Download the presentation about the snow leopard. Snow Leopard. Andreev Tolya tells

GKOU "Special (correctional) general education

boarding school I - II kind"

Open extracurricular activity

« Snow Leopard»

(grades 5-9)

Prepared and conducted by the teacher

8 kdassa II species Bugdaeva V.S.

Ulan-Ude, 2015

Target:- meeting the snow leopard

Tasks:

Develop an interest in rare and endangered species, a desire to protect animal world;

Developing skills in working with reference books and journalistic materials, teaching students to independently search the Internet
- form and develop creative skills

Instill interest in the life of a snow leopard

Cultivate kindness in students careful attitude to the animal world;

enrich students' vocabulary and correct their speech.

Equipment: computer; multimedia projector; screen; presentation " The snow leopard is the master of mountain peaks"

melody from the program “In the Animal World”;

Students receive a task - to select material to create presentation slides

PROGRESS OF THE EVENT

The melody from the program “In the Animal World” sounds

Educator: Dear guys, October 23 is the International Day of the Snow Leopard (Irbis), a secretive and beautiful inhabitant of the mountains. . The holiday was established in October 2013 at the World Snow Leopard Forum. It took place in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. As a result of the forum, 12 countries in which the snow leopard lives (Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) accepted. It was decided to coincide with this date dedicated to the snow leopard and celebrate it on October 23.

The declaration states that countries where snow leopards live undertake to ensure the welfare of the animals, maintain their habitat in a condition necessary for the animals to live, and also take measures to restore the snow leopard population

According to Mongol legends, only happy man may see a snow leopard or snow leopard. This Great Cat is considered a mystical animal and is called the icon of the mountains: most likely due to its elusiveness or unusually beautiful appearance.

Today, no one knows the exact number of this predator, but the fact of its possible disappearance led to the fact that the snow leopard was included in the Red Book of the World and the Red Book of Russia. The likelihood of meeting a beast shrouded in legends decreases every year, but the snow leopard continues to remain a living legend of the mountains.

Poems read by Petya Rodionov, 8th grade student II kind

I want to tell you, children,

About the most beautiful cat in the world!

Irbis snow cat,

Little known to scientists.

Lives high in the mountains

Makes lairs in rocks.

Snow leopard cat caring mother,

Watches the children tirelessly

Presenter 1: The snow leopard is a rare, small and endangered species. Listed on the Red List International Union for Conservation of Nature, (2000) as “endangered.”

Habitat. Narrated by Vitya Batuev, 8th grade student II kind

The snow leopard can easily be called the ruler of the mountains. This is a real beauty, looking like a huge cat.Snow leopard is predator of the cat family. Its other names are snow leopard, snow leopard. It is not for nothing that the snow leopard is called the snow leopard - after all, it is mainly found high in the mountains. Usually the snow leopard’s “home” is highlands from 2000 to 5000 m above sea level. The snow leopard is the only cat living at such altitudes. Sometimes, depending on the amount of food and the height of the snow cover, snow leopards can even descend to a level of 500 meters (in Russia) and rise to 8,6500 meters above sea level (Nepal). It is important for the snow leopard to be surrounded by steep cliffs, gorges, and rocky screes. Snow leopard (irbis) - a graceful and majestic predator of the mountains Central Asia. It is not easy for people to see the snow leopard, and the snow leopard itself, merging with the rocks thanks to its special coloring, can often be observed by people who do not suspect anything

In Russia, the snow leopard is found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia, Tyva and the Altai Republic, in the Eastern Sayan Mountains, in particular on the Tunkinskie Goltsy and Munku-Sardyk ridges.

Poems are read by Anya Gneusheva, an 8th grade student II kind

The snow leopard has spots on its skin,

He looks a lot like a leopard

But his bright face is often gloomy:

You will only find this cat in the mountains.

Presenter 2. 9th grade students will tell about the appearance of the snow leopard II kind

Appearance

Saryuna Garmazhapova says

Weight adult snow leopard 45–55 kg (male), 35–40 kg (female). The body length from the nose to the base of the tail is 100–130 cm, and the tail itself is up to 100 cm (up to 90% of the body length). The height of the snow leopard at the withers is about 60 cm. A long body with strong limbs and well-developed muscles allow the leopard to jump up to 6–7 meters in length. Well-developed pectoral muscles help snow leopards climb steep cliffs.

