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Ein Leopard im Moremi-Wildreservat (Okavangodelta, Botswana).
A Leopard in the Moremi Game Reserve (Okavango Delta, Botswana).
This leopard is named Lesego by the guides, which means "lucky". She is about 8 years old and has a distinctive notch on her right ear.
She is also sometimes seen in the neighboring Kwando Lebala concession.
Photo by: Abdulhameed Shamandour
Information Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard
& ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%D9%85%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%...
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia) is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and is still classified as Uncia uncia by MSW3 as of 2000[4] and CITES Appendix I[5]. However with more recent genetic studies[6][7] the snow leopard is now generally considered as Panthera uncia and classified as such by IUCN[8]. Classically, two subspecies have been attributed however genetic differences between the two have not been settled. The snow leopard remains on the endangered species list classified as C1.[9]
Snow leopards occupy alpine and subalpine areas generally 3,350 and 6,700 metres (10,990 and 22,000 ft)[10] above sea level in Central Asia. The Snow Leopard Survival Strategy (McCarthy et al. 2003, Table II) compiled national snow leopard population estimates, updating the work of Fox (1994). Many of the estimates are acknowledged to be rough and out of date, but the total estimated population is 4,080-6,590.[11] However, the global snow leopard effective population size (those likely to reproduce) is suspected to be fewer than 2,500 (50% of the total population, or 2,040-3,295).[12]
Snow leopards are smaller than the other big cats but, like them, exhibit a range of sizes, generally weighing between 27 and 55 kg (60 and 120 lb), with an occasional large male reaching 75 kg (170 lb) and small female of under 25 kg (55 lb).[13][14] Body length ranges from 75 to 130 centimetres (30 to 50 in), with the tail adding a further 80 to 100 cm (31 to 39 in) to that length.[15][16] These cats stand about 60 cm (24 in) at the shoulder.[17]
Snow leopards have long thick fur, and their base color varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with whitish underparts. They have dark gray to black open rosettes on their body with small spots of the same color on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tail. Unusually among cats, their eyes are pale green or gray in color.[15][16]
Snow leopards show several adaptations for living in a cold mountainous environment. Their bodies are stocky, their fur is thick, and their ears are small and rounded, all of which help to minimize heat loss. Their paws are wide, which distributes their weight better for walking on snow, and have fur on their undersides to increase their grip on steep and unstable surfaces; it also helps to minimize heat loss. Snow leopards' tails are long and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance, which is very important in the rocky terrain they inhabit. Their tails are also very thick due to storage of fats and are very thickly covered with fur which allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when asleep.[16][18]
The snow leopard has a short muzzle and domed forehead, containing unusual large nasal cavities that help the animal breathe the thin, cold air of their mountainous environment.[15]
The snow leopard cannot roar, despite possessing partial ossification of the hyoid bone. This partial ossification was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar, but new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard.[19][20] Snow leopard vocalizations include hisses, chuffing, mews, growls, and wailing.
النمر الثلجي (بالإنجليزية : Snow Leopard) أو الفهد الثلجي هو سنوري كبير الحجم يعيش في المناطق الجبلية الموجودة في أواسط آسيا وجنوبها، إذ يعيش على ارتفاع 3000-5000 متر فوق سطح البحر في المناطق الجبلية الصخرية في أواسط آسيا. وبسبب البيئة المعزولة التي يعيش فيها فإن عدد النمور الثلجية الحقيقي غير معروف، ولكنه يقدر بـ 3500 إلى 7000 نمر ثلجي في البرية و 600 إلى 700 في حدائق الحيوانات.[1]
إن النمور الثلجية أصغر من السنوريات الأخرى، ولكنها مثل باقي السنوريات تتراوح في أحجامها، إذ تتراوح كتلها ما بين 27 إلى 54 كيلوغراما، أما طول أجسامها فإنه يتراوح ما بين 75 إلى 130 سنتمترا، مع ذيل يضيف إلى طولها ما نسبته 75 إلى 90 بالمئة من ذلك الطول.
النمر الثلجي لايمكنه الزئير على الرغم من إمتلاكه خشونة في العظم اللامي .هذه الخشونة كان يعتقد سابقا أن بواسطتها يمكن الزئير وأنها الأساس لكن بعض الدراسات الجديدة أظهرت أن قابلية الزئير من الميزات المورفولوجية الأخرى , الحنجرة خاصة والذي لا يمتلكه النمر الثلجي.تشمل أصواته أن يهسهس و يموء و أيضا الهدير و العويل .
تمتلك النمور الثلجية فروا طويلا وسميكا، لونه يكون إما سكني مدخن أو حنطي (قمحي) مائل إلى الأصفر، مع أجزاء سفلية مائلة إلى البياض. وتغطي أجسامها خطوط سكنية غامقة أو سوداء مع بقع صغيرة من نفس اللون على رؤوسها وبقع أكبر على قوائمها وذيولها. بعضها يصل طول ذيلها إلى ما يقارب المتر، وذلك يساعده على التوازن.
