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India’s First High-Altitude Snow Leopard Wildlife Safari Launched
India’s first high-altitude snow leopard wildlife safari is launched in the cold desert of Ladakh. The news highlights the snow leopard and its key identification, habitat range, physical features, and conservation status.
Snow Leopard:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Common name | Snow leopard is popularly known as the “Ghost of the Mountains” due to its elusive nature and excellent camouflage. |
| Scientific name | Scientific name of the snow leopard is Panthera uncia. |
| Taxonomy | Snow leopard is formerly classified as Leo uncia and is placed in the genus Panthera with the lion, tiger, and other big cats. |
| Native range | Snow leopard is native to the high-altitude mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. |
| Habitat and altitude range | Snow leopards inhabit rocky, shrub-dominated, and grassy habitats occurring between 500 and 5,800 meters. |
| Distribution range | Snow leopards range from the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Plateau of Tibet to the Altai Mountains and highlands west of Lake Baikal in Russia. |
| India population estimate and spread | India is home to an estimated 500–700 snow leopards spread across the Himalayas and Trans-Himalayan region. |
| State animal | Snow leopard is the state animal of Himachal Pradesh. |
| Size and weight | Adult snow leopards grow to about 2.1 meters in length including a 0.9-meter tail, stand about 0.6 meter at the shoulder, and weigh 23–41 kg. |
| Sexual dimorphism | Males are slightly heavier and larger than females. |
| Coat description | Coat is pale grayish with dark rosettes and a dark streak along the spine, and underparts are uniformly whitish. |
| Cold adaptation features | Physical adaptations include broad front paws, small rounded ears, and a wide head with large nasal cavities that warm cold air. |
| IUCN status | Snow leopard is classified as ‘Vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red List. |