Snow Leopard Signposts

Check out candid footage from a 'snow leopard signpost' - or, as some would call it, a cat communications center.

In order to communicate, snow leopards leave markings on the landscape that other cats will find. They scrape the ground with their hind legs and spray urine against rocks.

Called snow leopard ‘sign’, even feces can act as a signal to other cats. Snow leopards tend to mark along topographic features such as ridgelines or the base of cliffs. These markings enable snow leopards to locate each other and identify the boundaries between home ranges. Scent marking in particular may also help the cats locate mates during the breeding season.

At one such location, a research camera captured several snow leopards leaving their individual marks over the course of a couple of months. Enjoy the candid footage!

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