---
title: "What the sources say about the Snow Leopard | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "42 claims from the Snow Leopard profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/snow-leopard/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Snow Leopard (*Panthera uncia*)

> 42 claims from the Snow Leopard profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Snow Leopard](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/snow-leopard/)

## Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia). IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group.

https://www.catsg.org/living-species-snowleopard

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a tail up to a metre long | The bushy tail is exceptionally long-up to 1 m |
| Alpine and subalpine zones, favouring steep terrain broken by cliffs, ridges and gullies | Snow leopards primarily inhabit alpine and subalpine zones, favouring steep terrain broken by cliffs, ridges, gullies, and rocky outcrops. |
| Blue sheep (bharal), ibex, markhor, marmots, and pikas | Key species include blue sheep ( Pseudois nayaur ), Siberian ibex ( Capra sibirica ), markhor ( Capra falconeri ), argali ( Ovis ammon ), musk deer ( Moschus chrysogaster ), and Himalayan tahr ( Hemitragus jemlahicus ). They also take smaller mammals and birds, such as marmots, pikas, hares |
| an enlarged nasal cavity | the snow leopard has an enlarged nasal cavity |
| A snow leopard's tail can grow up to a metre long, 75 to 90 percent of its total body length | The bushy tail is exceptionally long-up to 1 m, or 75-90% of the total body length |
| It does two jobs: it is thought to help the cat balance on steep slopes, and it wraps around the body like a scarf, trapping warmth while the cat rests in the cold | is thought to aid balance on steep slopes. The tail can also be wrapped around the body to provide warmth while resting. |
| vocal folds lack the fibro-elastic tissue other big cats have for a deep roar | Their vocal folds lack the fibro-elastic tissue needed for deep roars, typical of other big cats |
| A snow leopard's body is adapted for life high in the mountains | Adapted for life at high elevations |
| Its nasal cavity is enlarged | the snow leopard has an enlarged nasal cavity |
| At up to a metre long, it can make up 75 to 90 percent of the snow leopard's total body length | The bushy tail is exceptionally long-up to 1 m, or 75-90% of the total body length |
| It is thought to help the cat balance on steep slopes | is thought to aid balance on steep slopes |
| it doubles as a scarf: wrapped around the body, it holds in warmth while the cat curls up to rest | The tail can also be wrapped around the body to provide warmth while resting. |
| The IUCN's cat specialists list three adaptations to life at high elevation: an enlarged nasal cavity, shortened forelimbs and well-developed chest muscles | Adapted for life at high elevations, the snow leopard has an enlarged nasal cavity, shortened forelimbs, and well-developed chest muscles. |
| Snow leopards are solitary and mainly active at dawn and dusk | Snow leopards are solitary predators, mainly active at dawn and dusk. |
| chasing it down steep slopes | They stalk prey from above, chasing it down steep slopes. |
| They primarily prey on wild sheep and goats, including blue sheep, ibex, markhor, argali and musk deer, and also take marmots, pikas and hares | Snow leopards primarily prey on wild sheep and goats ... Key species include blue sheep ( Pseudois nayaur ), Siberian ibex ( Capra sibirica ), markhor ( Capra falconeri ), argali ( Ovis ammon ), musk deer ( Moschus chrysogaster ) ... They also take smaller mammals and birds, such as marmots, pikas, hares |
| They frequently take domestic livestock too | Domestic livestock is frequently taken |
| A snow leopard can kill an animal up to three times its own weight, and may stay with a kill for up to a week if undisturbed | Capable of killing animals up to three times their weight, they may stay with a kill for up to a week if undisturbed. |
| Snow leopards range across the high mountains of 12 Central Asian countries, from the Himalaya to the Altai | The species' range spans 12 countries, restricted to the high mountains of Central Asia, including the Altai, Tian Shan, Kun Lun, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Himalayan ranges. |
| typically between 3,000 and 5,000 metres and occasionally above 5,500 metres in the Himalaya | Snow leopards are typically found at elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 m, occasionally above 5,500 m in the Himalaya. |
| Their grey, rosette-spotted fur gives them excellent camouflage in the mountains | Its fur is white-grey or grey-brown, patterned with dark grey or black spots and rosettes with pale centres, providing excellent camouflage in its mountainous habitat. |
| GPS collars fitted to snow leopards in Mongolia's South Gobi showed home ranges from 100 to over 1,000 square kilometres | In Mongolia's South Gobi, GPS-collared snow leopards had home ranges from 100 to over 1,000 km² |
| The IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable | The snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List . |
| The most recent estimate puts the global population at 7,446 to 7,996 snow leopards, with 2,710 to 3,386 of those being mature adults | The most recent estimate places the population at 7,446-7,996 individuals, with 2,710-3,386 mature individuals. |
| Threats generally include conflict with livestock herders, habitat degradation, prey declines, retaliatory killings, and poaching for hides, bones and other body parts | Threats vary by region but generally include conflict with livestock herders, habitat degradation, prey declines, retaliatory killings, and poaching for illegal trade in hides, bones, and other parts. |

