被誉为“雪山之王”的雪豹，能在寒冷高山上生存的原因找到了......

Their short ears reduce heat loss. A shallow nasal cavity warms the air before it reaches the cat’s lungs. Their jaws can open wider than 70 degrees, making it easier for them to eat larger prey, including bharal, ibex and white-lipped deer.

Listed as a vulnerable species, there are at least 4,500 snow leopards in China, making up more than half the species’ global population.

A long, thick tail is roughly the same length as its body. The tail can also act as a blanket or scarf, covering the animal’s mouth and nose when it lies down. Snow leopard fur is 20 times denser than human hair.

China is home to the animal’s key habitat, which comprises about 1.1 million square kilometers. The snow leopard’s natural habitat is in the mountains, at altitudes between 2,000 meters and 5,000 meters.

Snow leopards are regarded as barometers of high mountain ecosystems. When the population declines, it likely indicates that the local ecosystem is under pressure or being damaged.

The snow leopard’s core distribution areas still retain their natural state to a high degree, thanks to shelter provided by national parks and nature reserves, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Challenges persist, though, such as habitat fragmentation, degradation of vegetation and declines in prey populations. Snow leopards continue to face threats to their survival because problems resulting from human activities persist on the edges of their distribution areas, leading to declines in prey populations and reducing the number of snow leopards each habitat can support, it said.

Management practices, such as fencing off grazing areas, can affect the normal movement patterns of snow leopards and their prey, and even result in populations becoming isolated in certain regions, the administration added.

文字：李弘扬 赵欣莹 罗家媛（实习生）