Central Asian snowy. Animals of Asia. Snow leopard or snow leopard

2 min read

Red is the color of anxiety and approaching danger. In the late 40s of the 20th century, the International Union for Conservation of Nature decided that this color should represent the global inventory of animals that are at risk of extinction. It will be called the Red Data Book. The bright color was supposed to attract people's attention to the problem of the disappearance of rare species of plants and animals.

The original material was published on the LIVEN website. Living Asia. The authors of the article are Aidana Toktar kyzy, Gulim Amirkhanova. Artist - Varvara Panyushkina.

The Red Book has since been published in many countries every few years. And more and more often animals are falling into it, the numbers of which were large even 20-30 years ago.

In 2014, WWF (World Wildlife Fund) released a report that revealed a shocking figure: the number of wild animals has halved over the past 40 years. By the way, the number of people, on the contrary, has doubled from 3.7 billion to 7 billion people.

12 Red Book species are on the verge of extinction in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

Some of them are killed because of their beautiful fur, others because of their branchy horns, which are supposedly good for health.

They are killed as pests when they come to a person’s home in search of food.

Some of these animals are losing their habitual habitats due to human economic activities.

Even the golden eagle, a bird that has become a symbol of almost all Central Asian countries, is included in the Red Book.

It's hard to believe - since the mid-80s the golden eagle has been in the category " Rare bird with dwindling numbers."

Manul

Manul. Photo: Albinfo

The most unusual cat of the wild steppes. Her peculiarity is her round eyes.

This animal has luxurious fur. And because of him, he is on the verge of extinction.

Pallas's fur is fluffy and thick. For one square meter there are 9000 hairs!

Pallas's cat has been in the "nearly vulnerable" category for many years.

View: A predatory mammal of the cat family.

Habitat: Manul is widespread in Central Asia, from Southern Transcaucasia and western Iran to Transbaikalia, Mongolia and Northwestern China. In Central Asia it is found in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.

Nutrition: It feeds almost exclusively on pikas and mouse-like rodents, occasionally catching gophers, tola hares, marmots and birds.

In the summer, when there are no pikas, the Pallas's cat compensates for the lack of food by eating insects.

Peculiarity: Interestingly, in ancient Greek the name of the Pallas's cat is Otocolobus manul, which means “ugly ear.”

Reproduction: The animal reproduces only once a year. This happens between February and March. Pregnancy lasts about 60 days, and kittens are born in April-May, ranging from 2 to 6 individuals.

The exact number of the Pallas's cat has not been determined, but one thing is known - it is on the verge of extinction.

Due to the fact that these animals lead an extremely solitary lifestyle, they do not reproduce in the required quantities.

In addition, the Pallas's cat suffers at the hands of people: poaching for fur, traps that are set to catch foxes and hares, but Pallas' cat's cats often end up in these traps as well.

The decrease in the number of this species is also affected by a reduction in the food supply: marmots and other rodents.

Saiga antelope

Saiga.

Antelopes with a sad look are in plight. Over the course of a hundred years, their population dropped from 2 million to 40 thousand individuals!

Such a decrease in population can be equated to an environmental disaster.

View: Artiodactyl mammal from the antelope subfamily.

Habitat: Now saigas live in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, sometimes they enter the territory of Turkmenistan, Russia (Kalmykia, Astrakhan region, Altai Republic) and western Mongolia.

Nutrition: Saiga antelopes are herbivores and eat the most different types plants (quinoa, wormwood, wheatgrass, etc.), including those that are poisonous to other animal species.

Peculiarity: Only males grow antlers; the nose in the form of a soft, swollen, mobile proboscis with rounded close nostrils creates the effect of a “humpbacked muzzle”.

Reproduction: The mating season begins in November, when males compete for possession of the female. The winner of the fight gets everything, and this is a whole “harem” consisting of 5-50 females.

The cubs appear in late spring and early summer. Young females often give birth one at a time, and adults (in two out of three cases) give birth to two cubs.

Reasons for population decline: In the 50s of the 19th century, the number of saiga was almost 2 million individuals in the world; today this figure has decreased to less than 40 thousand.

Most animals die in Kazakhstan. From 2010 to 2015, 132 thousand saigas died here.

At the moment, the official cause of the mass mortality of saiga is considered to be the causative agent of hemarrogic septicemia (pasteurellosis) - Pasteurella multocida type B.

Saigas also die due to the inability to get food from under the ice, which they cannot break with their hooves, and due to poaching.

There is a great demand for saiga horns in China alternative medicine because they supposedly have healing properties.

There is a moratorium on saiga hunting in Kazakhstan until 2021, but despite this, the “black market” for the sale of saiga horns is thriving in the country.

Irbis

The camera captured a leopard in the area of ​​Sarychat, Kyrgyzstan. Photo credit: NCF/SLT/HPFD/Rishi Sharma (NCF: Nature Conservation Foundation, SLT: Snow Leopard Trust, HPFD: Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, India)

Snow leopard, or snow leopard, or Irbis. It belongs to an endangered species of animals - the number decreases from year to year.

View: Large carnivorous mammal from the cat family.

Habitat: Inhabits the mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.

Nutrition: The snow leopard is so powerful that it can cope with prey three times its mass. This is why snow leopards prefer larger prey, like ungulates.

Blue sheep, mountain goats, argali, tar, roe deer, deer, deer, wild boar and other species can become a complete lunch or dinner for the snow leopard.

Sometimes it also feeds on small animals atypical for its diet, such as gophers, pikas and birds - snowcocks, pheasants and chukars.

