The snow leopard, or irbis (Latin: Uncia uncia, according to another classification - Latin: Panthera uncia), is a large predatory mammal from the cat family, inhabiting the mountainous regions of Central Asia. The snow leopard is characterized by a slender, long, flexible body, relatively short legs, a small head, and a very long tail. It reaches a length of 200–230 cm including the tail and weighs up to 55 kg. Its fur is light smoky-gray with ring-shaped and solid dark spots. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat and the low density of the species, many aspects of its biology remain poorly studied. Currently, the population of snow leopards is critically low; in the 20th century, it was included in the IUCN Red List, the Red Data Book of Russia, as well as in the protective documents of other countries. As of 2013, hunting snow leopards is prohibited.
The snow leopard primarily hunts the mountain goat, known as the markhor.
