Snow leopard, he is Irbis, or snow leopard (lat. Panthera. uNCIA, UNCIA uNCIA) - The mammal detachment is predatory, catfish families. Previously, he was highlighted in a separate genus Snow lets (Lats. UNCIA) represented by the only view UNCIA uNCIA. In 2006, according to the results of genetic studies in some classifications, it was attached to the genus of large cats (panthers) (lat. Panthera.). It turned out that on the genetic criterion of Irbis is closer than all to. True, some scientists still doubt this, relating to the animal to the genus Uncia. In addition to the snow leopard, the same controversial status has a smoky leopard and.
International Scientific Name: Panthera Uncia.(Schreber, 1775), UNCIA UNCIA (Schreber, 1775).
Synonyms: Felis uNCIA(Schreber, 1775).
Security status: According to the Red Book of IUCN (version 3.1), the position of the snow leopard is vulnerable. According to the Red Book of Russia, the species disappears.
This cat has many names. Kalmyki call her Irgiz, Uzbeks - Aladja Bars, Tatars - Akbars, Tungusi - Corn, Yakuta - Hahai, Kazakhs - Ilbis or Barys, British - Snow Leopard, Mongols - IRVES. Japanese Snow Bars - Torah. In Kyrgyzstan, a snow leopard is called Ilbirs. In Russian, he has become called Irbis for a long time that from the ancient Turkic language translates as a "snow cat", and in Tuvinsky it sounds like Irbish.
About Irbis Russian people learned from merchants who traded with Turkic peoples. The Word itself entered into scientific literature as a full term replacing the name "Snow Bars". The word "Bars" is also borrowed from the Turkic language and means "leopard". Often, Irbis is also called white leopard. First scientific name UNCIA Gave the Snow Bars a German scientist I.Kh. Schrere in 1775.
By the way, despite the fact that Barca is called snowy, he does not like to walk in the snow.
IRBIS - description of the animal and photography. What does snow leopard look like?
Snow leopard is a graceful predator with a flexible and movable body, a smooth and elegant gait, somewhat resembling, but more squat compared to it. The features of the adaptability of a snow leopard to habitat are noticeable throughout its appearance. The average body length of the animal is 100-130 cm, the tail is 90-105 cm. The total length of the body together with the tail can reach 230 cm. The height in the withers is approximately 60 cm. The dimensions of males exceed the dimensions of the females. The weight of the adult male Irbis reaches 45-55 kg, the female weighs no more than 35-40 kg.
The torso of Irbis is a little convex in the field of the sacrum and driven to the shoulders, which is typical for the appearance of small cats (Lat. Felinae.). Snow leopard ten times harder home and seven or eight times lighter than a tiger, the largest of feline. For this, scientists call it a "big small cat." From Leopard, the IRBIS is characterized by a less massive front of the body and smaller sizes.
The head of Irbis is small, rounded, in shape reminds his home cat's head. It contains small, rounded, widely placed ear-sinks. The structure of the snow leopard skull is easily recognized by characteristic large forehead. There are no tassels on the ears. In winter, ears are practically not visible due to the closing of their long pile.
Vibruses on the face of snow leopard black or white, up to 10.5 cm long. The eyes of the animal are big, with round pupils. Vision and smell is well-developed.
The snowy leopard has sharp and long teeth and claws. All feline, including Irbis, 30 pieces:
- on top and lower jaws 6 incisors, 2 fangs;
- on the upper jaw - 3 premolars and 1 molar;
- on the lower jaw - 2 premolars and 1 molar.
Length of snow leopard fangs are somewhat less than that of other feline. It is 59.9 mm.
On the side sides of the Long Language of Irbis there are tubercles covered with oroging skin. They help the beast to skip meat from the victim and wash themselves during hygienic procedures.
Soft and long animal fur can reach 55 mm.
Especially long wool covered a magnificent tail of Irbis. It reaches more than ¾ of the total body size and due to the elongated fur seems very thick. The thickness of the tail is superior to the thickness of the predator's forearm.
Irbis keeps the tail or a curved arc to the back, or freely drags it on the ground, stones or snow: then in winter between his traces, the reverse strip is additionally visible.
By the way, the snow leopard often somehow bits his tail. Zoologists suggest that he just warms his nose in cold winters. But maybe this is another explanation? All cats love to play, and Irbis are no exception: here they bite their tails for fun.
Wide snow-winds of a snowy leopard are equipped with light-pink retractable claws. Along with thick wool, they make a predator visually larger. The length of the hind legs of the mammal is 22-26 cm.
