A snow leopard’s tail is nearly as long as the rest of its body!

This physical oddity serves two very important purposes for this big cat. First of all, the length of its tail helps a snow leopard maintain its balance! This may seem weird for those of us that are lacking in the tail department, but it works similarly to when tightrope walkers spread their arms out wide to better keep their balance. The other function is actually pretty cute. Its 3-foot-long tail is extremely thick and furry, so a SNOW leopard wraps it around its face to protect itself from the cold and SNOW when it is resting!

Learn more about snow leopards!