Wildlifeof Bhutan
Snow Leopard
Cats
Photo: Ismail Shariff · CC BY 3.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Panthera uncia
Basic stats
Diet
Wild hoofed animals and domestic livestock
Habitat
Alpine and subalpine zones with cliffs and ridges, typically 3,000–4,500m
Range
High mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas, including Bhutan
Size
Head and body 75–150cm; tail 80–105cm; shoulder height about 56cm
The snow leopard has thick whitish to grey fur, with black spots on the head and neck and larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail. Its small rounded ears limit heat loss, its broad paws spread its weight on snow, and its long, flexible tail helps balance on rock. It is stocky and short-legged, and slightly smaller than other Panthera cats (Wikipedia, general species account).
Its range takes in the high elevations of the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Bhutan. It lives alone and is mostly active at dawn and dusk, hunting wild hoofed animals and domestic livestock. Across its range up to ten individuals live in 100 square kilometres, but where prey is sparse an area of 1,000 square kilometres may support only five. The sources opened give no Bhutan counts.
Quick answers
- What does the Snow Leopard eat?
- Wild hoofed animals and domestic livestock
- What habitat does the Snow Leopard live in?
- Alpine and subalpine zones with cliffs and ridges, typically 3,000–4,500m
- Where is the Snow Leopard found?
- High mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas, including Bhutan
- How big is the Snow Leopard?
- Head and body 75–150cm; tail 80–105cm; shoulder height about 56cm