Erdeni Dagbaev says

The snow leopard's fur is thick and fluffy. The length of the fur on the belly can reach 12 cm. This fur allows predators not to freeze in the mountains even in winter! The fur color is predominantly smoky-brownish-gray with a pattern in the form of ring-shaped spots (so-called rosettes). Thanks to this “camouflage”, predators manage to camouflage themselves on rocks and rocky slopes and sneak up on their prey unnoticed. It is extremely difficult to see snow leopards against the background of gray rocks and stones.

Lyuba Voronenko says.

Mine a long tail the predator actively uses it as a balancer during fast movement, on sharp turns or jumps, just as a person uses his hands to maintain balance. Snow leopards wrap their tail around their body and cover their nose to keep them warm while resting.and also stores fat reserves

Poems are read by Galya Ostasheva, 8th grade student II kind

The leopard is careful, like any cat.

It can lie in ambush for a long time,

But if the prey passes along the path,

He will be able to catch it from above.

Leopard's paws very strong,

If he gets angry, he hits him with his tail.

The habits are familiar to us, by the way:

It resembles a domestic cat.

Presenter 2. 8th grade students will tell about the lifestyle of the snow leopardIkind

Lifestyle. Nutrition

Fedya Klochkov says

Snow leopards are very secretive and cautious animals.

The snow leopard is a predator that lives and hunts alone. Each snow leopard lives within the boundaries of a strictly defined individual territory. Hunts in most cases before sunset and in the morning at dawn. In the wild, snow leopards mainly feed on ungulates: blue sheep, Siberian mountain goats, marking goats, argali, roe deer, deer, musk deer, deer, wild boar. In addition, from time to time they feed on small animals atypical for their diet, such as gophers, pikas and birds. Snow leopards consume plant food - green parts of plants, grass, etc. - in addition to their meat diet only in the summer.

Serebryakov Daniil says

The snow leopard is a real mountain animal. Very often it is seen by climbers at an altitude of 3–4 kilometers above sea level. He lives in rocky gorges among very steep mountain slopes, next to glaciers. Leopard likes these places because they live here mountain goats and argali. The snow leopard lies in wait for them on narrow mountain paths. In summer, due to the heat, mountain goats go high into the mountains, closer to the glaciers. Leopard follows them.

Snow leopards hunt alone, sneaking (crawling up to the animal from behind shelters) or from ambush (watching for prey near trails, salt licks, watering holes, or hiding on rocks).

Sotnikov Pasha tells.

To somehow indicate their presence to other individuals, snow leopards leave claw marks on large stones or tree trunks, rub their cheeks against them, or mark their territory with urine. All these signs remain for weeks, urging unexpected guests to refrain from encroaching on their territory.

Its secretive nature and almost mystical ability to dissolve with lightning speed among sharp rocks have made the snow leopard a character in the folklore of many Asian peoples, in which it is described as “an elusive spirit of the mountains, capable of taking on any form and even becoming invisible.”

Badmaeva Tuyana tells.

The snow leopard can make the same sounds as other big cats. They meow, hiss, moan, howl and can make a puffing sound through their nostrils, similar to a snort or sneeze. Since snow leopards are loners, they mostly communicate with each other at a distance, mating season attract each other with loud meows

The snow leopard makes its lair in caves and rock crevices, among rocky heaps, often under an overhanging slab and in other similar places where it hides during the day. Snow leopards often occupy the same den for several years in a row.

Munkuev Danzan says

The harsh, rocky terrain that snow leopards call home forces them to be excellent jumpers. When hunting prey, these predators are able to make jumps up to 14 meters long! The smoky gray coat with black markings is excellent camouflage for experienced hunters, who are rightly called “ghost cats.”

Dima Butukhanov says

Snow leopards are not at all aggressive towards humans. Unlike the tiger, which is most often deadly when meeting a person, the snow leopard never attacks a person. Even when disturbed near its prey during a meal, a snow leopard would rather try to hide than defend its food. An animal can behave aggressively only if it feels a threat to its life or the life of its cubs. The snow leopard is patient, it will live next to people, remaining unnoticed, and when meeting a person it will prefer to hide.

Presenter 2. 8th grade students will talk about snow leopard reproduction II kind

Reproduction Budaev Andrey says

The snow leopard is rutting in early spring. The female does not produce offspring every year. Pregnancy in a female lasts 90 days. The female prefers to set up her lair in hard-to-reach places: in crevices, caves or other places where they will not be disturbed by potential enemies. The bottom of the den is lined with wool and undercoat, which the female rips out. . Cubs are born in April - May or May - June. During one litter, the female brings from one to five kittens. The weight of a newborn snow leopard is about 500 grams with a length of up to 30 cm. For the first 6 weeks they feed on mother’s milk.