Snow leopard wool color on the back and top of the sides are predominantly smoky-brownish gray, with dark gray or black spots. There are no differences in the color between females and males. In the offseason, the smoky raid is less pronounced than in winter. Belubo and the boc of animals below are brighter than the upper body. The yellowness is absent in the color. However, according to the latest data, the Baikal subspecies (LAT. U.. u.. Baikalensis-Romanii.), who not all scientists have recognized as a valid subspecies, marked yellow tones in the color.
The stains on the tricks of the predator have the shape of the rings (sockets) or solid divorces with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. On the neck, head and legs are only solid specks. On the back next to the sacrum, they often merge and form stripes stretching along the body. At the end of the tail are large marks in the form of a semi-colt framing the tail. Unlike the present leopard, Irbis has much less than specks.
Figure spots for each animal individual. In young individuals, he is bright, since the years he becomes curious and vague, persistent only on his head and paws. Such painting helps a predator to remain invisible among rocks, stones and snow. The adaptability of the snow leopard to the natural habitat is also expressed in the change in the thickness of the coolest cover depending on the season. Winter fur Irbis is very magnificent and silky, it allows the predator not to freeze in the mountains even cold season.
Like all living organisms, the adaptability of a snow leopard has a relative character. When the environment is actively changing - the snow quickly melts, the slopes of the mountains are covered with thick vegetation, then the animal does not save either the color of the wool or sharp claws.
What feeds on a snow leopard?
Irbis, like any cat is a clever and strong hunter. He can kill the victim exceeding its weight by more than 3-4 times. Snow leopard food is mainly hoofed medium size. Irbis hunts on the mountain goats (Lat. Capra), showing goats (marhur) (lat. Capra Falconeri.), blue rams (lat. Pseudois), Arkharov (Lat. Ovis ammon.), Siberian roe (lat. Capre.o.lus Pyg.a.rgus), Kabarg (lat. Moschus Moschiferus.), Maralov (Lat. Cervus elaphus.), reindeer (lat. Rangifer Tarandus), Kabanov (lat. Sus scrofa.), Jeyranov (Lat. Gazella subgutturosa.), Kulanov (Lat. Equus Hemionus.), Sereu (Lat. Capricornis.), Malary (Lat. Naemorhedus Caudatus.), Himalayan Tar (LAT. Hemitragus jemlahicus.), Takins (Lat. Budorcas Taxicolor.). More often, he attacks the females of goats and young kids, sometimes you still do not know how to follow my mother.
Snow leopards eat such small animals like a Ulary, food, surs, hares, cakes. Birds catch: Pheasants, partridges, mountainous people. Major Marals, Horses can be from major victims of their prey. Like other cats, sometimes they eat grass or rhododendron shoots to fill the lack of vitamins. On pets (goats,), Irbis attack either in winter, or if they graze on Alpine meadows.
On average, Irbis hunts 2 times a month. He does it alone, more often at night or at dusk, less often day. Only occasionally the male and female or female with grudging cubs can go hunting together.
The snow leopard hunt consists of an ambush and the decisive throw. Usually the predator lies above the trails on which ungulates pass to take a jump on top. He can also wrap them in a drain or salt fellow. For good luck, he needs an advantage in height. If when the leopard is thrown, it's usually pursues a sacrifice no more than 300 meters or even leaves it alone. At short distances, the speed of Irbis can reach 64 km per hour. Snow leopard can also set up a victim from cover. When several tens of meters remain to the victim, Irbis pops up and jump at 6-7 meters long quickly overtakes it. Calculate his prey, he teeth tear her throat or groin.
Occasionally, Irbis is trying to catch up with his prey. Thus, on the ridge, JebaHaltau met traces of a predator, triggered behind the female Arhara near a kilometer.
Bars does not kill some animals at the same time, as it does, for example, a wolf. He eats the carcass of the dead or goat for 3-7 days. At one time he can eat no more than 3 kg of meat.
Snow leopard lives in 12 countries: Nepal, Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia.
Irbis is the inhabitant of snowy vertices of Central Asia arrays. Usually, its house is the highlands at the border of the snow line, to a height of 2000 - 5000 meters. Depending on the snow line, it can descend to a level of 500 m (in Russia) and climb up to 6500 m (in Nepal). In winter, a predator can be found in the forests, where the snow leopard hunts on, Kabargu, Marala. The oldest fossil remains of this animal were found in Altai and in Mongolia. They have survived there from the Pleistocene era of the Quaternary period.
