My Zoo Project: Snow Leopard

• My Zoo animal was the Snow Leapard!

7 Physical traits: Discrete vs Continuous

• The Snow Leopards at the zoo had few differences between each other, but here are the ones I saw.
• They have spots on their bodies,which are in different places, but it  is a continuous trait because they can be in any pattern and can be anywhere on their bodies.
• Long tails for balance can be any range of sizes, which makes this a continuous trait.
• The Snow Leopard has large nostrils, which is a descrete trait because it can only be that way there is no range or variation in this trait.
• One of the Snow Leopards had lighter fur colour, which is a continuous trait because their fur can be many different shades of white.
• The Male Snow Leopard is much larger than the female,which is a discrete trait because there are only two sexes and the Leopard would have been male or female, which determines its size.

• Sharp Claws and Teeth for ripping their prey apart. This is a discrete trait because all Snow Leopards have sharp claws and teeth. They are never dull.

2 Structural Adaptations and Behavioral Adaptation

• The Snow Leopard's nostrils and lungs are very powerful and large. They are this way so that the Snow Leopard can get the most oxygen possible in the thin air in the mountains. The Snow Leopard lives 6000ft above sea level.
• Snow Leopards have very long tails used to balance it in the air when it does large leaps and jumps to catch its prey.

• The Snow Leopard's behavioral adaptation is that it is very quiet and stealthy and does not draw any attention to itself while it moves.It is also a nocturnal creature, which allows it to hunt at night while its prey is asleep making it virtually effortless to catch its prey.

Snow Leopard's Niche

• The Snow Leopard is a specialist, which means it has a narrow niche. This animal lives 6000ft above sea level in Central Asia in the mountains. Its diet consists of mountain goats, sheep, deer, boar and marmmots.The only predator to the Snow Leopard is us humans on very occasions Snow Leopards will fight and eat one another.This organism only pairs up with another Snow Leopard during mating season. While it is not mating season the Leopard is a very solitary animal.

Conservation Strategies and Risk Level

Extirpated:

still exists in other area(s)

A species has become extinct in one area at least but

Endangered:

becoming extinct or extirpated if extensive measures to protect it are

not undertaken

A species whose numbers are so small it is at risk of

Threatened:

protected in some way

A species that is likely to become endangered if not

Special Concern:

extremely uncommon or has unique or highly specific habitat requirements.A species not endangered or threatened but

• The Snow Leopard is an Endangered Species and the conservation strategies include mountain reserves.Humans have impacted the Snow Leopard's habitat by building small farms and homes in their habitat and on their hunting grounds.

Calgary Zoo's Conservation Efforts

• The Calgary Zoo works hard to preserve this species and reintroduce it into the wild. The Zoo is involved in a breading program for this organism and is actively working to preserve their natural habitat. Once a Snow Leopard cub is old enough to fend for itself it is slowly show how to live in the wild, which is very different from living in a zoo. Husky Energy is also playing an active role in helping the Zoo's conservation efforts.

By: Yanni Sideris (AKA: Platypus Bill).