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The Snow Leopard |
| Kingdom: |
Animalia |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora (from the Latin for "meat eaters") |
| Family: | Felidae (from the Latin for "cats") |
| Genus: | Panthera (from the Latin for "panther" or "leopard") |
| Species: | Panthera uncia (Uncia is the Latinized version of the Spanish word onca, which means a medium sized wild cat. It is a cognate of the English word "ounce" whose original meaning was "medium sized". In Europe the Snow Leopard is sometimes still referred to as the Ounce as its species name.) |
| Why it is way cool! | The Snow Leopard inhabits the mountain
regions in central Eurasia. It is quite a large cat, with many individuals weighing near
100 pounds.
It's habitat extends to very high altitudes, making it particularly challenging as a subject for wildlife researchers who want to study it. Only mountain climbing biologists need apply! Sadly, the snow leopard is severely threatened in the wild due to habitat encroachment by human populations and due to continued hunting for its beautiful gray and white pelt. Its future existence may depend upon breeding in captivity via the Species Survival Plan carried out by the world-wide zoo community. |