The habitat of a snowy leopard extends from Himalayas in the south, through the Zinghai-Tibet plateau and the mountains of Central Asia to the mountains of Southern Siberia in the north. A predator is found in Altai, Sayan, Tian-Shan, Kunlun, Pamir, Gindukushe, Karakorum, as well as on the external Himalayan ridges and in small isolated mountains in the Gobi area. In the mountains of Tibet, a snow leopard meets to Altunshan. The south border of the spread of a mammal is in Tajikistan. The small area of \u200b\u200bthe potential range is located in the northern part of Myanmar, but the recent presence of this animal here is not confirmed. In Russia, the northernmost border of the habitat of Irbis in the world is held in Russia: here it will set out the Altai Sayan Mountain Countryside (South of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Chita Region, Republic of Tyva, Altai, Buryatia, Khakassia), and also leads in such reserves as Altai and Sayano -Shushensky. Unfortunately, in Russia, the snow leopard population is on the verge of extinction.
Because of the lowest and secrecy, the presence of Irbis on the territory and his habits are identified mainly due to indirect features. Where there is a snow leopard, the rusties remain in the ground, the thirsters on the trunks of trees, excrement, urinary marks and prints of traces. Footprints of Irbis are large, without marking from claws, resembling tracks of a lynx. But the snow leopard and trot almost do not occur on one territory. Now automatic cameras (photo glasses) and satellite beacons added to the beast detection methods. With their help, you can find everything about the snow leopard.
The slopes of the Altai Mountains is a typical habitat of Irbis. Photo by: Stefan Kühn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Number of snow leopard in the world
It is secretive and therefore not enough mammal has become rare due to people. The first mention of him in the literature appeared only in the XVIII century. And all the work of that time were devoted to how to discover the habitat of a snow leopard, how to kill the beast and allocate his skin. Snow leopard had a value only like a commercial animal. Due to intensive destruction, the life of Irbis was in danger.
Due to the fact that the snow leopard leads a secretive lifestyle, scientists are difficult to accurately calculate the number of individuals. According to the latest data in the world, there are from 4 to 7 thousand snow leopards.
- In Russia, only 150-200 individuals remained.
- China has the largest number of snow leopards: 2000-5000 individuals.
- 600-700 Irbisov lives in the world's zoos.
Snow leopards are completely extinct in separate areas of Russia, Nepal, India and Mongolia. The reasons why the number of this species in the whole world is reduced, similar to absurdity:
- Poaching.
Irbis is mined due to valuable fur, as well as for the use of its parts of the body in Eastern medicine. Often, the leopards die, hitting the loops put on other animals, in Russia - more often on Kabarge.
- Changing the habitat of a snow leopard man.
Laying roads, as well as gas and oil pipelines affect the number of empty animals - the main production of Barca. The proximity of anthropogenic buildings is also the cause of discomfort of this careful and secretive mammal.
- Shot when attacking domestic cattle.
Snow leopard can attack his domestic cattle if he grabs the hunting area of \u200b\u200bthe predator. Having climbed into the indoor pen, he can overeat almost the whole herd in Azart.
- Reducing the number of empty animals Due to the intense hunting for them and changes in their habitats.
How does snow leopard live in wildlife?
Irbis is important to be surrounded by rocks, boulders, stony scree, gorge, because he cannot pursue the prey for a long time, and therefore hunts from the ambush. When a snow leopard sits, rushing among the rocks, it is almost impossible to notice it. The beast's short legs relative to the body allow him to move silently on the rocks. He slowly sinks or quietly suits the sacrifice, and then sharply attacked her. Such a tactic allows the predator to cope with animals much larger. As big cats, prey he kills quickly and carefully, and eats it as representatives of small cats: not in a hurry and gradually.
Irbis - Beast careful. Its main asylums are hard-to-reach gorges, crevices and caves in the mountains. Here are hiding females and bring their offspring. In the mountains, the snow leopard wanders behind the herds of hoofs, in the summer rises above in the mountains, and in the winter descends to the forest belt. In the summer, it is more often held in the subalpine and alpine zones of the mountains.
Despite its name, Snow Bars is difficult to move around deep snow. In winter, he prefers to walk through the htopanted animal trails.
Irbis can jump up to 3 meters altitude and up to 6-7 meters long. There is information that he "flies" the gorge and a width of 15 meters, but it is unlikely. The snow leopard helps to carry out well-developed thoracic muscles, with their help, it is beautifully climbs on steep cliffs. At the same time, it serves his tail - this is one of the explanations of the explanation, why the snow leopard needs such a long tail. The main mining of Irbis is wild mountain hoofs, therefore daily training exercises - overcoming steep slopes, jumping on rocky fuse is a vital necessity for a predator. The IRBIS tail uses as a balancer with fast movements and steep turns.
Snow Leopard - Animal, well adapted to life at high altitude. It has an expanded chest and a large volume of lungs to obtain the required amount of oxygen from the discharged air high in the mountains. Deep and wide cavity of his nose helps warming cold mountain air. In addition, when he goes to bed, she covers his nose with his fluffy warm tail.
