Snow Leopard: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Wild Cats · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. A snow leopard's tail is thick with fat and fur. When it naps, the cat wraps it over its face like a cosy blanket.
2. This big cat cannot roar. Its vocal cords are only 9 mm long, too short to hold back much air.
3. Wide paws spread its weight so it can walk on snow, and fur under its feet gives it grip on steep, loose slopes.
4. It races after prey down steep mountainsides for up to 300 m. A single blue sheep can feed it for two weeks.
5. In summer it roams rocky slopes as high as 6,000 m. In winter it heads down to around 1,200 to 2,000 m.

The quiz

1. What does a snow leopard do with its tail when it sleeps?

• Hangs it from a tree branch
• Dips it in a stream
• Covers its face with it (correct)
• Buries it in the snow

Its thick, furry tail works like a blanket over its face.

2. Which of these sounds can a snow leopard NOT make?

• A purr
• A roar (correct)
• A meow
• A grunt

Its vocal folds are short, so it cannot roar.

3. How do its broad paws help a snow leopard?

• They spread its weight on snow (correct)
• They help it swim across lakes
• They help it dig deep burrows
• They help it climb tall trees

Broad paws spread its body weight so it can walk on snow.

4. How long can one blue sheep keep a snow leopard going?

• One day
• Three months
• Half a year
• Two weeks (correct)

It can live on one blue sheep for two weeks before it hunts again.

5. How high can snow leopards live in summer?

• Up to 600 m
• Up to 6,000 m (correct)
• Only at sea level
• Up to 1,000 m

In summer they live on rocky slopes as high as 6,000 m.

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