Snow leopard
Amazing fact
Snow leopards warm cold air as it passes through the large space inside their noses.
San Diego Zoo
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Snow leopards warm cold air as it passes through the large space inside their noses.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Snow leopard
- Scientific name
- Uncia uncia
- Japanese name
- ユキヒョウ
- Group
- Land mammals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Felidae
- Genus
- Uncia
It lives in the high mountains of Central Asia and keeps itself warm in the cold with its thick fur.
Its hind legs are especially well developed, and it can leap many times the length of its own body.
It uses its long tail for balance as it races over rocky ground, and in harsh winters it can also cover its paws and other exposed parts with its tail.
How the Snow leopard lives
They are especially active at dawn and dusk. They hide among rocks and shrubs, stalk their prey, and ambush it from above. They often choose cliffs and mountain ridgelines as daytime resting places. In winter, they may move to lower elevations, following their prey.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Head and body length: 100–130 cm多摩動物公園
- Weight
- 35–45 kg多摩動物公園
- Lifespan
- up to 21 years in captivityUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Active
- At dawn and duskUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Diet
- Small to medium-sized mammals and birds多摩動物公園
- Range
- Central Asia多摩動物公園
Where the Snow leopard has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ユキヒョウ
- 简体中文
- 雪豹
- 繁體中文
- 雪豹
- Deutsch
- Schneeleopard
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — ユキヒョウChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Uncia unciaChecked: 2026-11-03
- San Diego Zoo — Snow LeopardChecked: 2026-11-06
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Snow leopard, look for this
- If you can see the sole of a paw, look for fur growing between the pads.
- Look for ring-shaped markings surrounding smaller spots on the body and tail.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
多摩動物公園University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Snow leopard
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Felidae
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