Irbis is able to withstand frost to -40 ° C and below. For the winter, even the pads of his paws are covered with thick wool.
Each Irbis has its own territory, the boundaries of which he marks in different ways: scraps the land with rear paws, leaving the pits - rusty, splashes of urine on the rocks at the level of the nose, excrement, jackets on the most notable trunks of trees. But males are not tuned towards the tribesmen of aggressively, their territories can overlap with the territories of several adult females.
The most active IRBIS at dawn and at dusk, so it is difficult to notice. In winter, the beast is more difficult than in the summer, since his traces in the snow are well noticeable.
By the way, the snow leopard loves to play, like all the cats: it is lying in the snow, rolls off the mountains on his back, pre-breaking well. After a successful hunt, he heats up in the sun, setting around somewhere more comfortable.
Snow leopard does not know how to growl: he purr, meows, moaning, howls, hits. The meowing of the snow leopard is reminiscent of a roar, so he calls the spring with his gentle "AU."
). Today we will tell a little and show a lot about the amazing, graceful and deadly animal, which is known about, because it lives snow Leopard high in the mountains where normal researchers are not closed 🙂
Snow leopard is a predator of the cat family. Other of his names - ibris, Snow Leopard. Snow leopard is one of the most high mountain animals. Snow leopard lives in the mountains of Himalayas, Hindukusha, Pamirs, Tien Shan, Altai and West Sayan, the Great Caucasus and in adjacent mountain arrays. Most districts of Irbis keeps in the summer of the Alpine meadows along the snow border. In winter, after the hoofs, descends down.
Snow leopard is preferably active at dusk, but sometimes day. He hunts in most cases before sunset and in the morning at dawn. In the south of the area, for example, in the Himalayas, Irbis goes to hunt only before sunset. In the afternoon, Irbis is mostly resting, sleeping, lie on the rocks.
The lair Snow Bars arms in the caves and rafts of rocks, among rocky sticks, often under the hanging stove and in other similar places where it is covered by the day. Often, Irbis occupies the same lair for several years in a row. In Kyrgyz Alatau, there are cases when Irbis used for day weight lips big beds of black vulturesLocated on low-spirited juniper.
A number of subspecies of the snow leopard are known. Between themselves, they are collected by the main color, spotting and sizes. The males are usually larger, massive, stronger than their tribesmen. Adult males weigh from 65 to 75 kg. Body length - up to 2.1 m. The tail (3/7 of the total length) is thick, covered with thick wool.
Vision in Irbis is well developed, sharp. A distinctive feature compared to other large cats: the limbs of the snow leopard are relatively short. Snow leopard paws are reminded of lynx's paws and thanks to the special structure of the feet allow you to go through deep snow, not falling into it. Lape muscles are very strong.
Nevertheless, the snow leopard is poorly adapted to movement in deep, loose snow cover. In areas where loose snow is lying, Irbis is preferably the constant trails along which they are moving throughout a long time.
An interesting fact: the long and movable language of the snow leopard is equipped on the sides of special tubercles, which are covered with organized skin and allow separating meat from the skeleton of the victim. These tubercles are also helping with "wash".
The tail is very long, exceeds three quarters of the body length, covered with long hair and therefore it seems very thick (visually its thickness is almost equal to the thickness of the forearm of Irbis). Serves as a balancer when jumping.
Snow leopard leads mainly a single lifestyle. The individual area is about 160 km2. The habitats of males can partially overlap with sections of 1-3 females. Favorite habitats of Irbis are rocky areas of the mountains, the races of the stones, shivering, where the winds are usually blown away - the winds are blown out, it is easier to hide from bad weather, find a place to ambush, hide from enemies. Here the beast suits and the lair, choosing a suitable cave, crew or a stone canopy, and sometimes even the old nests of the vultures on low trees. In these shelters, he spends a bright day of day, and with the onset of twilight goes hunting. The Bar is very attached to his "home", though, hunting, he will raise very far from him.
Wool in a snowy leopard is very long, thick, fluffy, with a dense undercoat. Serves excellent protection from cold in harsh climatic conditions. Even between the fingers of the Irbis-Barca grows thick wool and protects the pillows of the paw in winter from the cold, in the summer - from hot stones.
Irbis regularly makes traversions of their hunting plot, visiting winter pastures and wild hoofs. At the same time, it moves, adhering to the same routes. Bypassing pastures or going down from the top belt of the mountains in the underlying areas, the snow leopard always sticks the path that usually follows the ridge or along the river or stream. The length of this bypass is usually great, so Irbis reappears again in one place once a few days.