Tkachev Valera says

Kittens are born blind. Kittens' eyes open on days 5-6 of life. At 10 days of age, kittens begin to crawl, and at two months of age, they begin to leave the den, just to play at its entrance. From this time on, the mother begins to give them meat food. By mid-summer, the kittens already accompany their mother on the hunt. The whole family sneaks up on the prey, but the female makes the decisive throw. Young snow leopards are finally ready for independent life in the second winter. The male does not take part in raising the offspring.

Lifespan:Artem Sukharev says

The maximum known lifespan in nature is 13 years. Life expectancy in captivity is usually about 21 years, but there is a known case where a female lived for 28 years.

Interesting Facts: Balzhinimaeva Zhenya says

Snow leopards are very playful and love to wallow in the snow. They often slide down a steep hill on their back, and at the bottom quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift on all four paws. After games or hunting, they settle down to bask in the sun.

When in a good mood, the snow leopard purrs just like a domestic cat.

What threatens snow leopards:

Evtyugin Sergey says

The main threat to the prosperous future of the rare predator is illegal hunting for the purpose of selling skins and body parts (derivatives), which are highly valued in Eastern medicine; Asian residents believe that medicines from snow leopard parts can help with various diseases.

Sometimes snow leopard kittens are illegally captured for private zoos. Snow leopards sometimes accidentally get caught in snares placed on other animals; in Russia, most often on musk deer.

Changing habitats - The construction of new roads, the laying of oil and gas pipelines that will pass through the territory where the snow leopard lives, will affect the reduction of ungulates - its prey, and will also become an obstacle and a factor of concern for such cautious animals as the snow leopard.

Reduction in the number of wild ungulates.

Vanya Maksimov says

The number of wild ungulates, the main prey of the snow leopard, is declining due to intensive hunting and changes in habitats, as a result of which it is increasingly difficult for snow leopards to obtain food in the wild; they are forced to attack livestock.

Shooting during an attack on livestock.

Snow leopards attack livestock, not only in pastures, but also in sheds (livestock pens), where a predator can kill up to several dozen animals at a time; in retaliation, the shepherds destroy the predators.

Shivirskaya Ksenia says

But still, over the past twenty years, the number of snow leopards has decreased significantly. This happened because people are using more and more alpine meadows for grazing domestic animals. Because of this, the mountain goats had less food, and their numbers dropped sharply. Because of this, many leopards died from hunger. Now reserves are being created to save this wonderful animal.

Badmaeva Sveta says

On high inaccessible cliffs,

Where snow and glaciers do not melt,

There is an animal - he is the only owner there,

The snow leopard is a beautiful small snow leopard.

Flexible body, he looks like a cat.

Mischievous, playful and good,

He's smart and so handsome.

Gosha Goncharov says

He has a fluffy long tail

Serves him as a warm mitten,

Covers in winter cold nose,

And in flight he keeps his balance,

He controls it like a steering wheel.

It might even land somewhere,

Where at the beginning I didn’t want to sit down.

Andreev Tolya tells

He is a hunter, fleet-footed, flexible.

A keen eye, he can see everything.

Can't hide from him at night

A cautious, sensitive, cunning animal.

I'm turning to you, hunter,

Don't ruin this beauty.

Gratitude will come from descendants,

Serkina Katya says

Now in all countries where snow leopards live, there is legislation protecting these rare predators. All peoples and countries of the world hope that these magnificent cats will continue to exist on the planet. Snow leopard hunting is prohibited everywhere

In Russia at present, the number of snow leopards is not precisely known; they are listed:

on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature,

to the Red Book Russian Federation,

as well as in the documents of protection of other countries.

Presenter: Since August 2012, the project has been implemented under the auspices of the Russian Geographical Society and under the personal control of the Chairman of the Government V.V. Putin.

As of 2015, hunting snow leopards is prohibited. It is very important that every person knows that security rare species animals are a manifestation of ecological culture, which means love for the nature of one’s homeland.

The school held a drawing competition “Snow Leopard”

This is how students in grades 5-9 of our school saw a snow leopard

Municipal educational institution Khovu-Aksyn primary secondary school

Completed by: student of 4th grade

Buzurash Ailana

Head: Ondar Dolaana Alekseevna

Project topic:

"Snow leopard or snow leopard"

Objective of the project:

Give information to students about the snow leopard or snow leopard.