لانعرف الكثير عن هذه القطط التي تعيش في جبال الهيملايا. نعرف عن النمر الثلجي أنه حيوان انفرادي جدا وهو يحتل مساحة شاسعة. وهو نادر جدا ومن الصعب مراقبته في الطبيعة بسبب عدم إمكانية الوصول إلى موطنه.
This is a rehash of an oldie. The quality isn't great but I've posted it because of the GREAT NEWS! The World Conservation Society has found a healthy snow leopard population in the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan! I had an opportunity to go there this year, my illness in India put paid to that but this is music to my ears...some people want to win World Cups, some want the latest iMacphoneairpod whatever, I just want flourishing big cat populations because it's good for our planet!
Link to the story:
Paradise Wildlife Park - I think this is a leopard rather than a jaguar. Hopefully someone will confirm which one it is.
Where they spend most of their time, up a tree. Gorgeous early morning light shows of this stunning cat.
Canon EOS 1DX, EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM + EF 2X III
ISO 2500, f/8@1/640s (hand held)
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Photo taken through Glass!
Leopard
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a member of the cat family (Felidae). The leopard's coat has a background color of pale, cream-yellow on its underside that darkens slightly to an orange-brown on its back. Solid black spots adorn its limbs and head, smaller and denser than the golden, umber-centered rosettes that cover its back and sides. The leopard's tale has irregular patches that, at the tip of the tale, become dark-ringed bands.
Zoological name: Panthera pardus
Species: Panthera pardus is a member of the pantherine lineage, which also includes P. leo (lion), P. tigris (tiger), P. onca (jaguar), Neofelis nebulosa (clouded leopard), and Uncia uncia (snow leopard). Fossils of their most recent common ancestor have yet to be identified, but mitochondrial gene sequence data suggest that species divergence began 6 million years ago. Phylogenetic analyses of the subspecies of P. pardus indicate an African origin, which corroborates the paleontological evidence. The earliest record of P. pardus is from Laetoli, Tanzania, with a date of roughly 3.8 million years before present. By 900,000 years ago, P. pardus reached Eurasia.
Presence on the planet: Pantera pardus could at one time be found from British Isles to Japan and throughout most of Asia. Today they can still be found in Africa, except for the true deserts of Sahara and Kalahari, and some parts of Asia such as Sri Lanka. Leopards are more common in Eastern and Central Africa. Conversely, they are rare in Western and Northern Africa and most of Asia.
Habitat: Leopards live in highly variable habitats. They feel just as secure in swampy tropical forests as in rugged mountains. They live in lowland forests, mountains, grasslands, brush country, and deserts. A corpse of a leopard was once found at an elevation of 5,630 meters on Kilimanjaro, and not frozen into the ice as some people had suggested.
Physical appearance: The leopard's coat has a background color of pale, cream-yellow on its underside that darkens slightly to an orange-brown on its back. Solid black spots adorn its limbs and head, smaller and denser than the golden, umber-centered rosettes that cover its back and sides. The leopard's tale has irregular patches that, at the tip of the tale, become dark-ringed bands.
Diet: Leopards are opportunistic hunters. They will eat just about anything. Their diet consists of monkeys, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, wild pigs, and ungulates. It stalks its prey silently and at the last minute pounces on its prey and cuts its throat with a quick bite. It hunts during the day to avoid contact with lions and hyenas, who hunt mainly at night. When it kills animals such as gazelle, it carries them up into the trees to eat it. Leopards are capable of carrying animals up to twice their own weight into the trees.
Reproduction & Offspring: Depending on the region, leopards may mate all year round (India and Africa) or seasonally during January to February (Manchuria and Siberia). The estrous cycle lasts about 46 days and the female usually isin heat for 6-7 days. Cubs are usually born in a litter of 2-3, but infant mortality is high and mothers are not commonly seen with more than 1-2 cubs. The pregnant females find a cave, crevice among boulders, hollow tree, or thicket to give birth and make a den. Cubs open their eyes after a period of 10 days. The fur of the young tends to be longer and thicker than that of adults. Their pelage is also more gray in color with less defined spots. Around 3 months the infants begin to follow the mother out on hunts. At one year of age leopard young can probably fend for themselves but they remain with the mother for 18-24 months.
Conservation status: Hunting for their beautifully spotted fur, habitat encroachment, and hunting have taken their toll on the leoaprd, making many subspecies endangered. They are killed by farmers because they pose a threat to their livestock. They can be easily poisoned because they feed on carrion.
The status of P. pardus ranges from endangered to critically endangered to threatened depending on the geographic region. Even though these cats are highly adaptable, they still face many problems. These include habitat destruction, being hunted as trophies and for their fur, and persecution as killers. Illegal hunting of leopards for their fur became so common in the 1960s that as many as 50,000 skins were marked annually.
IUCN Lists as Critically Endangered