Snow leopard is a very good hunter. For him, the hunt is not only a means of mining food, but also fun. Snow Bars Day spends either in the lair, or not far from Logova. With the onset of twilight goes hunting. Snow leopard clock can guard her prey in an ambush on a rock or under the rock. It is imperceptibly sneaked towards her and lightningly jumping. It often uses high stones for this so that it is unexpectedly jumping to plunge mining and kill. It can make jumps up to 6 meters long and 2.5-3 meters in height. He walks over the rocky eaves over the precipice and with sniper accuracy attacks his prey. Without catching prey at once, he stops harassment after several jumps.
Barca adore to play, love to lie in the snow. Waving, they often move off with a steep slide on the back, and at the bottom they quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift for all four paws. After the games or hunting are suitable more comfortable and warm in the sun.
Gon near the snow leopard occurs in early spring. The female brings offspring not every year. Pregnancy in female lasts 90 days. The female prefers to equip its lair in hard-to-reach places: in clefts, caves or other places where probable enemies do not disturb them. The bottom of Logova lifts her wool and the undercoat, which female gets out of himself. For one litter, the female brings from one to five kittens. Kittens are born blind. The eyes of the kittens open for 5-6 days of life. At a 10-day age, the kittens begin to crawl, and in a two-month age - begin to leave the Logov, just to play from his entrance. From this time, the mother begins to give them meat food. At the age of three months, the kittens begin to follow the mother. In 5-6 months, the snow leopard kittens are already hunting together with his mother. All the family samples to mining, but the decisive throw makes a female.
So, a snow leopard is not dangerous for a person a predator, very beautiful and quite rare ...
Based on the materials http://petland.org.ua/mode-Article/pge-284.html.
Snow Bars (Irbis; Latin names - Uncia Uncia and Panthera Uncia) - a mammal from the Feline family, inhabiting in the mountains of Central Asia. Among the major cat Irbis is the only permanent inhabitant of highly. The Irbis Area includes parts of the territories of 13 states: Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. The range of snow leopard in Russia is 2-3% of the modern world range. In Russia, Irbis meets in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in Khakassia, in Tyva and in the Altai Republic, in the mountains of East Sayan, in particular, on the ridges of Tunkinsky Goltsy and Munku-Sardyk.
Despite the external similarity with the leopard (in English, the snow leopard is called "Snow Leopard" - a snow leopard), the relationship between him and Irbis is not very close, moreover, the magnitude of Irbis is noticeably less. However, Irbis is much stronger and is considered the fierce predator from the cat's family.
The main color of the wool is light gray, apparent in contrast with black spots. Such painting perfectly masks the beast in its natural habitat - among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The stains have the form of rosette, inside which there can be even a smallest stain. In this regard, Irbis is similar to Jaguar. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe head, neck and limbs, rosettes go into black strokes. Wool is very thick and long (up to 55 mm) and serves as protection from cold in harsh climatic conditions. From the head to the tail of the IRBIS, there are 140 cm, the tail itself has a length of 90-100 cm. If you compare the length of the tail and body, then from all the feline in the snow leopard the longest tail, it is more than three quarters of the body length. The tail of the snow leopard serves as a balancer when jumping. Length jump during hunting up to 14-15 meters. The weight of an adult individual of Irbis can reach 100 kg.
Irbis is a predator living and hunting alone. Each snow leopard dwells in the borders of a strictly defined individual territory. Most cases hunt in most cases before sunset and in the morning at dawn. In the wild, Irbis are mostly feeding with hoofs: blue rams, Siberian mountain goats, sloped goats, arhars, tarars, takinov, solera, mountain, roelas, marals, kabagra, deer, boars. In addition, from time to time they feed on and atypical for their diet with small animals, such as gophers, food and birds (kekliki, ulary, pheasants). In Russia, the main food of the snow leopard serve a mountain goat, places also maral, roela, argali, northern deer. As a rule, Irbis is imperceptibly sinking to its prey and lightningly jumps on it. It often uses high stones to do so in order to unexpectedly plunge the sacrifice to the end of the jump on top and kill. At the end of the summer, in the fall and at the beginning of winter, Irbis often hunt families of 2-3 individuals, which are formed by female with their cubs. Snow Bars is able to cope with the prey, three times superior by weight. There is a fixed case of successful hunting 2 Irbis on a 2-year-old Tien Shan Brown Bear. Vegetable food - green parts of plants, grass, etc. - - Irbis are used in addition to the meat diet only in summer.
Irbis do not publish a loud call rip, characteristic of large cats, and purr, like small. During Gon, the beasts are made by sounds similar to bass meowing. Adult Irbis, like most other feline, has 30 teeth.
