The Snow Leopard

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The snow Leopard The purpose of this essay is to give information on the snow leopard, and the reasons behind why the species is in trouble, and what’s being done to preserve it. The scientific name of the Snow Leopard is Uncia(Panthera) uncial. The species group: Mammal, belonging to the kingdom: Animalia, the Class of: Mammalia. The order of: Carnivoria. Belonging to the family of Felidae. An adult snow leopard weighs between 77-121 lbs. stands 24 inches tall at the shoulder, and measures 1.8-2.3 m (6-7.5 feet), from their head to the tip of their tail, eight times the weight of the common housecat. Snow leopards are well adapted for their cold, rugged mountain environment. The fur is dense and wooly, to help them stay warm in their bitterly cold habitat. The fur on their bellies is up to nearly 5 inches long. They have large paws to help it walk on snow. The snow leopard has white, yellowish, or Smokey-gray to black spots and rosettes that are like camouflage to hide them from their prey. The average life span of the snow leopard is 21 years. The reproduction traits of the snow leopard are that they give birth to their off spring usually in a fur coated den, around spring or summer months. The gestation period varies between 93-110 days. The mating season occurs typically in the late winter months between December and March. The average liter size can range from one to five cubs; however, the average is two to three cubs. The habitat of the snow leopard is ranges that include alpine meadows, treeless Rocky Mountains and rhododendron forests. Most of their range occurs in Tibet and other parts of china. Associated with steep rocky slopes, with arid shrub land, grassland or steppe vegetation. They

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