Snow Leopard Characteristics

Compared to other large felines, snow leopards are smaller in size. The snow leopard has a white to smoke grey colored fur coat with brown tinges at some areas, their spots are dark brown and black. This cat has pale green to grey eyes. The spots are smaller on their heads and become larger as they go along their body towards their tails. Their fur helps them naturally camouflage when they hunt(Wharton and Mainka, 1997). Another noticeable feature of their fur is the density and length of the coat, the wooliness of the fur helps them keep warm in the cold habitats that they naturally reside in. Their other features are all to help them survive in the cold and harsh climate of the mountain slopes. Their appearances all make up a predator that hides in their snowy surroundings without much difficulty. Their paws are wider than their leopard counterparts as they need it to help them traverse the deep and snowy terrain. (Hemmer,1972)The snow leopards have short and round ears which helps them reduce heat loss. In the same vain, their nasal cavities are wide but short so it could warm the air before it enters their lungs. To further protect the felines from the cold, their tails and bottoms of their paws are further lined with thick fur, essentially acting as a pair of snowshoes. Their long furry tails also help keep them warm when they wrap it around themselves when they sleep. The snow leopard can range upwards of 1.3 meters long and weigh upwards of 70 kilograms.The tail itself measures to be 90 centimeter and helps them balance and maneuver in the snowy terrain. Although their limbs are short compared to their body size, they are extremely powerful with strong paws to enable long and high leaps during their hunts(Sunquist,2002).