Barisses (cubs of snow leopard) are born blind and helpless, but after about 6-8 days they see. The weight of the newborn Barsenka is about 500 grams with a length of up to 30 cm. The maximum life expectancy in nature is 13 years. Life expectancy in captivity is usually about 21 years old, but the case is known when the female lived 28 years.
Illegal, but financially attractive hunting for the snow leopard fur significantly reduced his population. In the Black Asian markets, the skin of this beast can bring up to 60 thousand dollars. In all countries of its existence, the snow leopard is raised under the protection of the state, but the poaching threatens him as before.
Latin name: Uncia Uncia, Panthera Uncia
English title: Snow Leopard
Detachment: Prey
Family: Feline
Rod: Uncia (snow leopards), has 1 species
Snow Bars is a representative of the Feline family, living in the harsh climate of mountainous massivers of Central Asia. Among all major cats, Irbis is the only permanent resident of the highly. The predator belongs to the genus that occupies an intermediate position between a group of small feline and large cats of the genus Panthera (tigers, jaguars, lions).
Appearance and anatomical features of the Body Building of the Snow-Bars
By appearance, the snow leopard resembles a leopard. Indeed, the predators are posture and overall dimensions. The length of the flexible body of Irbis reaches 1 meter, and weigh these cats 25-40 kilograms. The males of predators are a bit larger females. A characteristic distinctive feature of a snow leopard is a very long fat tail (about 100 centimeters length), as well as rather short limbs with wide paws (the length of the rear stop reaches 22-25 centimeters). Traces of paw large and round, without distinguishable marks from claws. Vision, hearing and smelling of Irbis are developed excellent.
Interesting fact
Wide fluffy paws with flat large pads play the role of natural snow windows and help large cats evenly distribute weights so as not to fail, stepping on a loose snow.
The color of the wool in the snow leopards light gray, rare dark ring-shaped spots are clearly visible. Also, small solid spots are dispersed all over the body. On belly white fur. The end of the tail is black. In young individuals, the color of spots is more intense than adult bolsters. The geographical variability of the fraction of fur is not expressed. In general, the wool in the snow leopards is very warm, thick and long (on the back the length reaches 5.5 centimeters). Soft fur grows even between fingers, it reliably protects large paws from the cold. All these signs indicate that Irbis people live in a cold climate with harsh winters and know how to jump perfectly.
Animals on a relatively small round of the round shape are quite highly located large eyes of a yellowish-green shade with a circular pupil. Barz's ears are short and rounded, in winter are almost not visible among the fur.
As with most other representatives of the Feline family, there are 30 strong and sharp teeth in the pasta in adults. Vibrisa at bruz white and black colors, up to 10.5 centimeters long. Movable long language allows spotted cats to easily separate meat from the skeleton of the victim. The skull of these predators is relatively powerful and massive, it is characterized by highly developed zilly arcs.
Distribution of Irbisa
During the hunt, jumping snow leopards can reach 10 meters long.
Reproduction snow Barza
The period of active breeding of the IRBISov falls for the last month of winter and the beginning of spring. In hard-to-reach feces, specially equipped comfortable warm shelter for the birth of offspring. Pregnancy lasts about 90-110 days. Female Irbis gives birth just once every two years. Depending on the geographical area of \u200b\u200bthe habitat of the kittens appear in April-May or May-June.
Interesting fact
In Tibet and Himalayas, snowy leopards are matered all year round. The wedding song of Irbis is reminiscent of rude, but at the same time gentle meowing.
In one litter, 2-3 small snow leopards are born (less often 3-4). The kids appear on the blind, they turn in 5-8 days. Weigh newborn Irbis about 500 grams, their body length is no more than 30 centimeters. The body of a cub is covered with a fur brown coloring with pronounced dark spots. In appearance and size, newborns resemble domestic cats.
The first 1.5-2 months of brood feeds only with maternal milk. Then the female begins to feed kittens and meat food. In 3 months, young Irbis are first trying to follow the walk at the mother, and in five-six-month-old age already hunt with her. Production lies all the family, but the decisive jump always makes a female. The cubs are accompanied by mom nearly 1 year, learning from her hard-to-art hunting in high mountains.
Several maturity The young reaches aged 3-4 years. The male is found with the female only for the period of mating and participation in the upbringing of offspring does not accept. Under wildlife, snow leopards live 12-15 years old, in zoos - up to 20 years.
