Snow Leopard Cub Hand Puppet, Endangered Animal

Fun Facts for Kids

• In order to survive in cold mountainous environments, the Snow leopard has several adaptations. Its small rounded ears help to minimize heat loss, the broad paws well distribute the body weight for walking on snow, and have fur on its undersides increases the grip on steep and unstable surfaces; it also helps to minimize heat loss. The long and flexible tail of the Snow leopard helps it to maintain balance in the rocky terrain. The tail is also very thick due to fat storage and is covered in a thick layer of fur, which allows the cat to use it like a blanket to protect its face when asleep.
• The Snow leopard cannot roar due to its short vocal folds; these folds are only 9 mm (0.35 in) long and provide little resistance to airflow.
• Snow leopards can move in 85 cm (33 in) deep snow, but prefer to use existing trails made by other animals.
• Snow leopards do not attack humans; they have easily driven away from livestock and readily abandon their kills, often without defending themselves.
• The Snow leopard has been declared the national animal of Pakistan.
• Snow Leopards are endangered. 

The Snow leopard has a white furry coat with yellow/brownish tinges and is covered with rings of brown/black rosettes/spots. The markings assist with camouflaging it from prey. The fur is woolly and long and offers protection from extreme cold. Their tails have heavy fur and the undersides of their paws also have fur to protect against cold snow. The rounded head has small ears and the heavy brow is distinctive, with the head being comparatively small for the body size. The long tail helps the leopard to balance as it moves over rugged and frequently snowy terrain. Its powerful limbs are relatively short for its body size. It has large, powerful paws.