Did you know that Afghanistan has a national character? The national animal of this country is the snow leopard. Yes, Snow Leopard, so let's read about this national symbol of Afghanistan and its features.
The national animal of Afghanistan is the snow leopard. The snow leopard is a sunny cat that lives in Central Asia, Himalayas, and Tibet. Snow leopards are smaller than other big cats. There are dark rosettes on their skin. The characteristics of the snow leopard are suitable for cold areas and rocky and steep mountains. The snow leopard is a predatory and opportunistic animal and feeds on almost any meat source it obtains, including carcasses and domestic animals.
Although there is no apparent reason why the snow leopard is the national animal of Afghanistan, the sources say that the courage and bravery of the Afghans remain like this snow leopard. Snow leopards are smaller than other leopards. Their skin is white, yellow, and grayish, and they have small dark spots on the head and neck and larger areas on the back and sides of their bodies. The abdomen is white, and the eyes are pale green or gray. The body hair of this animal is thick and dense, and in different parts of the body, it is between 5 to 12 cm long. The body length of the snow leopard is 75 to 150 cm from head to tail, and the size of its tail is 80 to 105 cm. The length of the fangs of this animal is 28 mm, and the weight of this animal is 25 to 55 kg.
The characteristics of the snow leopard are suitable for cold areas and rocky and steep mountains. For example, the short front leg and the extended hind leg help move on steep slopes, and large toes are suitable for driving in the snow. Their tails are very long, both for better balance and to wrap them around their bodies in the cold. The large nose and large chest are suitable for breathing the thin, cold air of the mountains, and the long, thick hair with thick woolly skin keeps the body warm.