Relevance of the project:

Children know well about wild animals living in our republic. Especially about bears, foxes, wolves, etc. But they know almost nothing about the snow leopard. Therefore, we decided to provide information about it.

The number of snow leopards in Tuva continues to decline, despite measures taken to preserve it. If in the early 2000s there were approximately 30-40 individuals in the western regions of the republic, now this figure has decreased by more than three times.

According to the latest monitoring data, only nine individuals of the snow leopard listed in the Red Book of Russia remain in Tuva.

Project product:

Publish a brochure about the snow leopard.

One of the most precious Treasures of Tuva is hidden from human eyes high in the mountains - where the Earth meets the sky, where the “caps” of eternal glaciers do not melt, where a common person can only get there in exceptional cases - to become spiritually purer and physically stronger...

It is here that the owner of the Tuvan mountains lives - the handsome snow leopard, who has no equal in endurance or strength. The most daring, courageous and strong man have the honor to compare with him

Irbis, or snow leopard - large carnivorous mammal from the cat family, living in the mountains of Central Asia.

origin of name

Russian fur merchants adopted the word “irbis” from hunters in Asia back in the 17th century. In Tuva this animal was called irbish, in Semirechye it was called ilbers, east of Alma-Ata in the areas bordering China - irviz. In the Turkic language - irbiz, which means “snow cat”. This word took root in the Russian language, only over time last letter changed from "z" to "s".

Appearance

The snow leopard is distinguished by a thin, long, flexible body, relatively short legs, a small head and a very long tail. Reaching a length of 200-230 cm together with the tail, it weighs up to 55 kg. The fur color is light smoky gray with ring-shaped and solid dark spots.

Number

Scientists cannot determine the exact number of snow leopards due to the secretive lifestyle of the predator.

Often, scientists who call themselves snow leopard explorers cannot see the object of their research. And the object regularly watches the scientist, then follows in his tracks, sniffing out what kind of person he is and what he needs from the snow leopard.

To meet a snow leopard, a scientist needs to gain a wealth of experience by studying the habits of the animal, becoming more secretive and vigilant than him.

Irbis - “master of the mountains”

Since ancient times, Tuvans have revered and respected the “master of the mountains,” endowing him with supernatural abilities.

Until now, the people of Tuva believe that a meeting with an snow leopard is an omen of some important event that will play a special role in the life of a person or the life of his family. People are afraid to kill this beast, which is capable of taking revenge on the killer even after its death, exterminating his livestock and clan.

On the Tsagan-Shibetu ridge in March 2010, the first photographs of snow leopards in Russia were taken in the wild without the use of automatic cameras.

Irbis – Treasure of Tuva

World Fund wildlife included the snow leopard in the list of the project “Nine Treasures of Tuva” (Tos Ertine).

The Foundation believes that the snow leopard is one of the precious treasures of Tuva.

By participating in the project, the foundation tried to draw attention to the conservation of this rare predator in Tuva. Popular recognition of the snow leopard as a “jewel” of the Tuvan land will force local residents take a fresh look at the snow leopard, use the image of the snow leopard to develop tourism in the habitats of this predator.

Snow leopard image

For the peoples living in the neighborhood of the snow leopard, including Tuvinians, it is a great pride to name their son after the predator - Irbish-ool. A man with such a name must undoubtedly be strong like a snow leopard, dexterous like a snow leopard, and reasonable like a snow leopard.

The image of the Irbis is extremely attractive to tourists all over the world. The image of the snow leopard can be seen on the coats of arms of states, regions and cities.

Coat of arms of the Shushensky district Coat of arms of Khakassia Coat of arms of Tatarstan

Coat of arms of the city of Almaty Coat of arms of the city of Samarkand Coat of arms of the city of Bishkek

Climbers of Tuva - conquerors highest peaks bear the proud title of “Snow Leopards”. Recently this title was awarded to the Hero of Russia, our fellow countryman Sergei Shoigu.

Having seen the beauty of Tuva, Vladimir Putin was delighted and also recognized the importance of preserving snow leopards on this land.

Today it is necessary for the residents of Tuva to realize that Irbish is the true treasure of this ancient land. And then many more generations of the people of Tuva will be able to say: “I live on the same land with the snow leopard - the living treasure of my Motherland.”

Description of the presentation by individual slides:

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Red Book The snow leopard is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and has the status of a rare or endangered species.

