Abstract
Snow leopard, an elusive mammal species of the cat family, is the top-predator of the Central and South Asian, high-altitude ecosystem. Snow leopards occur at low densities across the Central Asian mountains and the Indian Himalayan region. Owing to their secretive nature and inaccessible habitat, little is known about its ecology and distribution. Due to its endangered status and high aesthetic value, the snow leopard is considered as an ‘umbrella species’ for wildlife conservation in the Indian Himalayas. This article summarizes the current knowledge on snow leopard ecology and conservation issues in the Indian context.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Suggested Reading
M D Madhusudan and C Mishra, Why Big, Fierce Animals are Threatened: Conserving Large Mammals in Densely Populated Landscapes, Battles Over Nature: Science and Politics of Conservation, Eds. V Saberwal & M Rangarajan, pp.31–55, Permanent Black, New Delhi, 2003.
Lyngdoh et al., Prey Preferences of the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia): Regional Diet Specificity Holds Global Significance for Conservation, PLoS ONE 9(2): e88349. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088349, 2014.
R S Chundawat and R S Rawat, Food Habits of Snow Leopard in Ladakh, India, 1994, pp.127–132 in: J L Fox and Du Jizeng (Eds), Proceedings of the Seventh International Snow Leopard Symposium, (Xining, Qinghai, China, July 25–30, 1992), International Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle,Washington.
Suryawanshi et al., People, Predators, and Perceptions: Patterns of Livestock Depredation by Snow Leopards and Wolves, Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol.50, No.3, pp.550–560, 2013.
M Kohli, M Sankaran, K R Suryawanshi, and C Mishra, A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned: Lean Season Foraging Strategy of an Alpine Ungulate, Animal Behaviour, Vol.92, pp.93–100, 2014.
J Berger, B Buuveibaatar, and C Mishra, Globalization of the Cashmere Market and the Decline of Large Mammals in Central Asia, Conservation Biology, Vol.27, No.4, pp.679–689, 2013.
Ghoshal et al., Response of the Red Fox to Expansion of Human Habitation in the Trans-Himalayan Mountains, European Journal of Wildlife Research, Vol.62, pp.131–136, 2016.
The Project Snow Leopard, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, New Delhi, 2008.
Snow Leopard Network–Snow Leopard Survival Strategy, Revised 2014 Version Snow Leopard Network, Seattle, Washington, USA, 2014.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Abhishek Ghoshal is a PhD scholar with Nature Conservation Foundation and Wildlife Institute of India. His research interests include wildlife ecology and conservation in the Indian Himalayas and Trans-Himalayas.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ghoshal, A. Snow leopard. Reson 22, 677–690 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-017-0511-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-017-0511-0