Classification and Range

Snow leopards belong to the family Felidae, which includes 36 species of cats.1 Snow leopards are distributed throughout the high mountains of Central Asia. They are found in 12 different countries over a million square-mile (2.6 million square-km) area.

Ref: http://www.zoo.org/factsheets/facts.html

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Diet: Wild: Blue sheep, marmots, ibex, musk deer, pika, markhor, hare, birds, and vegetation Zoo: Canine diet; weekly, bones & meat/rabbit/chicken

REF. Link: http://www.clemetzoo.com/animal_plant/info/index.asp?action=details&animals_id=1063&strQuery=&intNext=

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Despite its protected status, this species is still hunted and its skins are sold on the black market. In addition, it has lost some of its habitat to agriculture, which has also threatened its favored prey.

REF. Link: http://animal.discovery.com/guides/mammals/habitat/alpine/snwleopard.html

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The total population of the snow leopard is now in hundreds rather than thousands. It has been fully protected in India since 1952, and is also protected in the USSR. It is also illegal to possess a coat made from snow leopard fur, but such coats are still sold. Urgent and decisive action must be taken if this species is going to survive into the 21st century.

Full Article:  http://www.yptenc.org.uk/docs/factsheets/animal_facts/snow_leopard.html

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The snow leopard inhabits remote alpine and sub-alpine zones in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Bhutan, China, India, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan and Russia.

Full Article: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=13118

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The snow leopard is unique among the felids for the smokey-gray coloring of its coat patterned with dark gray rosettes and spots, and because of that it became nearly extinct. It’s unique color makes an ideal camouflage in its mountain environment of bare rocks and snow.

Full Article: http://www.bigcatrescue.org/snow_leopard.htm

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