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Who is a snow leopard? Snow leopard (Irbis) - a beautiful smoky gray cat large sizes, resembles a leopard. Found in the mountains Central Asia: Himalayas, Tibet, Pamir, Altai, Sayan Mountains. The snow leopard is an endangered species and is listed in the Red Book; hunting it is prohibited. The snow leopard got its name from its ability to move quickly through deep snow and trample paths in it. The snow leopard hunts mountain goats, for example, its neighbor in the Red Book - the Amur goral.

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Appearance The body length of the snow leopard is 110–125 cm, weight 20–40 kg. If we compare the length of the tail and body, then of all the cats the snow leopard has the longest tail, it makes up more than three-quarters of the body length. The general color tone of the back and sides of the body is grayish-smoky, sometimes slightly yellowish. Against this background there are dark spots with blurred outlines - large ring-shaped and small solid ones. On a small head there are short, wide-set ears and large, high-set eyes. The fur of the animal is very thick, lush and soft. Thick fur grows even between the toes and protects the paw pads from cold in winter and from hot stones in summer.

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Food and feeding behavior The basis of the snow leopard's diet is large ungulates: the Siberian mountain goat, argali. In the foothills, the snow leopard hunts roe deer and wild boar. Throughout its huge hunting area (up to 100 sq. km), the predator moves, adhering to the same routes, bypassing the pastures of potential victims known to it. Like other high-mountain animals, the snow leopard makes regular seasonal vertical migrations: in the summer it follows ungulates to high-mountain alpine meadows; in spring - into the forest belt; after heavy snowfalls it descends to the foothill plains. In alpine meadows and rocky outcrops, the snow leopard, in addition to ungulates, catches marmots and ground squirrels, and snowcocks. The leopard silently creeps up to its victim and suddenly jumps on it. He can jump up to 10 meters in length and up to 3 meters in height. Having not caught the prey immediately, it stops pursuing after several jumps. Having killed a large animal, the predator drags it under a rock or tree and begins to eat. At one time he eats only 2-3 kg of meat, and throws away the abundant leftovers of the meal and never returns to them.

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Social behavior Animals live alone. The home ranges of males may partially overlap with areas of 1–3 females.

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Reproduction and raising offspring. The snow leopard's rut ​​occurs in March - May. The male meets the female only at this time and subsequently does not take part in raising children. After three months, 2–4 kittens are born in a den that the female makes in a cave or in a crevice in a hard-to-reach gorge. Newborns are the size of a small domestic cat, completely helpless, covered with thick brownish fur, mottled with dark solid spots. They open their eyes at the age of one and a half weeks. At the age of two months, kittens begin to leave the den to play at its entrance, from this time the mother gives them meat food. Aged three months the cubs begin to follow their mother, and the five- to six-month-old ones already hunt with her. The whole family sneaks up on the prey, but the female makes the decisive throw. The animals begin an independent solitary life at the beginning of next spring.

