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A snow leopard with thick, spotted gray fur sitting on snowy rocks.
Photo: Irbis1983, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Snow Leopard

Panthera uncia

A smoky-gray big cat of Central Asia's high mountains with huge furry paws and a long tail it wraps around itself for warmth.

🐆 Big Cats
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About the Snow Leopard

Snow leopards live on high mountain cliffs and rocky slopes in 12 countries of Central Asia, as high as 18,000 feet in summer. Their thick, smoky gray coats and furry paws protect them from the cold. A snow leopard can leap as far as six times its body length to pounce on prey such as blue sheep, ibex and marmots. Snow leopards cannot roar, but they can purr and make a friendly "chuff" sound.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Panthera uncia[1]
Size
39 to 51 inches (99 to 130 cm) long, plus a 31 to 39 inch (80 to 100 cm) tail. Females are slightly smaller.[1]
Weight
Males 99 to 121 pounds. Females 77 to 88 pounds.[1]
Lifespan
Possibly 10 to 13 years in the wild. Up to 22 years in zoos.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Blue sheep, ibex, marmots, game birds, rodents and sometimes livestock.[1]
Habitat
High mountain cliffs and rocky slopes, up to 18,000 feet (6,000 m) in summer.[1]
Where it lives
12 countries in Central Asia.[1]
Group life
Solitary and nomadic.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts 98 to 104 days. Usually 2 cubs, which leave their mother at 18 to 22 months.[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • A snow leopard can leap as far as six times its own body length.[1]
  • Snow leopards cannot roar. They purr and make a friendly "chuff" sound instead.[1]
  • The bottoms of a snow leopard's huge paws are covered in fur.[1]
  • A snow leopard wraps its long tail around its body for extra warmth.[1]

Vocabulary

nomadic
Moving from place to place instead of staying in one home.
ibex
A wild mountain goat with long, curved horns.
marmot
A large ground squirrel that lives in burrows in the mountains.
pounce
To jump suddenly onto something to catch it.
vulnerable
A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Snow Leopard.” https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/snow-leopard (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Panthera uncia (Snow Leopard).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22732/50664030 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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