While
studying snow leopard scat is one of the least invasive ways to look at what the animals are eating and gauge their food preferences, according to a new UD study it may not always be the most accurate.
One young biologist recently
studied snow leopards in zoos to see if they had a preference for company or being on their own.
With SLC and Dr Jan Janecka
we study snow leopard genetics in Mongolia.
Not exact matches
Several
studies have found traditional Chinese herbal supplements to be tainted will all sorts of things, including actual pharmaceutical drugs, heavy metals and even DNA from endangered species like the
snow leopard.
The data from tigers, lions and
snow leopards provides a rich and diverse genome resource that could be used in future
studies of conservation and population genomics.
In this
study, the team found that the
snow leopard had unique amino - acid changes in both genes that may have contributed to
snow leopard's acquisition of an alpine, high altitude ecological niche.
A lot of old
studies on what
snow leopards eat are based on just that, collections that people have done in the wild,» said McCarthy.
The researchers analyzed 199 suspected
snow leopard scat samples collected from two
study sites in Tajikistan during the summer of 2012 and 56 scats collected from two
study sites in Kyrgyzstan between June and December of 2005.
While estimates of the amount of small mammals
snow leopards consume may have been overstated, the importance of large ungulate populations to the
snow leopard's diets may have been understated, as this
study suggests stable
snow leopard populations are possibly more reliant upon large ungulate prey than previously understood.
In order to create effective conservation programs to help protect and conserve populations of endangered
snow leopards, whose estimated population is between 4,500 - 7,500 in the wild, University of Delaware researchers are
studying their scat to try and understand what the large cats are eating.
Researchers found that past food - habit
studies on
snow leopards could have been biased by the inclusion of non-target species in fecal analysis, potentially misinforming managers about the prey requirements that allow
snow leopard populations to succeed.
«That's what we consider the bias in our food habit
studies and that was the ultimate goal of Sarah's project — to find out how far off we may have been in the past with what
snow leopards eat and then ultimately refining our understanding of what they eat,» said McCarthy.
As a result of non-target species possibly being included in past research
studies, it has been thought that
snow leopards — who lack an abundance of natural prey — consume great numbers of small mammals such as marmots, hares and pika, as well as wild ungulates, which are larger hooved animals such as ibex.
Guest blogger, Alaina Macri from Edinburgh Zoo recently
studied the social behavior of
snow leopards in Zoos.
The
study looked at 18 captive - born
snow leopards, 12 of which were housed socially (that is with another cat) and six that were housed singly.
During this
study, we've been constantly monitoring the
snow leopard population of Tost with camera traps, and have tracked a total of 23 individual
snow leopards with GPS collars.
I certainly hope Alaina will continue with more captive
snow leopard behavior
studies, there is still so much we don't know about these beautiful cats.
During late 2013, a team of rangers and biologists led by Bakhtiyor Aromov and Yelizaveta Protas, in collaboration with Panthera, WWF Central Asia Program and Uzbekistan BioControl Agency, conducted a
snow leopard camera trap
study in the Kizilsu area of Gissar Nature Reserve, on the border of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Data from the
study proved that
snow leopards migrate between various mountain chains, crossing steppe and desert if necessary — promoting efforts to protect these important corridors along with the mountains they link.
The den visit was part of the ongoing long - term ecological
study on
snow leopards in Mongolia's South Gobi province that's been conducted by the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, Snow Leopard Trust, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences since 2
snow leopards in Mongolia's South Gobi province that's been conducted by the
Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, Snow Leopard Trust, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences since 2
Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation,
Snow Leopard Trust, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences since 2
Snow Leopard Trust, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences since 2008.
Another area investigated during the
study was the amount of time the
snow leopard pairs spent in contact / close proximity (1.5 - 2.0 m) with their enclosure mates.
Good news from the base camp of our long - term
snow leopard study in Mongolia's Tost Mountains: Our team has managed to equip a new male
snow leopard with a GPS collar, allowing them to track the cat's movements in the months to come.