Presentation on geography on the topic: “Snow Leopard” Pupils of class 8 “A” of Municipal Educational Institution Secondary School No. 37 Matpaeva Dinara Teacher: Levchenko Anna Sergeevna Life of a Leopard The Snow Leopard lives in the mountains of Central Asia. This is a predator from the cat family. Rarely seen. It is up to 130 cm long, and the very thick tail is slightly shorter. Hunts ungulates, catches hares and marmots. It makes its lair in caves or hard-to-reach gorges. It comes out for prey at dusk and at night. In terms of body size, the snow leopard is slightly inferior to the leopard, but in general appearance it is similar to it. This is a large, strong animal with a typical cat appearance. Locations The snow leopard is a high-mountain animal. In summer, it inhabits belts of subalpine and alpine meadows in the mountains of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Altai in Russia and reaches the border of eternal snow. Its traces have been repeatedly noted at an altitude of 5000 m above sea level. It lives in rocky places, among rocky outcrops and steep gorges. The snow leopard rises into the belt of high-mountain meadows following the Siberian mountain goat, which constitutes its main prey. all year round. Occasionally hunts mountain sheep, roe deer, and young wild boars. In winter, the snow leopard descends into the middle mountain zone behind migrating goats and other ungulates. Distribution A small part of the snow leopard's range is located in the Russian Federation, which is the northern periphery of the species range. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There was a decrease in the area inhabited by the snow leopard, the northern border of the permanent habitat of this predator retreated to the south, and the lace of the range was thinned out (1 - 3). Currently, the snow leopard is found within Russia in the Altai and Krasnoyarsk territories and in Tuva. In Altai, the snow leopard inhabits the Southern Altai, Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola, Katunsky, Yuzhno-Chuysky, Severo Chuysky, Sailyugem, Chikhacheva ridges; during visits, it also appears on the Aigulak, Kurai, Chulyshman, Shapshal ranges, as well as on the Chulyshman Highlands. Distribution Places where snow leopards met in the 70s: Mount Aitinkalak near the river. Karakul and Ongudaysky district (1972), Kosh-Agachsky district (1974), upper reaches of the river. Koksha (1976) and the watershed ridge between the rivers Koetru and Tushken (1976) are both the last points in the Altai Nature Reserve. In the same reserve on Pogranichnaya Mountain, Shapshalsky Range, a leopard den was discovered in 1973 (4 - 6). In the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Tuva on the issue of modern distribution There is a lot that is unclear about this predator. Although in Western Sayan the snow leopard was quite widespread and inhabited this entire mountain system, with the exception of the Sayan, Kurtushibinsky and Ergak-Targak-Taiga ridges (2), detailed surveys of the 60s - 70s. did not reveal its presence in the central and eastern parts of Western Sayan. It is assumed that the snow leopard survived in the high mountain parts of the Sayan Range and at the northwestern tip of the Khemchinsky Range. Distribution Shooting was reported in the late 60s. one leopard in the vicinity of the lake. UlukMungash-Khol (the source of the Ona River, which flows into the Abakan River) and about encounters of these predators at the sources of the Malye Ury, Rybnaya and Systyg-Khem rivers. The entry of leopards into the Eastern Sayan is explained by the abundance in this area reindeer and deer (7). The upper reaches of Abakan and the basins of the Us and Kantegir rivers in Western Sayan and the upper reaches of the Kazyr and Kizir rivers in the highlands of Eastern Sayan are indicated as probable locations for the location of modern foci of this predator (8). In Kazakhstan and the Central Asian countries, the leopard lives in Western Altai, Tarbagatai, Dzungarian Alatau, and in the Tien Shan and Pamir systems (1 - 3, 9). In addition, it is found in the MPR, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal. Distribution The snow leopard is adapted to living in harsh climatic conditions. It lives in sparsely populated high mountain areas, rising up to 5 thousand meters above sea level, adheres to the subalpine and alpine zones, the slopes of gorges, often overgrown with dense bushes, as well as treeless highlands, rocky areas and snowfields. The leopard's main prey is mountain goats and rams, roe deer, wild boars, and partly marmots, hares and snowcocks. Therefore, places of concentration are confined to areas with a high population density of these animals. Thank you for your attention!

Snow leopard The snow leopard existed back in ice age along with the now extinct woolly rhinoceroses, mammoths and cave lions. After the snow leopard was first described by zoologists, it for a long time They were classified as leopards, they even gave it the name “snow leopard”. Later it turned out that, according to a number of characteristics, the snow leopard occupies an intermediate position between large and small cats, and it was separated into a separate genus.

Brief description Class: mammals Order: Carnivorous Family: feline Genus: snow leopard Species: snow leopard or snow leopard Size: body cm (including tail cm) Weight: kg. Color: grayish-white or brownish coat with dark large ring-shaped spots and smaller solid ones Life expectancy: about 20 years

Habitats Snow leopards live only in Asia. On the territory of Russia they are found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tyva, Khakassia, Krasnodar Territory and in Altai. There are about 5,000 snow leopards in the world, and about 80 snow leopards live in Russia. The majestic snow leopard is the only feline representative that has adapted to living in high altitude conditions. Its fluffy, warm skin keeps it warm in cold weather, and its wide paws are suitable for long walks on both dense snow and rocky areas.

Reproduction of the snow leopard Snow leopards are solitary animals. Each of them lives in its own territory, marking and protecting it. And only in one of the spring months does a single snow leopard find a mate. To attract the attention of females, the male meows loudly. Pregnancy lasts about 3 months, after which 2-3 cubs are born. At first, the kittens are blind and only after a week their eyes open. And they begin to leave the den only after 1.5 months. The fur of newborns is thick and long, but there are no dark spots on it. At 2-3 months, the female begins to feed the babies meat food, although she feeds milk until 5 months. At 9 months, snow leopards begin to live independently. And at two years old they can already start their own family.

Snow leopard - is endangered on the red sheets of the Red Book. Currently, the number of snow leopards is catastrophically small; in the 20th century, it was included in the IUCN Red List ( international union nature protection), in the Red Book of Russia, as well as in the protection documents of other countries. As of 2015, hunting for snow leopards is prohibited. XX century IUCN Red Book Red Book of Russia 2015 hunting