Marly T.

WILDLIFE WEEKLY

Everything you wanted to know about snow leopards.

IN THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL FIND THE HABITAT SNOW LEOPARDS LIVE IN, THEIR THREATS, WHAT THEY EAT, HOW THEY ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE, THEIR HUNTING SKILLS, AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS.

February 2014 [1]

THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN A complete article about snow leopards

Altai mountain range in Mongolia.

Habitats

Threats

Snow leopards live high up in the snowy

Domestic sheep are actually the biggest

mountains of Central Asia. “Snow leopards

threat to the snow leopard species because

live in the mountains of China, Bhutan,

they eat all of the livestock that the wild

Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,

sheep and goats eat, forcing them to have

Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan,

to move. Being some of the snow leopards

Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Mongolia. They are well adapted to some of the coldest and harshest places in the world. They can go an

preferred prey, the shortage of the sheep A snow leopard getting ready to and goats forces the snow leopards to die pounce on its unsuspecting prey. out or make them move to a different area.

altitude too high for trees to grow and places that have half the oxygen humans

Hunting

need to survive in.

A snow leopard can jump to its prey from

Rareness

30 feet away. “It can bring down an animal 3

Today, snow leopards are very rare and are

times its size.� Their preferred prey is

close to disappearing forever. Many people

Bharal, yak, marmots, musk deer, and

that live among them have never seen one in

domestic livestock. When snow leopards are

their entire life because they are truly

hunting, they ambush prey from above while

invisible. They are hunted for their fur and

hiding behind bushes and trees.

their bones for medicine and are one of the most elusive cats in the world.

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Characteristics/survival

Snow leopards are amazing creatures that need to be taken care of.

Snow leopards have a spotted, fur coat that keeps them warm from harsh winters and they have nonslip, furry paws that let them climb mountains.

“Belly fur up to five inches long, as well as a tail nearly as long as the body to wrap around the cat and keep it warm during subzero temperatures.” “Snow leopards have the longest tail of any cat in the world.” They can go 25 miles in one night through a desert and dawn

This picture shows a snow leopards nonslip, furry paw.

and dusk are when they are most active.

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Lexicon Organizer Word Page #

Part of Speech (noun, verb, adj)

Definition

By Marly Thomas

Sentence from book

Relevance or importance to topic.

Use the word in a new sentence. (your own!)

“With large, furry, nonslip paws and a thick warm coat of fur, the snow leopard is well adapted for climbing…”

Snow leopards are well adapted to the harsh mountains.

I can't believe snow leopards can adapt to those freezing temperatures.

Adapted #3

Verb

Become adjusted to new conditions.

Blend #2

Verb

When something goes “Standing still, his spotted together with coat blending into the something else and is stony background.” not distinguishable.

Snow leopards have to blend in with their surroundings to be unseen.

Snow leopards are camouflaged so they can blend into the surrounding environment.

Central Asia #3

Noun

Core region of the Asian continent.

“The snow leopard is well adapted for climbing among the snowy mountains of Central Asia.”

Central Asia is where snow leopards live.

Snow leopards are found in Central Asia.

China #2

Noun

A country in Asia.

“Snow leopards live in the mountains of China….”

Snow leopards live in China.

Snow leopards can be found in China.

Climbing #3

Noun

The sport or activity of ascending mountains or cliffs.

“With large, furry, nonslip paws and a thick warm coat of fur, the snow leopard is well adapted for climbing…”

Snow leopards climb up mountains because thats their home.

I would love to go climbing with snow leopards.

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Lexicon Organizer

By Marly Thomas

Cold #2

Adjective

Low temperature.

“They thrive in Snow leopards temperatures cold enough live in cold to freeze human tears.” climates.

Snow leopards live in such cold habitats, that i would freeze in the first second i was up there.

Disappearing #3

Verb

Cease to be visible.

“But today they are so rare that they are in danger of truly disappearing.”

Snow leopards have started to disappear over the years.

Snow leopards are disappearing rapidly.

Elusive #2

Adjective

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.

“Now was their chance to spot the most elusive cat on the planet.”

Snow leopards are elusive.

Snow leopards have to be elusive in order to sneak around.

Environment #3

Noun

The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

“Because they live in such harsh environments,snow leopards may have never been common.”

Snow leopards live in an environment.

