Pale and silent hunter

Can you guess why the snow leopard is sometimes called the ghost cat? Other leopards have orange or dark brown fur with black spots, but the snow leopard's smoky gray color and blurred black markings make it look very different. But this unique coloring helps the cat blend into its stony, mountain habitat

Vanishing "ghosts"?

This cat's beautiful, dense coat helps keep it warm, but it is also one reason the "ghost cat" is disappearing! Snow leopards were long hunted for their fur until their numbers became severely reduced. Today, although many countries have banned the import of snow leopard fur, snow leopards are still hunted and killed illegally. No one is certain how many snow leopards are left in the wild, but biologists trying to save these great cats think there may be only 4,000 to 6,500 in their native home in the snowy mountains of Central Asia.

at home in the snow

Snow leopards live at very high elevations where there are steep cliffs. The wild goats and sheep they prey on are quite nimble at leaping from rock to rock-and so are snow leopards! The cat's huge paws have fur on the bottom that gives the leopard traction on the snow and protection from sharp rocks. The snow leopard's long, thick, and luxurious tail acts as a built-in comforter when the cat wraps it around its body for added warmth. That tail is almost as long as its body!

type	Status	Habitat

MAMMALS	ENDANGERED	ASIA