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Yu, N. Z. C., Wang, X., He, G., Zhang, Z., Zhang, A., Lu, W., et al. (1996). A revision of genus Uncia Gray, 1854 based on mitochondrial DNA restriction site maps. Acta Theriologica Sinica, 16(2), 105–108.
Abstract: The Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the most threatened wild big cats within its range of distribution, however, the question of its systematic status is a matter of debate. Is it a member of genus Panthera, or is it in its own genus (Uncia)? The analysis of genetic difference at the DNA level may provide useful data to clarify the issue. In the present study, ten hexanucleotide-specific restriction endonucleases were used to evaluate the patterns of mitochondrial DNA variation between the Snow leopard and leopard (P. pardus). The molecular size of mtDNA from the two species was about 16.5 kb. Ten enzymes surveyed 32-34 restriction sites, which corresponded to 192 apprx 204 base pairs, or 1.16% apprx 1.24% of the total mtDNA molecule. A total of 45 restriction sites were mapped; of these sites, twenty-four, which correspond to 53.3% of the total sites, were variable. The sequence divergence between them was 0.075 33, which was undoubtedly in the species-level distinction but did not reach the genus level. Therefore, the Snow leopard should be placed in the genus Panthera rather than in its own ganus. It also seems reasonable to recognize Uncia as a valid subgenus. This conclusion not only support but also supplement the viewpoint of Simpson who treated Uncia as a subgenus within Panthera.
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Yuan, G. (1991). Vertebrates fauna Xinjiang. Urumqi: Xinjiang People's Press.
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Yuan, G. Y. (1998). Natural environmental protection and nature reserves in Xinjiang. Xinjiang, Urumqi: Science, Technology and Hygiene Publishing House of Xinjiang, Urumqi.
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Zhang, F., Jiang, Z., Zeng, Y., & McCarthy, T. (2007). Development of primers to characterize the mitochondrial control region of the snow leopard (Uncia uncia) (Vol. 7).
Abstract: The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is a rare carnivore living above the snow line in central Asia. Using universal primers for the mitochondrial genome control region hypervariable
region 1 (HVR1), we isolated a 411-bp fragment of HVR1 and then designed specific primers
near each end of this sequence in the conserved regions. These primers were shown to yield
good polymerase chain reaction products and to be species specific. Of the 12 snow leopards
studied, there were 11 segregating sites and six haplotypes. An identification case of snow
leopard carcass (confiscated by the police) proved the primers to be a useful tool for forensic
diagnosis in field and population genetics studies.
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Zhang, W., & Zhang, F. (2000). Beast of Prey. Harbin: North-eastern Forestry University Press.
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Zhenhuang, S. (1964). Economic Fauna of China. China: Academia Sinica Press.
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Zhirnov, L., & Ilyinsky, V. (1986). The Great Gobi National Park – a refuge for rare animals of the Central Asian deserts. Moscow: Centre for International Projects, GKNT.
Abstract: Discusses snow leopard distribution in Great Gobi National Park
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Zong-Yi, W., & Sung, W. (1986). Distribution and recent status of the Felidae in China. In D.S.Miller, &.D.D.Everett (Eds.), (pp. 201–209).
Abstract: Thirteen of the 37 existing species of the family Felidae have been recorded in China. These species are widely distributed throughout the country and inhabit a variety of life zones. Over the past several decades, the populations of most species of cats in China have declined due to overharvest and habitat destruction. China has a Protected Wildlife Species List which was initiated in 1962. Some cat species in China are now endangered or may already be extinct while other species or subspecies are threatened. The authors use limited data on the distribution of cats in China to summarize the staus of each species and the problems facing each. Recomendations for new measures to protect cats in China are made.
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Farrington, J., Tsering, D. (2019). Human-snow leopard conflict in the Chang Tang region of Tibet, China. Biological Conservation, 237, 504–513.
Abstract: In April 2006, the authors conducted a preliminary human-wildlife conflict survey of 300 livestock herders in Shainza, Nyima, and Tsonyi Counties in northern Tibet's sparsely-populated Chang Tang region. This survey revealed a widespread but previously undocumented problem of snow leopard predation on livestock. In June and July 2007, an exploratory human-snow leopard conflict survey of 234 herders in the above counties found that 65.8% of respondents had experienced conflict with snow leopards in the form of livestock kills, with 77.3% of the most recent incidents occurring in the previous five years. These incidents were concentrated in winter and spring and a surprising 39.6% of incidents occurred during the day, often with herders present. Fifteen exploratory snow leopard sign transects totaling 14.85 km were conducted. Abundant snow leopard scrapes as well as pug marks were found, confirming the presence of these secretive cats. A total of 521 blue sheep were counted on and off sign transects indicating widespread availability of wild snow leopard prey. The recent surge in reported snow leopard conflict is likely due to increasing human and livestock populations, establishment of two multiple-use nature reserves accompanied by improved enforcement of wildlife protection laws, and a regional gun and trap ban launched in 2001. However, retaliatory killing of snow leopards in the survey area continues to be a potential threat. Therefore, measures are needed to reduce livestock kills by snow leopards, including corral improvements, improved guarding, establishment of livestock compensation schemes, and educating herders about snow leopard behavior.
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Farrington, J., Tsering, D. (2020). Snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang region of Tibet, China. Global Ecology and Conservation, 23.
Abstract: In 2006 and 2007, the authors conducted human-wildlife conflict surveys in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s (TAR) Shainza, Nyima, and Tsonyi Counties, located in the TAR’s remote Chang Tang region. At this time, prior knowledge of the snow leopard in this vast 700,000 km2 region was limited to just eight firsthand snow leopard sign and conflict location records and 15 secondhand records. These surveys revealed a previously undocumented and growing problem of human-snow leopard conflict. The 2007 survey also yielded 39 new snow leopard conflict incident locations and 24 new snow leopard sign locations. Next, snow leopard telephone interviews and mapping exercises were conducted with Tibet Forestry Bureau staff that yielded an additional 63 and 144 new snow leopard conflict and sighting location records, respectively. These 270 new snow leopard location records, together with 39 records collected by other observers from 1988 to 2009, were compiled into a snow leopard distribution map for the Chang Tang. This effort greatly expanded knowledge of the snow leopard’s distribution in this region which remains one of the least understood of the snow leopard’s key range areas. New knowledge gained on snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang through this exercise will help identify human-snow leopard conflict hot spots and inform design of human-snow leopard conflict mitigation and conservation strategies for northwest Tibet. Nevertheless, extensive additional field verification work will be required to definitively delineate snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang. Importantly, since 2006, a number of major transportation infrastructure projects have made the Chang Tang more accessible, including paving of highways, new railroads, and new airports. This has led to a greatly increased number of tourists visiting western Tibet, particularly Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. At the same time, large areas of the Chang Tang have been fenced for livestock pastures as part of government initiatives to allocate pasturelands to individual families. All three of these developments have a large potential to cause disturbance to snow leopards and their prey species, including by hindering their movements and degrading their habitat. Therefore, future conservation measures in the Chang Tang will need to insure that development activities and the growing number of visitors to the Chang Tang do not adversely affect the distribution of snow leopards and their prey species or directly degrade their habitat.
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