Peculiarity: Snow Leopard for a long time considered a relative of the leopard - due to its external resemblance. But scientists conducted genetic research and found that the snow leopard is close to tigers, and perhaps even closer to the panther genus.

Currently still considered a separate genus of Uncia (Snow Leopards). Due to the inaccessibility of the animal’s habitats and its small numbers, it still remains poorly studied by scientists.

Reproduction: Sexual maturity occurs at 3-4 years of age. The breeding season occurs at the end of winter or the very beginning of spring.

The female gives birth to 3-5 cubs at a time every 2 years. Pregnancy lasts 90-110 days.

Reasons for population decline: Due to constant persecution by humans, the number of snow leopards is continuously declining. Poachers are attracted by the good money that can be obtained for leopard fur.

The total number of representatives of the species in the wild, as of 2003, is estimated to be between 4,080 and 6,590 individuals.

Golden eagle

Golden eagle. Photo: Boris Gubin

Despite the fact that golden eagles are domesticated, they themselves are free-spirited birds. Naturally, they live best in freedom.

Over the past centuries, the golden eagle has disappeared from many areas where it previously lived. The reason for this was their mass extermination, urbanization and land use for economic needs.

View: Predatory bird hawk family.

Habitat: Distributed in all countries of Central Asia. Lives in the mountains, to a lesser extent on the plains. Avoids residential areas and is sensitive to human disturbance.

Nutrition: Hunts a wide variety of game, most often hares, rodents and many species of birds. Sometimes attacks sheep, calves and baby deer.

Peculiarity: The habitat is wide, but wherever it lives it is a rare and small species.

Reproduction: Golden eagles are ready to breed at four or five years of age. A typically monogamous bird, this eagle remains maritally faithful for many years as long as the other member of the pair is alive.

If the birds are not disturbed, they use the same nesting site for several years in a row, while the male and female protect it from other bird predators all year round and try not to leave even in the cold winter. Two eggs are incubated in the nest, usually one survives.

Reasons for population decline: In addition to poaching and human economic activity, the use of pesticides appears to influence the decline in the golden eagles population.

Since golden eagles are at the top of the food chain, their bodies accumulate toxic substances obtained through food - rodents. This affected, first of all, the reproductive system of predators.

The shells of their eggs began to become very thin - the birds simply crushed the eggs while incubating. Given that eagle fertility is already quite low, this has led to a sharp decline in golden eagle populations in most agricultural areas.

Jeyran

Jeyran. Photo: Akipress

The slender, fast gazelle lives in Central Asia and, fortunately, its numbers are now recovering.

However, the goitered gazelle is in a vulnerable position - the animal is often hunted for its meat and horns.

View: An artiodactyl mammal from the genus of gazelles of the bovid family.

Habitat: Goitered gazelle is found in desert and semi-desert regions of Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan, West Pakistan, southern Mongolia and China (Xinjiang, northern Tibet and Suiyuan); Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Nutrition: Goitered gazelles feed on herbaceous and shrubby plants.

Reproduction: At the beginning of the rut (October-November), males build latrines (pits with excrement), thus marking their territory.

They collect a harem of 2-5 females, which they protect by engaging in fights with other males. Pregnancy in females lasts 5.5 months. There are 1-2 cubs in a litter.

Reasons for population decline: Dzheyran is included in the “vulnerable population” category. In the past, the goitered gazelle was a frequent target of hunting.

It was one of the main sources of food for shepherds of Southern Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. Currently, hunting for goitered gazelle is prohibited in many countries.

Common lynx

Lynx is one of the inhabitants of the Karakol zoo.

Lynx - predatory cat, which is also at risk due to its valuable fur.

The animal population is now close to recovery - this is the result of a long-term ban on hunting and attempts by scientists to restore the number of animals.

View: A mammal from the lynx family.

Habitat: Lynx is found in middle lane Russia, Georgia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Belarus, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine (in the Carpathians), Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Nutrition: The basis of its diet is white hares. She also constantly hunts grouse birds, small rodents, and less often small ungulates. Occasionally attacks domestic cats and dogs.

It can also feed on partridges, hazel grouse, foxes, beavers, small rodents, wild boars, fallow deer and deer.

Peculiarity: Lives sedentary, but due to a lot of snow and lack of food, can make long journeys

Reproduction: The lynx's rut ​​is in March. From February to March, the female is followed by several males, who fight fiercely among themselves. Pregnancy in females lasts 63-70 days. There are usually 2-3 (very rarely 4-5) deaf and blind lynx pups in a litter.

Reasons for population decline: Lack of food and poaching. Successful attempts have now been made to revive the lynx population.

Maral. Tugai red deer

Maral.

The only one of 7-8 subspecies of red deer living in desert zone. More than 90% of the total population of this deer is located on the territory of the Central Asian republics.

In Kazakhstan, the deer were found over a large area eastern half republics.

As a result of intensive hunting, by the beginning of the 20th century the deer was almost completely exterminated. There is no information about the past abundance of tugai deer.

As they write in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, most likely this species has never been numerous.

In 1996, the Red Book of Kazakhstan mentioned that the number of deer in this country had increased to 200 individuals.

View: An artiodactyl mammal from the deer family.

Habitat: Territory of Central Asia.

Nutrition: Red deer eat a wide variety of foods. The main food of this animal is herbaceous vegetation, cereals, and legumes.

Peculiarity: In the floodplain of the Syrdarya, tugai deer made seasonal migrations. With the disappearance of water in the Kyzylkum desert, they moved from the desert to the Syrdarya River and returned back only when snow fell.

In Tajikistan, in the Romit mountain reserve, tugai deer live in the belt of deciduous forests and plantings fruit trees, rising in snowless times to the high-mountain juniper forests.

