All About Snow Leopards

All About Snow Leopards

WALT; inform others about an animal or habitat through our writing. IALT; Use interesting words and phrases in my writing.

Introduction

Snow leopards are an amazing animal and I am writing this report so I could find out more about them.

Appearance

Snow Leopards have a range of fur tones. They go from a white to a light yellowish colour, to a soft grey. Their fur is very thick, so they don’t freeze to death in the mountains. The claws on a Snow Leopard are large and have grips on them so they can run fast on the snowy mountains. Their lifespan in captivity is around 21 years, but people do not know how long they live for in the wild as they are sensitive animals. They are around 60 cm high at the shoulders and 35-55 .kgs

Their Habitat

Snow Leopards live in snow capped mountains in a few places. Some of these are; China, India and Nepal. The big cats can sense when there are humans are around. When scientists try to find out more about them some of them will start to be nocturnal and try not to be seen.

This is a map of where they live.

How Sociable Are They?

Sometimes a male and female might be seen together during mating season, or you might see a mother with her  cubs. Once the cubs are about 2 years old, they will begin to leave their mother and set out on their own.

The cats leave markings on the snow or rocks that other snow leopards will find. Snow Leopards will scrape the ground with their hind legs and spray urine against rocks to mark their territory.

Their Prey And Predators

Snow Leopards are carnivores. The Snow leopards will eat slowly, usually taking 3 or 4 days to eat an animal. During that time, the Snow Leopard will remain near the animal to defend the meal from scavengers like vultures and ravens.  They eat every few hours until the meal is bare. Snow leopards hunt a large animal every 8-10 days on average. Climate change is affecting these animals because the snow is melting and their prey is traveling up the mountain and there is a high demand for their fur. Snow Leopards can kill up to three times their weight!

Conclusion   

I love these animals because they are so different to other wildcats, thank you for reading my report.

I think that I have reached my goal by using different and interesting words in my writing.

I think that I have achieved my goal by using different sentence beginnings, facts, subheadings and technical words in my writing.

By; Siobhan Kenna

Write: a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world.

Write a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world.	I need help to write a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world.	I can write a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world. if I am prompted or directed.	I use several strategies to write a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world. but I am not sure when and or why to use them. (trial and error – aware of strategies but not sure why or when to use them so makes mistakes)	I use several strategies to write a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world. and I know when and why to use them. (strategic or purposeful use of strategies – knows why and when ).	I use several strategies to write a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world. and I know when and why to use them. I seek feedback on how to improve how I can write a report informing our readers about a living creature in the natural world.
Effective Strategies [insert strategies suggested by students and teachers]	Success Criteria: Create a title. Write a general introduction. Use Subheadings -Each new topic is a new paragraph. Use facts written in your own words. Write a conclusion. Use descriptive verbs eg hovers. Use topic specific nouns eg kakapo, reptile Include technical words eg nocturnal, monotreme Write in present tense. Vary the sentence beginnings. Use complex sentences eg This long, sticky tongue secretes sticky glycoprotein rich mucus, which insects stick to readily.