A snow leopard’s environment must be really harsh because they have that thick coat!

Genghis Khan #6-7

Noun

Mongolian king that conquered China, Turkey, and Persia.

“And because he protected their prey, Genghis Khan was probably the first leader in the world to protect snow leopards.”

He was the first leader in the world to protect snow leopards.

Genghis was a Mongol ruler who protected snow leopards.

Ghost #2

Noun

A relation to a dead “People call it ‘the ghost of Snow leopards person that is are like ghosts. believed to appear to the mountain.” us.

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Snow leopards are very ghost like.

Lexicon Organizer

By Marly Thomas

Habitat #2

Noun

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

“A pale, spotted, almost cloudlike coat makes the snow leopard uncannily invisible in its rocky mountain habitat.”

Snow leopards live in mountainous habitats.

I’ve never seen a snow leopard in its habitat before.

Harsh #2

Adjective

Difficult to survive in.

“They survive in some of the harshest, most remote,most extreme habitats in the world.”

Snow leopards live in harsh places.

Snow leopards are used to living in harsh places.

Hunted #3

Noun

The activity of hunting wild animals or game.

“They’re hunted for their beautiful fur.”

Snow leopards get hunted for their fur.

Snow leopards are endangered because they are hunted.

Mongolia

Noun

A country in Asia.

“Snow leopards live in the mountains of…….and Mongolia.

Snow leopards live in Mongolia.

Snow leopards live in Mongolia’s mountains but rarely get seen.

Mountains #2

Noun

A large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level.

“Snow leopards live in the mountains of…”

Snow leopards Snow leopards are native live in mountains. to living in mountains in Central Asia.

Powerful #2

Adjective

Having great power or strength.

“It’s as unseen, yet as powerful, as the wind.”

Snow leopards have great power in them.

Snow leopards need powerful bodies to be able to survive in such harsh conditions.

Prowling #2

Verb

Move around restlessly and stealthily.

“Prowling along ridges, slinking below skyline, its as unseen, yet as powerful, as the wind.”

Snow leopards prowl along the mountain sides.

I’ve always wanted to see a snow leopard prowl along the mountains.

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Lexicon Organizer

By Marly Thomas

Rare #3

Adjective

Not found in large numbers.

“Today they are so rare that they are in danger of truly disappearing.”

Snow leopards are very rare.

Snow leopards are so rare that I have never seen one and I have lived among them my whole life.

Remote #2

Adjective

Situated far from the main centers of population.

“They survive in some of the harshest, most remote, most extreme habitats in the world.”

Snow leopards live in very remote places.

Snow leopards are almost never seen because they live in such remote places.

Sheep #3

Noun

An animal with a thick woolly coat.

“But the worst threat to this powerful cat is actually from sheep.”

Snow leopards natural prey are wild goats and sheep but these domesticated ones drive them away because they eat all the grass.

Snow leopards eat wild goats and sheep.

Snow #2

Noun

Atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer.

“With large, furry, nonslip paws and a thick warm coat of fur, the snow leopard is well adapted for climbing and hunting among the snowy mountains of Central Asia.

Snow cakes the mountains they live on.

Snow leopards live in snow all year round!

Survive #2

Verb

Continue to live or exist in spite of an accident.

“They survive in some of the harshest, most remote,most extreme habitats in the world.”

Snow leopards are forced to survive in extreme places.

Snow leopards must survive the harsh winters.

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Lexicon Organizer

By Marly Thomas

Tough #2

Adjective

Strong enough to withstand bad conditions.

“Snow leopards are as tough as they are beautiful.”

Snow leopards have to be tough to survive.

Wilderness #11

Noun

An uninhabited region in the wild.

“Working in this remote, rugged wilderness with a fascinating culture.”

Snow leopards The wilderness is a crazy are wild animals place. so they live in the wilderness.

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Snow leopards are the toughest animal I know of.

Bibliography -Montgomery, Sy, and Nic Bishop. Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition among Snow Leopards in Mongolia. Boston: Houghton Mifflin for Children, 2009.

Print.

-InstaGrok | A New Way to Learn." InstaGrok | A New Way to Learn. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. <http://www.instagrok.com/>.

-SIGN-UP TO STREAM LIVE." Cengage Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cengage.com/search/showresults.do?N=197>.

-Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. <http:// www.wikipedia.org/>.

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