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The Snow Leopard (''Uncia uncia'' or ''Pan … The Snow Leopard (''Uncia uncia'' or ''Panthera uncia'') is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and its exact taxonomic position will not be resolved until further studies are conducted.
Snow leopards live between 3,000 and 5,500 metres above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown, but it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild and between 600 and 700 in zoos worldwide. Snow leopards cannot roar, despite possessing some ossification of the hyoid bone. This ossification was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar, but new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard. Snow leopard vocalizations include hisses, chuffing, mews, growls, and wailing. (Source:Wikipedia)s, growls, and wailing. (Source:Wikipedia) +
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