الوُسطى والجنوبيَّة. تُصنَّفُ هذه الحيوانات من قِبل الاتحاد العالمي للحفاظ على الطبيعة على أنَّها مُهدَّدةٌ بالانقراض بدرجةٍ وُسطى، بعد أن أظهرت بعضُ الأبحاث التي أُجريت سنة 2003م أنَّ عدد الجُمهرة العالميَّة يتراوح بين 4,080 و6,590 سنوّرٍ بالغ، منها أقل من 2,500 فرد قادرٌ على التكاثر والإنجاب في البريَّة.

中文 · 雪豹

雪豹,又名艾葉豹、荷葉豹、草豹,中亞與部分中國西部民族則又稱伊尔毕斯,有“雪山之王”之称,是一种大型猫科食肉动物和旗舰种,由于其常在雪线附近和雪地间活动,故名“雪豹”。雪豹原产于亚洲中部山区,天山等高海拔山地是雪豹的主要分布地。其皮毛为灰白色,有黑色点斑和黑环,相对长而粗大的尾巴是雪豹与其他相似物种区分的明显特征。

Photo: Oliver Barker · CC-BY-NC · View on iNaturalist · Wikipedia

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