Snow leopard specimen

Snow leopard specimen

The snow leopard, also known as the grass leopard, lotus leaf leopard, or mugwort leopard, is a species of the feline leopard genus in the carnivorous order. The body size of snow leopards is slightly smaller than that of ordinary leopards, with a tail length of about 3/4 of the head length. Its relatively long and thick tail is a significant feature that distinguishes it from other similar species. Its head is small and round, its snout is short, and its limbs are relatively short. The whole body is covered with long and dense fluffy hair, mainly gray white in color; The back and ribs are scattered with fuzzy or irregular large black circular patches, presented in a sparse arrangement of five vertical rows, with small spots dotted inside the patches; Black circular spots arranged in rows can be seen below the head, neck, and limbs.
Snow leopard (cub)

Snow leopard (cub)

It is a large feline that often moves near the snow line and between snowy areas, hence the name "snow leopard". Snow leopards are distributed in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, the Pamirs Plateau, the Tianshan Mountains, the Altai Mountains and other high mountain areas in western China and eastern Central Asia. Its fur is gray white with black spots and rings, and its tail is long and thick, making it an excellent protective color among rocks. It is known as the "King of Snow Mountains".