The snow leopard, or snow leopard, is one of the most mysterious and rare feline species. These animals live in the mountainous regions of Central Asia and lead a secretive lifestyle. But what makes a snow leopard so unique?
One of the main advantages of snow leopards is their unique sense of smell.

Feline sense of smell and a special organ in the palate

Cats have a sense of smell 14 times better than humans, but worse than dogs. It helps cats find food or a partner, navigate in space and in the dark. The world of cats is a world of smells. However, the main thing here is not only the nose, but also the vomeronasal organ (Jacobson's organ), which cats use when they look like this:

Teasing? Or is he angry? No, it’s Fleming’s reaction! Our beloved spotted cats, however, and striped ones too, have a special organ in the palate. Are you ready? Vomeronasal! Or the Jacobson organ. If you had such an organ, you would also open your mouth like that before dinner, trying to figure out what was being cooked there — cutlets or pies.
This is not a reflex, the snow leopard opens its mouth intentionally. This is how the snow leopard captures odors better with its special organ in the nasal cavity. Scientists describe this sensation as "a combination of taste and smell." Even goats and horses do this. Therefore, the snow leopard here is not at all angry or cheerful. He’s smelling and tasting at the same time.

A special nose for the wild

The snow leopard doesn’t even notice the feathered flyers. He has his own business — to sniff out possible marking sites.

Such a free-standing stone is often used by animals to mark each other, to mark the territory. So it’s no wonder that the snow leopard has been sniffing the ground for so long. It’s nothing interesting to us here, but it’s a whole book for him.
And this Indian snow leopard, looking into the lens, has everything in a single color scheme — from the tip of its nose to its tail.

The nose must also be hidden so that the pink tip does not betray the snow leopard against the background of the rocks, because snow leopards are masters of camouflage. Their ability to blend in with the environment is legendary. This ability to disappear into nature and appear out of nowhere earned the cat its most famous nickname, the Spirit of the Mountains.
But the snow leopard’s nose is pink, adds charm. It doesn’t hurt for a master hunter, he has plenty of other tools for successful hunting.

Have you heard how snow leopards breathe? Snow leopard breathing was recorded on the Altai Ukok plateau. Turn on the sound!

The snow leopard sniffs the new object and so carefully draws in the air with its nostrils, as if trying to inhale the camera.

The footage was obtained by employees of Sailyugemsky National Park and the Directorate of Specially Protected Natural Territories of Altai during an expedition to the Ukok Plateau, which was supported by the Interregional Association "Irbis".

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Snow leopards are curious, like all cats. A new object on a familiar path is an excuse to smell, lick, and paw: "Ahhh… safe and inedible. It’s no use, let it stand."

Although there were cases when animals smashed, threw off, and sawed through the cameras — a wagon and a small cart. In this video, the girl was lucky, she also saved these wonderful shots for us. Enjoy it!

How to use the nose of a snow leopard

In the following video, the snow leopard does everything according to the instructions:
carefully sniff the rock section.;
open your mouth slightly and smell the vomeronasal organ (Jacobson's organ), breathe quickly;
rub your cheeks and chin against the rock, leaving a smell with the help of secretions of glands, the concentration of which is high in these places.;
Leave a urinary mark on the rock;
leave a scratch — paddle with your hind legs until you get a pile of rocks.

Things are done, we can move on. The snow leopard seemed to have put up a fence: it marked its territory and presence for others.
It is a pleasure to set camera traps in such places — places of marking activity. But on the other hand, scientists see the same picture every time.: carefully sniff the rock area, open your mouth slightly… And then around the circle.

Pink-gray nose for mountains

Snow leopards have adapted to life in the harsh conditions of the highlands. Even their pink and black nose is also unique.

Wide nostrils and sinuses help to warm up the cold mountain air slightly and breathe in more air, which is very important in thin air with little oxygen.
The nasal cavities of snow leopards are wide channels and bony labyrinths. Here’s how it helps to live in the mountains: a snow leopard inhales cold air, it heats up slightly, mixing with the warm air coming out of the lungs. This is the incredible life hack that evolution has given big mountain cats.

And how not to freeze a delicate nose in a dream? Here is the answer:

The nose can be hidden in the fluffy tip of the tail, like in a warm scarf, as the beauty did when she fell asleep in a secluded place between the rocks. This is how snow leopards sleep, wrapping their long fluffy tail around their bodies like a blanket.

A snow leopard meditates on the wind. One of the best trophies of Altai video traps.

The snow leopard catches the air currents by opening its mouth, diligently catches the slightest scent — suddenly prey is walking somewhere, and a relative has passed somewhere nearby.
The sense of smell plays an important role in the life of snow leopards. It helps them to find prey, define the boundaries of their territory and avoid dangers. Thanks to their keen sense of smell, snow leopards can detect even the faintest odors over long distances. This allows them to successfully hunt and survive in the harsh conditions of the mountains.