Reproduction: Males are ready to breed at 2-3 years of age with a total lifespan of about 20 years. Females become sexually mature earlier - by 14-16 months.

Pregnancy lasts 8.5 months, and fawns are born between mid-May and mid-July. Females usually give birth to one fawn, rarely two.

Reasons for population decline: Tugai deer disappeared in Kazakhstan as a result of direct extermination.

The degradation of habitats as a result of human economic activity is also of significant importance: uprooting and burning of tugai forest and reed beds, plowing of floodplain lands and haymaking, regulation of river flow, unlimited grazing.

Menzbier's Marmot

Menzbier's Marmot. Photo: ecosedi

The greatest harm to the Menzbir marmot population is caused by intensive poaching, shepherds' dogs, and grazing.

View: Mammal rodent of the squirrel family.

Habitat: The world range consists of only three isolated participants in the Western Tien Shan: Chatkal (Uzbekistan), Kuramin (Kazakhstan), Talas (Kyrgyzstan).

Nutrition: In spring it feeds on rhizomes, bulbs and sprouts of ephemerals and ephemeroids, and in summer on green succulent parts of plants: shoots, leaves, flowers. In spring and early summer it eats earthworms, beetles, and mollusks.

Peculiarity: One of the characteristics by which the Menzbier marmot is classified as an independent species is the baculum, which differs in structure, a bone formed in the connective tissue of the penis.

The baculum of the Menzbier marmot, unlike other species of marmots, is almost straight and does not have a widening at the end.

Reproduction: It breeds once a year. The rut occurs before the marmots emerge from their holes and immediately after it (March-April). There are 2-7 young in a brood, usually 3-4.

Reasons for population decline: Thriving poaching and intense economic use habitats.

Stone marten

Stone marten. Photo: Victor Ganin

The stone marten is the only species of marten that is not afraid to live near humans.

Despite this ability, its numbers were once on the verge of extinction. Today the numbers have recovered. It is not a particularly rare species, but its numbers are declining in some areas.

View: A predatory mammal from the mustelid family.

Habitat: Stone marten inhabits most Eurasia. Its range stretches from the Iberian Peninsula to Mongolia and the Himalayas.

Nutrition: Stone martens are omnivores that eat primarily meat.

They hunt small mammals (for example, rodents or rabbits), birds and their eggs, frogs, insects and others.

In summer, an important part of their diet is plant food, which includes berries and fruits.

Peculiarity: The body is covered with fawn-colored brown fur, and has White spot, because of him she is sometimes called “white-haired”.

Reproduction: Mating takes place from June to August, but the offspring are born only in the spring (from March to April).

Thus, semen conservation and pregnancy (one month) together amount to 8 months. As a rule, three or four cubs are born at a time.

Reasons for population decline: The stone marten is sometimes hunted for its fur, but on a more modest scale than is done in relation to the pine marten, since the fur of the stone marten is considered less valuable.

It is also persecuted as a “pest” that enters chicken coops or rabbit pens and also dies due to its high infestation of helminths.

Markhor goat

Markhor. Photo: Klaus Rudolf

What could connect a mountain goat with a snake? The fact is that the name “markhor” is translated from Persian as “snake eater”.

This is where the belief came from that a horned goat kills snakes. True, the markhor, unfortunately, could not protect itself from people.

Due to the unusual shape of the horns, poachers from all over the world hunt for it as a prestigious trophy. Today, markhors can only be found in nature reserves and inaccessible mountainous areas.

View: Artiodactyl mammal of the genus mountain goats.

Habitat: Distributed in the Western Himalayas, Kashmir, Little Tibet and Afghanistan, as well as in the mountains along the Pyanj River, the Kugitangtau, Babatag and Darvaz ranges in Tajikistan.

Nutrition: It feeds on grass and leaves.

Reproduction: The markhor rut begins in mid-November and ends by January. Having discovered a receptive female, the dominant male follows her for several days, driving away other contenders. After 5 months, she gives birth to 1-2 kids.

Reasons for population decline: The main reason for the sharp decline in the number of markhors is poaching.

Poachers show particular interest in the animal’s luxurious horns. At the same time, the largest healthy males - those with the largest horns - are eliminated from the population.

The decrease in the population of this species and the development of sheep farming also affected it. Due to grazing by livestock, wild goats were forced out of the best pastures. Now markhors are preserved only in nature reserves and inaccessible mountainous areas.

Did you know that there are currently 41 species of cats living in the world? They are all wild. Absolutely all are predatory. Many of the species and subspecies are on the verge of extinction. In this article I would like to show all the diversity and beauty of the cat family. But first, I would like you not to be confused about the terms.

So, all cats belong to the order of predators, and then this order is divided into two suborders: canids and felines. Felidae include hyenas, mongooses, viverrids and felids. They are all very distant relatives, but cats are only those that are part of the feline family!

The entire cat family is divided into subfamilies: small cats and big cats.

Each subfamily is in turn divided into genera. There are especially many of them in the subfamily of small cats:

Genus Cheetahs (Acinonyx)
- genus Caracal
- genus Catopuma (Catopuma)
- genus Cats (Felis)
- genus Tiger cats (Leopardus)
- genus Serval (Leptailurus)
- genus Lynx (Lynx)
- genus Marbled cats (Pardofelis)
- genus Asian cats (Prionailurus)
- genus Golden cats (Profelis)
- genus Puma (Puma)

For the subfamily of big cats, everything is simpler:

- genus Clouded leopards (Neofelis)
- Panther genus

Now that we have determined which family cats belong to and divided them into subfamilies and genera, all that remains is to divide them into species! And there are 41 of these species. Each type is presented below.
Most likely, you will be trying to find your domestic cat breed or, for example, the Far Eastern leopard among all the species below. And you won't find them. Why? Because your domestic cat, like amur leopard, belong to subspecies.

