Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard, also known as ounce, large mammal  of the cat family, found in the mountains of Central Asia. The animal's range extends from 2700 to 6000 m (8860 to 19,700 ft) in the summer, when the animals it eats migrate upward to graze on new grass. It has a thick layer of soft underfur covered by thick, long hair. The beautiful coat is pale gray, with black rosettes and small spots and a black streak along the spine; the underparts are whitish. The body length is about 1 to 1.3 m (about 3.3 to 4.3 ft) and the tail length is 0.8 to 1 m (2.6 to 3.3 ft). The animal is mainly nocturnal, and there are usually two to three cubs in a litter. Snow leopards have been overhunted for their fur and are now endangered.

Scientific classification: The snow leopard belongs to the family Felidae. It is classified as Panthera uncia.

Snow Leopard Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2001. © 1993-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.