snow leopard

Also known as ounce, Uncia uncia, Panthera uncia, P. uncia

large felid native to the mountains of Central and South Asia

AI overview

The snow leopard is a large wild cat that lives in the mountains of Central and South Asia, where it has adapted to survive in harsh, high-altitude environments. It matters because as a top predator in these remote mountain ecosystems, it plays an important role in maintaining the balance of nature in one of the world's most extreme habitats.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Vulnerable

Maximum longevity: 21.2 years (captivity) Observations: In zoos, these animals can live up to 21.2 years (Richard Weigl 2005).

via IUCN

Wikidata facts

Image: Uncia uncia - A tail and a cat cropped.jpg

Show 8 more facts

taxon name: Panthera uncia
Commons gallery: Panthera uncia
taxon common name: snežni leopard
gestation period: 102
Commons category: Panthera uncia
exact match: wordnet-rdf.princeton.edu/wn30/02128757-n
sequenced genome URL: www.dnazoo.org/assemblies/Panthera_uncia
short name: P. uncia

Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~28 min read

Article

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a species of large cat in the genus Panthera of the family Felidae. It is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, ranging from eastern Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia and Western China. It inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft), but also lives at lower elevations in the northern part of its range.

The snow leopard was long classified in the monotypic genus Uncia. Since phylogenetic studies revealed the relationships among Panthera species, it has been considered a member of that genus. Two subspecies were described based on morphological differences, but genetic differences between the two have not been confirmed. It is therefore regarded as a monotypic species. It forms a sister group with the tiger and the genetic divergence is estimated to have occurred 4.62 to 1.82 million years ago.