To make it easier for you to understand what a subspecies means, I’ll show you with an example where your domestic cat is located in the chain:

Family - felines / subfamily - small cats / genus - cats (felis) / species - forest cat / subspecies - your breed of domestic cat

And the Far Eastern leopard is here:

Family - felines / subfamily - big cats / genus - panther (Panthera) / species - leopards / subspecies - Far Eastern leopard.

I will describe the subspecies separately, otherwise this article will turn into such a big one that only a cat maniac like me can read it at once!

Well, now let’s finally get acquainted with all types of cats and admire them:

Subfamily - Small cats (Felinae)

genus - Cheetahs (Acinonyx)

species - cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus):

genus - Caracal

view - :

genus - Catopumas (Catopuma)

view - Kalimantan cat (Catopuma bada):

View - Asian golden cat (Temmincki cat) (Catopuma temmincki):

genus - Cats (Felis)

View - Chinese cat (Gobi gray cat) (Felis bieti):

View - jungle cat(House) (Felis chaus):

View - ):

Species - (Felis margarita):

View - :

View - forest cat (Felis silvestris). This is exactly the subspecies of the forest cat - your domestic cat:

View - steppe cat (Felis libyca):

genus - Tiger cats (Leopardus)(not to be confused with leopards!)

View - :

View - Pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo):




view - Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi):

View - Chilean cat (kodkod) (Leopardus guigna):

View - Andean cat (Leopardus jacobitus):

View - ocelot (Leopardus pardalis):

View - oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus):

View - long-tailed cat (margi, margay) (Leopardus wiedii):

genus - Servals (Leptailurus)

View - :

genus - Lynx (Lynx)

species - Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis):

View - common lynx(Lynx lynx):

View - :

View - red lynx (Lynx rufus):

genus - Marbled cats (Pardofelis)

- Marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata):

genus - Asian cats (Prionailurus)

- Bengal cat (Prionailurus bengalensis):

View - Iriomota cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis):

View - Far Eastern forest cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus):

View - Sumatran cat (Prionailurus planiceps):

View - spotted red cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus):

View - fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus):

genus - Golden cats (Profelis)

view - :

genus - Puma

species - puma (Puma concolor):

The publication “Red Book of Russia” announced its existence in 2001. This collection contains a considerable number of rare animals, their photographs and brief data.

The purpose of this publication is to attract public attention to the problem of protecting endangered animals and birds. Below is some interesting information about some of them.

It is this “lucky one” that has the largest horns. He is one of a kind.

This is the largest representative of the cat genus, which “chose” white snow and low air temperatures as its habitat. The hunting process in such conditions is quite complex. It is not easy for the tiger, however, he carries out tracking of deer and wild boars. This animal is the “pearl” of Russia. Incredibly unique! The species is quite rare and is distinguished by its expressive beauty: the belly has a five-centimeter layer of fat. Thanks to it, the animal is well protected from cold environmental conditions. Today, its population is growing in number.

The habitat of this representative is the waters of the Barents and Kara seas. The maximum size that the presented individual can reach is 4 meters. Its weight is also considerable - one and a half tons. There were times when this species practically disappeared. However, with the help of specialists, this individual has a slight increase in popularity.

This individual reaches a length of 3 meters and weighs one ton. This eared seal lives in Kamchatka and Alaska.

A distinctive feature from other representatives of its genus is its black sides and fins. Having arrived to the shores of the Baltic Sea, you can confidently wait to meet this “handsome guy”.

(Amur)

The species is at serious risk of complete extinction. Habitat: Primorsky Krai. Representatives of this species are also found in northeast China (in small numbers). In China Special attention focuses on the problem of protecting this species from extinction. The highest penalty for killing an individual is death. The reason for the extinction of these animals is high percent poaching.

It is rightfully considered the largest representative of the “bear family”. In size it surpasses even the well-known grizzly bear.

A bright individual. It has an interesting swimming style: it arches its back. It got its name for this feature.

By appearance the animal looks like a fox. Because of its beautiful fiery red fur, hunters shot wolves, so now the population of the predator has sharply declined. At the moment, rare flocks of 12-15 individuals can be found in the Far East.

The fox of this species is small in size: body length is up to 60 cm. In summer, the animal’s fur is short and gray in color, and in winter it becomes thicker and longer, acquiring a light gray tint. The animal lives in semi-desert and steppe.

Animals of this species are under threat because people kill them for their snow-white fur, from which they sew clothes. Individuals of the blue fox live on the coast of the Bering Sea.

Snow leopards live in Central Asia, and in Russia these animals belong to rare species. Due to the fact that they live in hard-to-reach places and harsh climatic conditions, the population has not yet been completely destroyed.

This is a wild cat with beautiful long hair. He lives in Transbaikalia and Altai. The animal population has decreased significantly due to human hunting.

This is the largest representative of the lynx genus, and an adult weighs about 20 kg. The animal's fur is very beautiful, and in winter it becomes soft and thick. The animal lives in dense forests and does not really like migration.

There are about 10 representatives of this species in the wild, and 23 individuals in zoos. Asiatic cheetahs live in the valley of the Syrdarya River.

In the territory Gorny Altai These light-footed antelopes are found. They live in the natural zone of deserts and steppes, have a yellowish-ocher color and long horns.