## Uncia uncia (snow leopard). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Uncia_uncia/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a friendly chuffing sound called a prusten | prusten (chuffing) (note: ADW names the chuff 'prusten'; San Diego Zoo gives 'friendly chuff') |
| They hunt by stalking prey from above, using rocky terrain and vegetation to stay hidden, and then ambush it | The preferred method of hunting is to stalk and then ambush their prey from above, using rocky terrain and shrubby vegetation to conceal themselves. |

## Physical Features. Snow Leopard Trust.

https://snowleopard.org/snow-leopard-facts/physical-features/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| leaps of up to thirty feet | They help launch the cat up to 30 feet (10 meters) in one leap! |
| warms the air before it reaches the lungs | the wide, short nasal cavity warms the air before it reaches the cat's lungs |
| Strong, short front legs paired with longer hind legs let a snow leopard launch itself up to 30 feet (10 metres) in one leap | The cat has strong, short front limbs and longer hind limbs. They help launch the cat up to 30 feet (10 meters) in one leap! |
| Its oversized, furred paws work like snowshoes, keeping it from sinking into the snow | Its extra large paws keep the cat from sinking into the snow- like a pair of natural snow shoes . |
| short, strong front legs and longer hind legs give it the spring to launch itself up to 30 feet (10 metres) in one leap | The cat has strong, short front limbs and longer hind limbs. They help launch the cat up to 30 feet (10 meters) in one leap! |
| it warms the air on its way to the lungs | the wide, short nasal cavity warms the air before it reaches the cat's lungs |
| short, rounded ears cut down on heat loss | Its round, short ears reduce heat loss |
| longer hind legs launch it up to 30 feet (10 metres) in one leap | The cat has strong, short front limbs and longer hind limbs. They help launch the cat up to 30 feet (10 meters) in one leap! (note: vibe.reason (women artists)) |

## Snow Leopard. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/snow-leopard

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The "ghost cat of the Himalayas" | this medium-sized cat has been called the ghost cat of the Himalayas |
| Instead it hisses, growls, moans and yowls, plus a friendly chuffing sound called a prusten, and can even purr | snow leopards hiss, growl, moan, and yowl, but they do not roar, as their throat is similar to that of the smaller cats; instead, snow leopards make a friendly chuff and can purr, too |
| giving it traction across it | The wide, furry paws also give the cat great traction on snow. |
| It does not roar | but they do not roar |
| it hisses, growls, moans and yowls instead, along with a friendly chuffing sound called a prusten, and can even purr | snow leopards hiss, growl, moan, and yowl, but they do not roar, as their throat is similar to that of the smaller cats; instead, snow leopards make a friendly chuff and can purr, too |
| they blend in so well that they are almost impossible to locate and study in the wild | Snow leopards are almost impossible to locate and study in their native habitat, because they blend in with their surroundings so well. |
| a big cat that does not roar | but they do not roar (note: vibe.reason (women artists)) |