Photo Feature
Snow Leopard
Snow leopard Panthera uncia : Believed to be the closest relative of the tiger, the snow leopard is an apex predator in a habitat that ranges from the high mountains of central Asia to Russia in the north and across the Himalayan ranges right up to China towards the east. This cat’s adaptations are many, including enlarged nasal cavities that warm the air before it is breathed in and thick fur that insulates and camouflages it in snow, rock and scree. To say that Panthera uncia is a near-perfect evolutionary adaptation success would be an understatement.
Status: Endangered
Photo: Shivaram Subramaniam