It is adapted to thin, cold air. In summer, it never goes below 6000 feet. Living in altitudes between 10,000 and 20,000 feet, it can always be found at the snow line in winter. It tends to lead a solitary life and is not too aggressive when defending its territory.
The total length of the animal is more than 7 feet including a 3 foot tail. It can weigh between 60 and 120 pounds. It has a smaller head, longer body and smaller legs than a leopard. Its fur is very thick and yellowish gray in color with a white underside. The body has indefinite black rosettes. The tail has black markings. The ears are dark at the base and light at the tip. It does not have the ability to roar.
Being most active at dawn and dusk, it is a night hunter. Prey is hunted and killed by ambush from above by leaping with a range of up to 46 feet. Feeding on mountain goats, gazelles, deer, wild boar, birds, rabbits and squirrels, it can kill an animal three times its size but prefers smaller prey. Since it will also attack domestic animals if available, herders will kill it to prevent attacks.
It mates in the winter. Cubs usually are born in April and are trained by the mother to hunt. The cubs will stay with the mother for a year when they become excellent hunters. In captivity, it can live up to 20 years but its normal lifespan is 15-18 years.
In heraldry, it is known as the ounce. It is the national symbol of the Tartars and Kazakhs, the official seal of the city of Almaty, on Tatarstan's and North Ossetia-Alania's coat of arms and the symbol for the Girl Scout Association of Kyrgyzstan.
The fur of the is highly desirable. It is usually caught in a trap baited by young sheep. Conservation agencies have classified it as an endangered species. There are 600 t0 700 snow leopards in zoos worldwide.
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