There are about 700 individuals of the Amur goral left in Russia, which move in groups of 7-8 individuals. In particular, they live in the Primorsky Territory.

Previously, bison lived in the forest-steppe, and the population numbered several thousand individuals. Now they are found in nature reserves; several dozen of these animals have survived.

This animal has fur that varies seasonally from light brown in winter to brown in summer. Both males and females have huge horns. Deer live in northern latitudes - in Karelia and Chukotka.

Other animals of the Red Book

The animal looks like a donkey, but has much in common with a horse. A representative of this species lives in the wild in semi-desert and steppe.

This insectivorous animal lives in Central Russia, weighs about 0.5 kg, and body length is 20 cm. The representative is a relict species, as it has existed for about 30-40 million years, but may disappear from the face of the earth, so it is now under protection of the state.

The rodent is small in size - about 15 cm. The head and back of the animal have brown-brown fur, and white fur on the belly and cheeks. The garden dormouse lives in spruce and beech forests.

The small animal is found in Russia in the region of Western Siberia and Ural mountains, lives on the banks of reservoirs.

The seal is small in size, and an adult grows up to 1.5 m, has light gray fur, and has well-developed sensory organs. Found in the Baltic Sea and Lake Ladoga.

The marine cetacean is found in the waters of Kamchatka and the Far East. Adults grow up to 8 meters in length and weigh 2-3 tons.

The snow leopard, or snow leopard, or snow leopard is a large predatory mammal from the cat family that lives in the mountains of Central Asia. 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. Due to the inaccessibility of the habitat and the low density of the species, many aspects of its biology still remain poorly studied. Currently, the number of snow leopards is catastrophically small; in the 20th century, it was included in the IUCN Red Book, the Red Book of Russia, as well as in the protection documents of other countries. As of 2012, hunting snow leopards is prohibited.

Appearance Relatively large cat. In general appearance it resembles a leopard, but is smaller, more squat, with a long tail and is distinguished by very long hair with an unclear pattern in the form of large dark spots and rosettes. The body is very elongated and squat, slightly raised in the sacrum area. The length of the body with the head is 103-130 cm, the length of the tail itself is 90-105 cm. Height at the shoulders is about 60 cm. Males are slightly larger than females. The body weight of males reaches 45-55 kg, females - 22-40 kg. The length of the hind foot is 22-26 cm. The coat is high, very thick and soft, its length on the back reaches 55 mm - it provides protection from cold, harsh environmental conditions. In terms of the thickness of its fur, the snow leopard differs from all big cats and is more similar to small ones. The general background color of the fur is brownish-gray without any admixtures of yellow and red (a yellowish tint of fur was noted in some individuals that died in captivity and may be an artifact). The main color of the coat on the back and upper parts of the sides is light gray or grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating. The sides below, the belly and the inner parts of the limbs are lighter than the back. Scattered across the general light gray background are rare large ring-shaped spots in the shape of rosettes, inside of which there may be an even smaller spot, as well as small solid spots of black or dark gray. The spotted pattern is relatively pale, formed by vague spots, the diameter of the largest of which reaches from 5 cm to 7-8 cm. Solid spots of various sizes are located on the head (the smallest of them), neck and legs (larger ones, turning into small ones at the bottom ), where there are no ring spots. In the back of the back, the spots sometimes merge with each other, forming short longitudinal stripes. Between the annular spots there are a few small solid ones. Large solid spots on the terminal half of the tail often cover the tail in the transverse direction with an incomplete ring. The very end of the tail is usually black on top. The dark spots are black in color but appear dark grey.

The general color of the main background of winter fur is very light, grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating, more noticeable along the back and along the top of the sides, while a slight light yellowish tint may be developed. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in natural environment his habitat is among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The general background of summer fur is characterized by a lighter, almost white color and sharp outlines of dark spots. The smoky coating of fur is less pronounced in summer than in winter. There is information that requires further confirmation that with age, the spotted pattern on the skin fades, becoming even more vague and unclear. In young individuals, the spotted pattern is more pronounced, and the color of the spots is more intense than in adult individuals. There is no sexual dimorphism in coloration. Geographical variation in color in the snow leopard is not expressed or, if it exists, it is very insignificant. The lack of clearly defined geographic variability is determined by the relatively small range of the species. The snow leopard is an extremely stenotypic species and adheres to identical conditions and habitats throughout its entire range. The head, relative to the size of the body, is small and round in shape. The ears are short, bluntly rounded, without tufts at the ends, and are almost hidden in the fur in winter. The mane and sideburns are not developed. Vibrissae are white and black, up to 10.5 cm long. The eyes are large, with a round pupil. The skull is relatively powerful, with tubercles and ridges, strongly developed zygomatic arches, but less massive and heavy than those of other representatives of the Panther genus. The length of the male skulls is 18-19 cm, the condylo-basal length is 16.5-17.3 cm, the zygomatic width is 12-13.5 cm, the interorbital width is 4.3-4.7 cm, the width of the rostrum above the canines is 4.8-5 .3 cm, the length of the upper tooth row is 5.8-6.3 cm. An adult snow leopard, like most other cats, has 30 teeth. On the top and lower jaw 6 incisors, 2 canines; on the upper jaw - 3 premolars and 1 molar; on the lower jaw - 2 premolars and 1 molar. The long and mobile tongue is equipped on the sides with special tubercles, which are covered with keratinized epithelium and allow the meat to be separated from the skeleton of the victim. These bumps also help with "washing". The tail is very long, exceeding three-quarters of the body length, covered with long hair and therefore appears very thick (visually its thickness is almost equal to the thickness of the snow leopard’s forearm). Serves as a balancer when jumping. The limbs are relatively short. The snow leopard's paws are wide and massive. The claws on the paws are retractable. The marks are large, round, without claw marks. The snow leopard, unlike other big cats, cannot roar, despite the incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was thought to allow big cats to roar. New research suggests that the ability to growl in felids is determined by different morphological features of the larynx that are absent in the snow leopard. Despite the structure of the hyoid apparatus like that of big cats (Panthera), there is no calling “roar or growl”. "Purring" occurs both during inhalation and exhalation - as in small cats (Felis). The methods of tearing apart prey are similar to those of big cats, and the position when eating is similar to that of small cats.