Field scientist Örjan Johansson is back in the South Gobi, the site of our long - term
snow leopard study.
Dagina, an eight - year old female
snow leopard we've known since she was a tiny cub, becomes our latest cat to be tracked with a GPS collar in the world's most comprehensive
study of wild
snow leopards.
Tsetsen, a male
snow leopard wearing a GSP collar in Mongolia's Tost Mountains as part of the Snow Leopard Trust's long - term study of these cats, has gone offline as schedu
snow leopard wearing a GSP collar in Mongolia's Tost Mountains as part of the
Snow Leopard Trust's long - term study of these cats, has gone offline as schedu
Snow Leopard Trust's long - term
study of these cats, has gone offline as scheduled.
The
studies have shown some
snow leopards cover up to 30 or 40 kilometers of their habitat daily searching for prey.
During our 4 year
study period, we recorded the mortality of 4 adult
snow leopards, all of which were males.
However, assuming individuals that migrated permanently were lost from the
study population (died), we estimated the life expectancy of adult
snow leopards to be 5 years (95 % CI: 2.05 — 13.78 years).
This is interesting as the
studies found that the relationship was closer between tigers and
snow leopards than even
snow leopards and common
leopards (Panthera pardus).
Scientists know that the
snow leopard's morphology (branch of biology dealing with the
study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features) is very different from
leopards.
The
snow leopard population remained constant over most of the
study period, with no apparent growth (λ = 1.08 + − 0.25).
Rodney Jackson, Ph.D.: (
Snow Leopard Conservancy) Conducted in - depth radio - tracking studies of snow leopards since the 1980s; dedicated to building local communities» capacity as key players in conserving the spec
Snow Leopard Conservancy) Conducted in - depth radio - tracking
studies of
snow leopards since the 1980s; dedicated to building local communities» capacity as key players in conserving the spec
snow leopards since the 1980s; dedicated to building local communities» capacity as key players in conserving the species.
The change in sex ratio of
snow leopards in Tost was accompanied by a potential decline in the number of cubs per female over the
study period as the female population increased.
The goal of this comprehensive research is to understand the whole ecosystem in the
study area of Tost; from the
snow leopard at the top of the food chain down to its prey, both wild and domestic, and how these animals use vegetation and water sources.
But in 2010
studies found that the closest relative to the
snow leopard is in fact the tiger (Panthera tigris).
As we head into the 5th year of our long - term ecological
study, six
snow leopards are currently wearing GPS tracking collars, including Aztai, the first cat we had ever collared.
Fast Facts: Panthera has quit the Long Term Ecological
Study (LTES) on snow leopards The Snow Leopard Trust will continue the groundbreaking research without interruption We're planning to expand the study further in
Study (LTES) on
snow leopards The Snow Leopard Trust will continue the groundbreaking research without interruption We're planning to expand the study further in
snow leopards The
Snow Leopard Trust will continue the groundbreaking research without interruption We're planning to expand the study further in
Snow Leopard Trust will continue the groundbreaking research without interruption We're planning to expand the
study further in
study further in 2013
Through our long - term ecological
study in the Tost region of Mongolia, we are learning a great deal about the lives of wild
snow leopards.
During the last week of May, our field researchers began to observe some interesting behavior in two of the female
snow leopards in our long - term ecological
study.
We've been tracking
snow leopards with GPS collars as part of our long - term
study in Mongolia for 4 years.
This January, we saw some incredible movements from the
snow leopards in our long - term ecological
study.
A new
study [i] by the
Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reveals a disturbing link between the cashmere trade and the decay of ecosystems that support snow leopards and their natural p
Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reveals a disturbing link between the cashmere trade and the decay of ecosystems that support
snow leopards and their natural p
snow leopards and their natural prey.
This
study uses GPS tracking collars to follow
snow leopards as they move around the landscape.
To investigate this complex system in
snow leopard habitat, we have made disease research one of our top priority areas, and we have initiated a holistic
study following the one - health framework.