Population status and protection of snow leopards
IRBIS refers to endangered rare species and is listed in the Red Book of the International Nature Conservation Union (IUCN). According to the World Wildlife Foundation for 2003, the total number of snow leopards within the distribution range does not exceed 7,500 individuals. However, due to the secret lifestyle of these spotted predators and the inaccessibility of habitats, the population estimate is indicative and is based on the expert conclusions of zoologists.
An independent monitoring program for wild species of Flora and Fauna Traffic tracks the number of Irbis in nature. According to the report for 2015, only about 4,000 snow lesions remained in the will. Poachers kill spotted cats because they attack livestock. Also in the report notes that only 20% of Irbis are destroyed due to beautiful warm fur, for sale skins, bones, claws and teeth. Every year illegal trade is growing. More than 90% of cases of poaching accounts for 5 countries - Mongolia, China, India, Pakistan and Tajikistan.
Interesting fact
Along with poaching, the status of the population negatively affects the defensive behavior of snow leopards. Predators use protective wool color and in case of danger often hid out, which often leads to their death, because in the conditions of an open area, people kill animals from firearms. In addition, with an insufficient feed database, spotted cats can eat victims of other predators and die, eating poisoned bait, which poachers are illegally used to combat wolves. 
Snow leopard and man
In the wild among animals in the snow breezes there are no enemies. The population of these predators affects the reduction of the feed base. The number of Irbis is reduced due to the harsh living conditions in highlands.
The only enemy of Irbis is a man. Even despite the fact that snow leopards are quite rare animals, they have always been welcome trophies for hunters. The animal fur is valued very high. There are tens of thousands of dollars on the black market of the skins of one Irbis.
Nowadays, the hunt for Irbis is prohibited in many countries. However, the poaching of these large cats is still threatened.
Interesting fact
Since the number of snow leopards in nature is small, and they live in poor regions, the harm of predators of animal husbandry and hunting accommodation is quite insignificant.
Around the world in the bellows contain several thousand representatives of the type of UNCIA UNCIA. Today, the snow leopards population in captivity has about 2,000 individuals, of which most of them is located in China. Of this amount, only 15% of Irbisov were counted in the wild, the rest were born in zoos and centers of reproduction of rare animal species. Irbis successfully multiply in captivity. In such conditions, animals do not show aggression, but still remain wild cats and do not tame.
Snow leopard, which is also called Irbis, is the only variety of large cats who managed to adapt to harsh conditions in highlands. Irbis is a representative of the vertices of the ecological pyramid on the mountains of Central Asia. It is often called the owner of the mountains, because it is the constant inhabitant of this area. Many specialists argue that this kind of cat is preserved to our days due to habitat in hard-to-reach places. It is very interesting where the snow leopard dwells. After all, today the number of representatives of this type of cats is extremely small.
Appearance of snow leopard
Externally, Irbis is an incredibly beautiful and graceful predator. It is pretty a large cat with ash-gray, sometimes brought by color and a bright ring-shaped pattern of dark spots located on the whole body. From Leopard, the IRBIS is distinguished by an ash-shade of fur and a long tail, which is almost equal to the animal housing. In addition, unlike your fellow, the snow leopard has more thick and lush wool. The length of the beast reaches, as a rule, 170-190 cm, and its weight ranges in the range of 50-70 kg. Male always larger females.
Regardless of where the snow leopard lives, the sizes of his body and color remain unchanged. Although some specialists tend to declare the existence of several subspecies of Irbis, which appeared due to various geographical habitats.
Preservation of type
Today it is very easy to learn about where a snow leopard lives. After all, this species has long been listed in the Red Book, since its habitats remains extremely few. It is determined by this unpleasant phenomenon by the fact that in modern realities for the life of Irbis there is too many all threats. For example, in Russia where a snow leopard lives, the form is gradually destroyed by herds and hunters, as well as the deteriorating environment of the environment due to the development of the mining and transport infrastructure. In addition, the number of species significantly affects the reduction of feed objects.
Fortunately, over the past few years in places where snow leopards lives, the number of animals has stabilized. The situation has improved due to the opening of the Saylyuem National Park in Altai. True, the risk of extinction of the species still remains high enough. In places where snow leopard lives in Russia, you can count about 70 representatives of Irbis, most of which live in Altai. Compared with 2002, now the number of animals in Russia has decreased by almost 3 times. It is connected with the hunt of poachers, which are caught by snow leopards for the mining of derivatives used in Eastern medicine.
Threat of extinction of type
Once a single snow leopard population today is represented only by a third part, which exists only as unstable foci. Today, females that are able to multiply, there are only in several foci, where a snow leopard lives. In fact, it is possible to consider the grouping animals in which there are at least 3 adult females. So, unfortunately, despite some kind of stabilization of the situation in Russia, the view of Irbis today is under threat of extinction.