Spreading The snow leopard is an exclusively Asian species. The snow leopard's range in central and southern Asia covers approximately 1,230,000 km2 of mountainous regions and extends across the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The geographical distribution extends from the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan and the Syr Darya through the Pamir, Tien Shan, Karakoram, Kashmir, Kunlun, and Himalaya mountains, to Southern Siberia, where the range covers the Altai, Sayan, and Tannu-Ola mountains. In Mongolia it was discovered on Mongolian Altai and the Gobi Altai and the Khangai Mountains. In Tibet it is found as far as Altun Shan in the north. On the territory of Russia there is a small part of the snow leopard's range, which is approximately 2-3% of the modern world range and represents its northwestern and northern outskirts. The total area of ​​probable snow leopard habitats in Russia is at least 60,000 km 2 . It is found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia, Tuva and the Altai Republic, in the Eastern Sayan Mountains, in particular on the Tunkinskie Goltsy and Munku-Sardyk ridges. However, there is a gradual decrease and fragmentation of the snow leopard's range in Russia, although in some places an increase in numbers may be observed following an increase in mountain goat populations. In the territory of the former USSR, the snow leopard's habitat occupied the Pamir-Gissar system and the Tien Shan - the entire Pamir, the Darvaz ridge, including the southwestern spurs, the Peter the Great, Trans-Alay, Gissar ridges, including the Baysuntau mountains, the Zeravshan ridge to the Penjikent region. Southern border runs in southern Tajikistan in an arc from Pyanj to the north and covers the Kulyab, Dashti-Jum, Muminabad and Kzyl-Mazar regions, where the animal is found regularly. Further, the border runs to the northwest, skirting Dushanbe from the north. Further, the border runs along the southern slope of the Gissar ridge to the west, and then to the southwest. To the north and northeast, the snow leopard is found along all ridges of the Tien Shan system, to the south including the Kurama and Fergana ridges, which border Fergana Valley, in the west - to the western spurs of the Chatkal, Pskem, Ugam and Talas ranges. In Altai, the snow leopard is distributed in the extreme south, where its range covers the Chuya steppe, as well as partially or entirely the main ridges of the southern, part of the central, eastern and northeastern Altai and associated massifs.

Habitat The snow leopard is a characteristic representative of the fauna of the high rocky mountains of Central and Central Asia. Among large cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent inhabitant of the highlands. It predominantly inhabits alpine meadows, treeless cliffs, rocky areas, rocky outcrops, steep gorges and is often found in the snowy zone. But, at the same time, in a number of areas the snow leopard lives at much lower altitudes, populating the zone of tree and shrub vegetation. Inhabiting the upper belts of high mountains, the snow leopard prefers areas of small open plateaus, gentle slopes and narrow valleys covered with alpine vegetation, which alternate with rocky gorges, heaps of rocks and screes. The ridges where snow leopards usually live are usually characterized by very steep slopes, deep gorges and rock outcrops. Snow leopards can also be found on more leveled areas, where bushes and rocky screes provide them with shelter for resting. Snow leopards mainly stay above the forest line, but can also be found in forests (more often in winter). The habitat covers biotopes located in the belt between 1500-4000 meters above sea level. Sometimes it is found at the border of eternal snow, and in the Pamirs in the upper reaches of Alichur its traces were found several times even in winter at an altitude of 4500-5000 meters above sea level. In the Himalayas, the snow leopard has been recorded at an altitude of 5400-6000 meters above sea level and below 2000-2500 meters above sea level. In summer, it most often stays at an altitude of 4000-4500 meters above sea level. On the slopes of the Turkestan Range in summer, snow leopards were observed exclusively from approximately 2600 meters above sea level and higher. Here the snow leopard stays in rocky places. In Talas Alatau it lives in the belt between 1200 - 1800 and 3500 meters above sea level. In the Dzhungar Alatau it is found at an altitude of 600-700 meters above sea level. On the Kungei Alatau ridge in summer, snow leopards are rarely found in the belt spruce forest(2100-2600 meters above sea level) and especially often in the Alpine (altitudes up to 3300 m above sea level). In the Trans-Ili Alatau and Central Tien Shan, in summer the snow leopard rises to heights of up to 4000 meters or more, and in winter sometimes descends to heights of 1200 m above sea level. u. m. However, the snow leopard is not a high-mountain animal everywhere - in a number of places it lives year-round in the area of ​​low mountains and in the mountain steppe at altitudes of 600-1500 meters above sea level, staying, as in the highlands, near rocky gorges, cliffs and rock outcrops, in places where goats and argali live. At altitudes of 600-1000 meters above sea level, the snow leopard is common all year round in the spurs of the Dzungarian Alatau, Altynemel, Chulak and Matai. In summer, following its main prey, the snow leopard rises to the subalpine and alpine zones. In winter, when high snow cover sets in, the snow leopard descends from the highlands to the middle mountain zone - often in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bconiferous forest. Seasonal migrations are characterized by a fairly regular nature and are caused by seasonal migrations of ungulates - the main prey of the snow leopard.

