Question

The snow leopard has ___________ on its body?
a) Thick fur
b) Thin fur
c) Scales
d) Rashes

Answer 1

Hint: A snow leopard belongs to the species of wild cat that lives in the Himalayan region. They fall under the endangered category because according to the recent data, less than are left. The climate in the Himalayan regions of Afghanistan, India, and Tibet is cold and dry.

Complete answer:
Snow leopards are the residents of the cold, dry mountainous regions in the Himalayan belt. They are generally found on the northern side of the Himalayan region. They are threatened and hunted due to which they are nearly endangered because not more than are left. They hunt and prey on the Blue sheep and Himalayan tahr.
So, if the cold and harsh conditions are kept in mind, a thin fur would not be able to protect the body of the leopard from the deadly environment.
So, option b) is not the correct answer.
Scales are present in animals who stay on land, especially sandy and dry soil, such as reptiles like snakes and crocodiles. Moreover, these have a hot and humid environment around them, so the scales are an adaptive feature of the reptiles living on lowlands.
So, option c) is not the correct answer.
Rashes are caused on the skin when there is some kind of infection or disease, it is not an adaptive feature on animals that have come from evolution.
So, option d) is not the correct answer.
The climate in the Himalayan regions of Afghanistan, India, and Tibet is cold and dry. To adapt to this environmental condition the Snow leopard has evolved with a thick fur that protects the internal organs and keeps the body warm.

So, option a) is the correct answer.

Note:
The Snow leopard is an endangered species and the government has planned to set up the first Snow leopard Conservation Centre in the forest division of Uttarakhand in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme under a year plan ‘Secure Himalayas‘. It aims to protect the natural diversity and conserve the natural flora and fauna in the Himalayan region.