Barz breeding
This animal is characterized rather than a low pace of breeding - the female of Irbis does not bring kittens annually, unlike most of their relatives. Gon occurs in the spring, and the kids are born at the end of the season or early summer. In the marriage period, the male attracts a female with the help of a special purr. After fertilization, Irbis leaves the female. Pregnancy in snow leopards lasts approximately 95-110 days, and litter, as a rule, consists of 2-3 kittens.
Before the appearance of his baby, the female places a peculiar lair in some hard-to-reach place, most often in the rages of rocks. And in order to insulate a comfortable house, Irbis rushes out of his body of shreds of wool and eats Paul Logov. Barns are born completely blind and deaf, their weight reaches half a million, in the first month of kids feed on maternal milk. In the middle of the season, the born offspring is already sent to his first hunt. Sunny snow leopards become aged 2-3 years.
The habitat of predator
Where dwells Irbis? Snow leopard - a territorial animal that leads a single lifestyle, despite the fact that females raise their offspring quite a long time. These animals are equipped with their logs in the crevices of the rocks or in the caves. Each animal lives within a certain area, which chooses individually. Irbis does not tend to show aggression towards representatives of its own species on its own territory.
One or more females can live on the habitat of the adult male. Its terrain of Irbis marks in different ways. Where is the snow leopard? Predator often bypasses its territory by visiting wild ungulates and pastures. The beast is moving on the same route, so in some places it appears several times throughout the day.
The IRBIS is considered the only representative of the feline family, which has adapted to the harsh conditions of the highland terrain in Central Asia. Due to the inaccessibility of habitat, snow leopards still remains the most lowest animal. Today, Irbis is a representative of the Red Book of the International Union and has the status of the disappearing in all countries where it dwells. Total countries are 12: China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan. In total, the planet has no more than 4 thousand snow leopards.
IRBIS in Russia
In Russia, Irbis is found in the north of the current range. In the mountains of the Altai Sayan region there are just a few snow leopard groups. In addition, a predator can be found in Buryatia, Khakassia, Tsyva, Transbaikalia, Irkutsk region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. According to experts, it is in Russia who lives the most northern population group of a snow leopard. The number of this species in Russia is about 2% of the total number of Irbis in the world. It can be said that the survival of predators on the territory of Altai largely depends on genetic and spatial ties with animals in Mongolia and China.
Snow cats in Kazakhstan
The places where the snow leopard lives in Kazakhstan is distinguished by wealth and variety of flora and fauna. Here, Irbis meets in gentlemen, among the rocks and on the Alpine meadows, where the colonies of Surkov and the pastures of ungulates are located. The highlands of Kazakhstan possess an extremely difficult relief with many rocks, stones, the abuses, gorges and snow-covered slopes. In these places, the risk of avalanche and the villages is increased, which is why people very rarely appear here. For the most part, it is thanks to this factor Irbis was not exterminated in these parts. Other types of large cat animals who lived in more affordable places were extinct before the creation of a red book.
Character and lifestyle Irbis
On its territory, a snowy cat takes the top of the food pyramid and does not experience almost no competition from other predators. Barca can easily cope with the prey, which is three times superior to his weight. As a rule, the beast hunts alone at night, neatly clutching towards the animal because of the shelter or waiting for prey in the ambush, rushing behind the rock. When the distance between the predator and potential prey is shrinking up to several tens of meters, Barz appears from shelter and quickly overtakes the animal with large jumps. If Irbis lashes, he pursues his prey for a maximum of 300 meters either at all is not chasing her.
In the second half of the year, snow leopards regularly hunt families: male, female and offspring. In general, Irbis are hunting only on their own territory - the beast can make an exclusive need for a foreign terrain. During hunger, predators can go hunting near settlements, attacking even on pets. However, the basis of the nutrition of Irbis is considered hares, mountain goats, boars, ularas, rams, surks and roasted. The grass and other greenery of Barca are emitted exclusively in the summer as a supplement to the meat diet.
In general, for snowy cats, hunting is not only a way to prey food, but also a kind of entertainment. Irbis is able to track the potential victim with hours, while practically not moving. Barza has almost no enemies, so they are not completely afraid to hunt in the dark.
Barca is able to deliver the troubles of Barca, but even with such a beast, Irbis is quite easy to cope. For people, a snowy cat does not represent any threat: noticing a man, the predator tries to just be unnoticed. True, in hungry times, the instances of the attack of the beast were still fixed.
Regarding other cat breeding, IRBIS is quite friendly. It can even be trained. In addition, the tamed Irbis loves to play and spend time with people. When a predator is good, he, like pets, purr. Barça also knows how and his famous fellow, however, he does it not very loud.
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