Transcript Snow Leopard ( Uncia uncia )

Snow Leopard
( Uncia uncia )
Endangered Species
Brought To You By
Student Sample
Why Its Important
• The extinction of the snow leopard is
extremely close. With out this species the
whole food chain of Central Asia would be
thrown into disarray. For centuries the snow
leopard has been hunted for its valuable skin
and its many other body parts. The leopard’s
bones are still valued for traditional Asian
medicine. Without this creature the steeps in
Central Asia that they habituate would be
overrun with rodents and troublesome
predators and the entire fur market would
suffer.
Evolutionary History
• The complete taxonomy of the snow leopard
is { Animalia, Chordata, Mammalia, Carnivora,
Felidae, Panthera, uncia.}
• Genetic drift may have caused the color of the
coat of my species to be different. In response
to their new color the leopards found a region
where it suited them.
• The phylogenetic tree of my species can be
found by clicking here.
Population
• In 2002 the world population, was estimated at 4,500 to
7,500. At 2009 the total population is a rough estimate
of 4,080-6,590. National Geographic say the population
could be as little as 3,500 in total. In reality the
population is falling considerably each year.
• Two thousand were thought to be in China as of 2002.
In Ladakh, the estimate was less than 200. In Nepal the
estimate was 350-500 in 2002. In Siberia as of 1988
there were an estimated 600. In 1989-90 the estimated
Mongolian population of snow leopards was 1,000.
Pressures
Pressures Against the Snow Leopard
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Loss of it prey through people hunting the snow leopard’s prey. This is called,
“prey base depletion”.
Conflict with farmers and herders who retaliate and kill the snow leopard
because it attacks their livestock .
The dreaded Chinese medicine market. This really is a horrible destroyer of the
big wild cats. It is like cancer is to people. It gradually destroys. It is the illegal
trading in body parts.
Poaching for Chinese medicine mentioned above and the pelts (skin and fur).
This is grouped under, “illegal trade”.
Poor conservation management.
Human to human conflict. The habitat of the snow leopard unfortunately is
within those areas in which people are fighting each other.
In 1985 Mongolia earned more than $1m from organized hunting of the snow
leopard. A single snow leopard was valued at $11,200 .
Over the period 1992-1993 in the former Soviet Union prices of snow leopard
skins rose dramatically to $500-2,000 and enormous sum for local people. The
demise of communism and the rise of capitalism had a very detrimental effect on
the snow leopard. These answer the question, why are snow leopards
endangered?
Future?
The snow leopard may survive the 6th mass
extinction. It’s possible that the animals that
survive all the pressures are the strongest and
they may even get to the point where they have
to move even higher into the mountains. If they
did the leopards would have to acclimate to the
frigid temperatures and build a resistance to a
scarcity of food. Also, the evolution of a more
open diet would help them a lot. The ability to
subsidize the all protein diet with occasional
plants might help them survive.
What You Can Do To Help
With your funding I can help this most
beautiful of species. With these funds I can
extend the reach of wildlife parks and hire
more conservationists to aid in protecting the
animals from poachers. Stricter laws will be
lobbied for by the politicians we contract, for
the few who try to kill this species. All of this
may turn around the declining population and
get this species back on track.