Lifestyle Adult snow leopards are territorial animals, leading a predominantly solitary lifestyle (but family groups are also found), although females raise kittens for quite a long period of time. Each snow leopard lives within the boundaries of a strictly defined individual territory. However, it does not aggressively defend its territory from other members of its species. The habitat of an adult male can be overlapped by individual habitats of one to three females. Snow leopards mark their personal territories different ways. Individual territories can vary significantly in size. In Nepal, where there is a lot of prey, such an area can be relatively small - with an area from 12 km 2 to 39 km 2, and 5-10 animals can live on an area of ​​100 km 2. In an area with low prey abundance, an area of ​​1000 km 2, only up to 5 individuals live. The snow leopard regularly makes the rounds of its hunting area, visiting winter pastures and camps of wild ungulates. At the same time, he moves, adhering to the same routes. When going around pastures or descending from the upper belt of mountains to lower areas, the snow leopard always follows a path that usually follows a ridge or along a river or stream. The length of such a detour is usually long, so the snow leopard reappears in one place or another once every few days. The animal is poorly adapted to move through deep, loose snow cover. In areas where there is loose snow, snow leopards mainly trample permanent paths along which they move for a long time.

Food and hunting A predator that usually hunts big catch, corresponding to its size or larger. The snow leopard is able to cope with prey three times its mass. The main prey of the snow leopard almost everywhere and all year round is ungulates. In the wild, snow leopards mainly feed on ungulates: blue sheep, Siberian mountain goats, ibexes, argali, tars, takins, serows, gorals, roe deer, deer, musk deer, deer, and wild boars. In addition, from time to time they feed on small animals atypical for their diet, such as ground squirrels, pikas and birds (chukars, snowcocks, pheasants). In the Pamirs, it mainly feeds on Siberian mountain goats, and less often on argali. In the Himalayas, the snow leopard hunts mountain goats, gorals, wild sheep, small deer, and Tibetan hares. In Russia, the main food for the snow leopard is the mountain goat, in some places also deer, roe deer, argali, reindeer. With a sharp decrease in the number of wild ungulates, the snow leopard, as a rule, leaves the territory of such regions, or sometimes begins to attack livestock. In Kashmir, it occasionally attacks domestic goats, sheep, and also horses. There is a recorded case of 2 snow leopards successfully hunting a 2-year-old Tien Shan brown bear(Ursus arctos isabellinus). Snow leopards consume plant food - green parts of plants, grass, etc. - in addition to their meat diet only in the summer. Snow leopards hunt alone, stealthily (creeping up to the animal from behind shelters) or from ambush (watching for prey near trails, salt licks, watering holes, or hiding on rocks). When there are several tens of meters left to the potential prey, the snow leopard jumps out of its cover and quickly overtakes it with jumps of 6-7 meters. If it misses, and does not immediately catch the prey, the snow leopard pursues it at a distance of no more than 300 meters, or does not pursue it at all. The snow leopard tries to grab large ungulates by the throat, and then strangle them or break their necks. Having killed the animal, the snow leopard drags it under a rock or other shelter, where it begins to eat it. It usually throws away the remains of its prey, and occasionally remains near it, driving away vultures and other scavengers. At the end of summer, autumn and early winter, snow leopards often hunt in families of 2-3 individuals, which are formed by a female with her cubs. In hungry years, they can hunt near populated areas and attack domestic animals. It mainly catches birds while roosting. It hunts goats of any age, but mainly females and young animals (which are caught mainly in early summer). Throughout its range, the snow leopard is the top of the food pyramid and experiences almost no competition from other predators. At one time, an adult snow leopard can eat 2-3 kg of meat.

Reproduction Data on the reproduction of the species are scarce. Sexual maturity occurs at 3-4 years of age. Estrus and breeding season occur at the end of winter or the very beginning of spring. The female usually gives birth once every 2 years. Pregnancy lasts 90-110 days. It makes its lair in the most inaccessible places. Cubs, depending on the geographical area of ​​the range, are born in April - May or May - June. The number of cubs in a litter is usually two or three, much less often - four or five. According to other sources, the birth of 3-5 cubs in one litter is common. Larger broods are probably possible, since there are known cases of group meetings snow leopards of seven individuals. The male does not take part in raising the offspring. The cubs are born blind and helpless, but after about 6-8 days they begin to see. The weight of a newborn snow leopard is about 500 grams with a length of up to 30 cm. Newborn snow leopards are distinguished by pronounced dark pigmentation of spots, of which there are few, especially few ring ones, but there are large solid black or brownish spots on the back, as well as short longitudinal stripes on its back. For the first 6 weeks they feed on mother's milk. By mid-summer, the kittens already accompany their mother on the hunt. Finally to independent life young snow leopards are becoming ready for their second winter. 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.

In some areas of Kazakhstan there is a unique animal that lives only in rare, hard-to-reach regions of the globe. It became the state symbol of the republic, and is also depicted on the coat of arms of Almaty. This is a snow leopard.

Irbis - snow leopard, or snow leopard (lat. Uncia uncia, according to another classification Panthera uncia) is a large predatory mammal from the cat family that lives in the mountains of Central Asia. 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 leopard has a very beautiful fur color - light smoky gray with ring-shaped and solid dark spots. Due to the inaccessibility of habitats and the low density of the species, many aspects of its biology and life activity still remain poorly studied. Currently, the number of snow leopards is catastrophically small; in the 20th century, it was included in the IUCN Red Book, in the Red Book of Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries. Currently, hunting snow leopards is prohibited all over the world.

