[__ Science __ ] Snow Leopard—The Ultimate Cool Cat

[AIG.com]

The snow leopard survives in its frigid climate thanks to a collection of cool features.

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[Barbarian]

Interestingly polar bears (which evolved from brown bears during the last ice age, have many of the same adaptations for cold. They are very different phentotypically, but are genetically so close to grizzly bears that they can still interbreed. Like the snow leopard, they have smaller ears dense fur undercoats, and fat storage to reduce heat loss. But they also have black skins to maximize solar warming, channeled to the skin by white hairs that serve as light channels.

Warmer climate has reduced pack ice in the Arctic Ocean, so the polar bears are now coming ashore to look for food, sometimes coming into the range of grizzly bears. (or garbage cans by people living in the far northern areas)

And yes, we are starting to see pizzly bears (or grolar bears), the result of interbreeding between grizzly and polar bears. Climate change might cause the extinction of polar bears, not by loss of habitat, but by hybridization with grizzly bears.

The Canadian lynx has a number of cold-weather adaptations found on the snow leopard, which are examples of parallel evolution between closely-related organisms.

 

[Truthfrees]

The snow leopard survives in its frigid climate thanks to a collection of cool features.

Continue reading...

cool - thanks

"The worldwide flood of Genesis 7 didn’t just engulf the globe; it altered geography and global climate, ultimately giving rise to environments like the cold, snowy mountain ranges in Central and South Asia. In a post-fall, post-flood world, the snow leopard has adapted to its frigid habitat thanks to three primary designs that help it maintain its core temperature.

The snow leopard’s thick fur has two layers. The coarser outer layer protects its skin from the elements, while the thicker, soft inner layer traps as much body heat as possible. These layers offer protection similar to wearing thermal underwear beneath your heavy coat."

 

[Barbarian]

An undercoat of fur is a fairly common adaptation in mammals...
Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of many different animals. It is a defining characteristic of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket that keeps the animal warm.

Fur - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It's the normal condition in mammals.