Hello everyone! I am the "King of Snow Mountain"

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The "big cat" who can be salty or sweet - the snow leopard

1

Where do I come from?

Image source: CCTV News

The whereabouts of the "King of the Snow Mountains" snow leopard are very secretive, but even more secretive than the snow leopard is the fossil record of the snow leopard. The Czech Republic, Austria, Russia, and even Zhoukoudian, China, have claimed to have discovered snow leopard fossils, but in the end they were all misidentifications.

There are only two reliable fossil records: one is in the caves of the Altai Mountains, and the other is a mandible fossil found in the Upper Siwalik Mountains of Pakistan. With the discovery of an almost complete skull of a big cat in the Zada ​​Basin of Tibet, people have finally revealed the origin of the king of the snow mountains. The skull was formed 4.4 million years ago and is the earliest fossil with certain snow leopard characteristics to date, but it is about 10% smaller than the existing snow leopard. Scientists call it Panthera blytheae, the fossil species most closely related to the snow leopard.

Image credit: J. Tseng Skull of Panthera blytheae

Although the snow leopard has the word "leopard" in its name, the closest living big cat to it is the tiger. There is no definitive answer as to when the tiger and snow leopard began to part ways. What is certain is that their divergence was the earliest among the big cats. In the end, the snow leopard became the king of the snow mountains, the tiger became the king of the jungle, and the Bryon Panthera pardus, the closest relative to the snow leopard, disappeared in the long river of history.

Image credit: Mauricio Antón Reconstruction of Panthera blytheae

2

Don’t be fooled by my cuteness, I’m covered with “weapons”!

Snow leopards are smaller than other large cats, with most adults weighing 20-55 kg, and a few males weighing more than 75 kg. They have relatively short limbs, thick and fluffy hair, and a very long and thick tail.

Like most cats, snow leopards live alone and only appear in pairs during the mating season. During the day, snow leopards mainly hide under rocks to rest, and in the morning and evening, they begin to move frequently.

Snow leopards are plateau species, mainly active in areas with an altitude of 3,000-5,000 meters. In order to cope with the cold, oxygen-deficient environment and survive and hunt in the steep mountains, snow leopards have evolved many "secret weapons":

1. Comes with a humidifier

Compared with other big cats, the snow leopard has a broad and short skull, especially the arched postorbital process, and a wide nasal bone. This makes the snow leopard's nasal cavity larger, which can effectively heat and humidify the cold and dry air. The snow leopard also has large nostrils, which can inhale more gas with each breath, so it can get more oxygen in the thin air.

2. The "Snow" basin has a large mouth

The cross-section of the snow leopard's canine teeth is round, so it can exert force on the prey in its mouth from all directions, which is very suitable for the diverse and uncertain attack angles between cliffs. In addition, the snow leopard's mouth can open more than 70 degrees, which is convenient for biting the thick neck of large prey.

3. Thick coat to resist cold and frost

Dense Hair Among all panthers, the snow leopard has the densest hair, with an average of 4,000 hairs per square centimeter of skin. Its hair is also the longest, with the length of its belly hair reaching 12 centimeters in winter. The thick and long hair can form an air layer near the snow leopard's skin, effectively isolating it from the cold outside and preventing heat loss.

Image source: snowleopard.org Snow leopard fur

4. Snow boots

The snow leopard has wide paws and thick fur between its toes, which makes it like wearing snow boots. They keep warm and allow it to walk lightly through the snow without sinking too deep.

3

Here’s a little secret, don’t laugh when you hear it!

Snow leopards are the only species in the genus Panthera that cannot roar, which is mainly due to the vocal structure. Simply put, cats that can roar have hyoid bones that are not fully ossified and have high ductility, so they can make roaring sounds; while cats that cannot roar have hyoid bones that are fully ossified and can only make "grunting" sounds.

Image source: CCTV News

The hyoid bone of the snow leopard is more ossified than that of the tiger.

But not as tall as a kitten

In between

So snow leopards can neither roar

No purring sound

Its cry

More like panting.

If you are interested

You can search for the sound of snow leopards and listen to it.

There is a surprise~

4

My anniversary

The distribution range of snow leopards is limited to 12 countries in Central Asia, that is, the area centered on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In the past, snow leopards were hunted in large numbers because their fur is a high-quality raw material, which led to their endangered status. Fortunately, after years of protection work, they have successfully dropped from "endangered" to "vulnerable".

The current survival status of the snow leopard is not optimistic. Its habitat has been severely damaged, especially in some countries in Central Asia. Affected by agriculture, animal husbandry, and mining, as well as the intensity of crackdowns on poaching and climate factors, the threat factors to the snow leopard are still relatively serious.

Image source: Snow leopard photographed by Xinhua News Agency's infrared camera

On October 22-23, 2013, the two-day Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum came to an end in Kyrgyzstan. It was decided to set October 23 of each year as International Snow Leopard Day, and 2015 as the International Snow Leopard Year. In addition, during the forum, representatives also adopted the "Global Plan for the Conservation of Snow Leopards and Their Habitats 2013-2020" and the "Bishkek Declaration on Snow Leopard Conservation".

The main habitat of snow leopards is in my country, and the number of snow leopards in my country accounts for more than 60% of the total. my country has three major measures to protect wild snow leopards: one is to protect habitats and plan wildlife reserves, the second is to crack down on poaching and illegal trade, and the third is to strengthen animal protection awareness and legal publicity.

Image source: Snow leopard "selfie" by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

As a national first-class protected animal

The "ferocious" king of the snowy mountains

It deserves more people's understanding and attention

It requires joint protection by all mankind

END

Source: Science Popularization China, Beijing Animation World, Science Popularization Times, Xinhua News Agency

CCTV News, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, National Geographic Chinese Website

Compiled by: Dong Xiaoxian

Editor: Guru