A recent metabarcoding analysis of the 90 snow leopard faecal samples revealed that the snow leopards most commonly consumed plants of the Myricaria genus.
Snow Leopards Eat Plants, Researchers
The snow leopard is not the first cat species found to consume plants.
- Researchers have previously detected plant material in the faeces of 24 species.
About Myricaria genus: They are shrubs primarily found across the temperate parts of Europe and Asia. |
About Snow Leopard
- Scientific Name: Panthera uncia
- Snow leopards play a key role as a top predator, an indicator of the health of their high-altitude habitat, and an important indicator of the impacts of climate change on mountain environments.
- Geographical Distribution:
- Globally: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
- India: Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh.
- Protection Status:
- IUCN status: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule I
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