Ferocious Snow Leopards Nick Michael Sandor Saul June 2013
Introduction! 3 In What Type of Habitat Does a Snow Leopard Live?! 4 Sources! 6 How Do Snow Leopards Survive?! 7 Sources! 9 How Do Snow Leopards Reproduce?! 10 Sources! 11 Why Are Snow Leopards Rare?! 12 Sources! 14
Introduction What acrobatic mammal lives in the frigid, mountainous regions of Asia? At three to four miles above sea level, Snow Leopards are one of the few creatures that call this harsh environment home. These intriguing animals have many features that allow them to survive the freezing climate and lack of oxygen. Take a peek into the Snow Leopard s fascinating daily life to learn more about how they survive in this cruel habitat, how they reproduce, and what threats make them at risk of becoming extinct.
Snow Leopard on its perch In What Type of Habitat Does a Snow Leopard Live? by Nick Snow Leopards are able to survive in one of the harshest places on earth. Their habitat is called the roof of the world because it is located at one of the highest places on earth, in mountainous central Asia. Snow Leopards live in the tall mountain ranges of 12 countries from Afghanistan through China, including Bhutan, India, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. These exotic creatures home is one of the coldest and rockiest spots on the planet too cold and rough for people! The acrobatic animals use the rocky cliffs to their advantage. They sit quietly above their prey, waiting to pounce. In the summer, they live in the higher altitudes. During the winter, Snow Leopards stay in the lower valleys and rhododendron forests and make their beds in the rocky caves. Due to its
frigid and rocky habitat, few people have seen this mystical creature in the wild. Snow Leopard in Winter
Sources The Snow Leopard, Help Save This Endangered Species by Glenn Scherer and Marty Fletcher Snow Leopards by Alison Tibbitts and Alan Roocroft Mammals - Large Carnivores by Pat Morris and Amy- Jane Beer Snow Leopards - Hunters of The Snow And Ice by Elaine Landau
Adult Snow Leopard in the Mountains How Do Snow Leopards Survive? by Michael Snow Leopards live in Himalayan Mountains of Asia, one of the harshest places on Earth! They live at altitudes three to four miles high. Humans cannot live there because the air is too cold to breathe. The strong winds whip the snow into the thick fog created by the clouds. The ground is steep and rocky and cannot support big trees, only bushes. The Snow Leopard is one of the few creatures that call this freezing place home. It survives here by using its long, thick fur to keep it warm. Its fur has both outer hairs and a wooly undercoat that traps in its body heat. The Snow Leopard s paws act as warm snowshoes and are padded to help protect it from the rocky mountainside. Another way it has adapted to survive the cold is by special sinus passages that warm the cold air before it goes to its lungs. The tail of a Snow Leopard, which is nearly as long as its body, is also important to its survival. The cat can wrap its tail around its body and face to
provide extra warmth. Also the tail helps it to balance when jumping from ledge to ledge. The Snow Leopard is the best jumper in all of the cat family! With its big chest muscles, it can leap as far as a school bus in one jump!
Sources Snow Leopard - Hunters of the Snow and Ice by Elaine Landau Mammals - Large Carnivores by Pat Morris and Amy- Jane Beer Snow Leopards by Alison Tibbitts and Alan Roocroft Central Park Zoo Exhibit by George Schaller
How Do Snow Leopards Reproduce? by Sandor Snow Leopards live alone, but come together for a short time to mate. Mating is when a male Snow Leopard goes out to \ind a female. January through March is mating season for the Snow Leopards. When male Snow Leopards are four years old, they begin to mate. The females begin mating around two to three years old. Females spray rocks with their scent to alert the males. The Snow Leopard s wailing mating call can be mistaken for that of a yeti. Females give birth April through June, usually to two to three cubs. Snow Leopards are born small and helpless. The cubs looks like a juvenile house cat and weighs about one pound each. They are hidden in a rocky den inside a cave, so their prey cannot \ind them. The cubs are weaned between two to three months. Between one to two years old, the cubs can live alone until they are ready to mate and begin their own reproductive cycle.
Sources Snow Leopard - Hunters of the Snow and Ice by Elaine Landau Mammals - Large Carnivores by Pat Morris and Amy- Jane Beer Snow Leopards by Alison Tibbitts and Alan Roocroft
Why Are Snow Leopards Rare? by Saul Snow Leopards are an endangered species, and their population continues to sadly decrease. One reason is that their beautiful, patterned, coat urges hunters to sell their soft fur. Additionally, this mystical cat s bones are valuable for Chinese medicines. Luckily, the horrible killing of this cat has been outlawed. There s a Snow Leopard in the Central Park Zoo? The demand to see these agile mountain creatures is growing, which is a fatal problem for this cat s survival because some museums and zoos are capturing Snow Leopards for better business. In these Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, farmers and their livestock are invading the native habitat and hunting grounds of these silent felines making less room for this cat to live.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Climate change decreases the Snow Leopard population! Since the global temperature is getting warmer, the snow line (exactly where the Snow Leopards live) is moving higher, forcing Snow Leopards to hunt where food is more scarce. The killing and capture of these animals, along with global warming, and their decreasing habitat are causing this species to be on the brink of extinction.
Sources The Snow Leopard by Glenn Schener and Marty Fletcher Snow Leopards by Elaine Landau Mammals: Large Carnivores by Pat Morris and Amy- Jane Beer