Exclusively Asian look

The snow leopard's range in central and southern Asia covers approximately 1,230,000 km² of mountainous regions and extends through the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

In the Dzhungar Alatau it is found at an altitude of 600-700 meters above sea level. On the Kungei Alatau ridge in summer, snow leopards are occasionally found in the spruce forest belt (2,100 – 2,600 meters above sea level) and especially often in the alpine (altitudes up to 3,300 m above sea level). In the Trans-Ili Alatau and Central Tien Shan in summer, the snow leopard rises to heights of up to 4,000 meters. However, the snow leopard is not a high-mountain animal everywhere - in a number of places it lives year-round in the area of ​​low mountains and in the highland steppe at altitudes of 600 - 1,500 meters above sea level, staying near rocky gorges, cliffs and rock outcrops, where goats and argali live.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the total number of the species throughout its range is estimated at approximately 3,500 to 7,500 individuals. There are approximately 2,000 additional snow leopards kept in zoos around the world and successfully breeding in captivity.

In Kazakhstan there is a peripheral Northern part habitat of the snow leopard, represented by 100-120 individuals. The Red Book of Kazakhstan reports that in the last century the leopard was common in the Tien Shan, in the Dzungarian Alatau and rare in Tarbagatai, Saur, and Southern Altai. In the 50-60s. XX century, since the intensive development of the mountainous regions of the Trans-Ili Alatau by man, the number of snow leopards began to decrease.

In 2010 in Ile-Alatau national park, according to the testimony of its workers, there were 42-46 leopards. In the same year, Zhumakhan Enkebaev, who worked at that time as the director of the Almaty Nature Reserve, reported 26 snow leopards living there. Alexey Patsenko, who works as an inspector of the operational service of the Medeu branch of the Ile-Alatau NP, said that currently (in 2013) approximately 15 snow leopards live in the territory under his jurisdiction, surrounding Almaty from the south. According to him, old snow leopards can descend to the upper border of the coniferous forest along the slope of the Kumbel peak, which rises above the southern capital just 15 kilometers from the metropolis of one and a half million people (!). This is a stunningly unique case of a leopard living in such close proximity to large human settlements.

In relation to humans, the snow leopard is very timid and, even when wounded, attacks a person in extremely rare cases. Only a wounded animal can be dangerous to humans. In the CIS, only two cases of snow leopard attacks on humans have been recorded: on July 12, 1940, in the Maloalmatinsky Gorge near Alma-Ata, a snow leopard attacked two people during the day and seriously injured them. He was killed and upon examination turned out to have rabies. In the second case, in winter, also not far from Almaty, an old and severely emaciated toothless snow leopard jumped from a cliff onto a passing person.

“The main reason for the decline in snow leopard numbers is the encroachment of human activity into the mountains. Because of this, both predatory animals and those that serve as food leave their places,” says Alexey Patsenko. According to him, the leopard's main food is mountain goats - tau-teke, of which there are about 1,000 in the Medeu branch, and mountain marmots. Old leopards, going down to the forest, hunt deer, spruce and wild boar.

In 2013, Ust-Kamenogorsk biologists Oleg and Irina Loginov established the Snow Leopard Fund, an environmental fund that is designed to promote the conservation of the snow leopard by creating an attractive image of this animal in society and promoting it as a living symbol of Kazakhstan. They published the book “Snow Leopard. Symbol of the heavenly mountains."

In the same year, residents of Kazakhstan became the authors of a petition addressed to UNESCO, with an appeal to the whole world to save the snow leopard. Its initiators were activists of the environmental movement “Let’s Protect Kok-Zhailau!”, who care for the preservation of the ecosystem of the Ile-Alatau National Park.

State symbol of Kazakhstan

The leopard is a sacred symbol of the Kazakh people and their ancestors, for whom this mysterious and rare animal was a totem animal and an indispensable character in works of fine art, made in the famous Scythian-Altai animal style.

The snow leopard became the official symbol of Kazakhstan, proposed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in his Address to the People - “Strategy 2030”. In the chapter “Mission of Kazakhstan” there are the following historical lines: “By 2030, I am sure, Kazakhstan will become the Central Asian Leopard and will serve as an example for other developing countries.”

In 1999, the Kazakh Order “Barys” of three degrees was established. In 2000, in the series “Commemorative coins of Kazakhstan made of silver” with a circulation of 3,000 pieces, the coin “Red Book of Kazakhstan: Snow Leopard” with a face value of 500 tenge was issued. His image can be seen on the Kazakh 10,000 tenge banknote of 2003, and on the Kazakh postage stamp.

The leopard, or rather the little leopard Irby, was also chosen as the symbol of the Asian Winter Games held in Kazakhstan. And the Astana hockey team, which successfully plays in the KHL, bears the name “Barys” with dignity.

The snow leopard of the Trans-Ili Alatau even became the main character in feature film“Tiger of the Snows”, filmed by Larisa Mukhamedgalieva and Vyacheslav Belyalov at the Kazakhfilm studio in 1987.

Handsome man on the coat of arms of Almaty

In 1993, thanks to the wonderful artist Shaken Niyazbekov, the author of the flag of Kazakhstan, the leopard began to appear on the coat of arms of Almaty. The uniqueness of the symbolic image of the southern capital lies in the fact that the animal depicted on the coat of arms without a threatening pose and extended claws is probably the only heraldic symbol of a leopard in the world that personifies peacefulness. And the flower in his teeth is a symbol of the prosperity of Kazakhstan and the city, which was then still the capital of the state.