Snow leopards live higher than most other big cats - sometimes above 5,000 metres, where the air is thin and the wind is cold. Their fur is incredibly thick and warm. Their tail is almost as long as their body, and they wrap it around themselves like a scarf when they sleep.
Their huge paws act like snowshoes, spreading their weight so they don't sink. They have furry pads on the bottom of their feet for warmth and grip. They can leap six times their own body length - jumping over wide gaps between rocks like a long-jumper.
Unlike lions or tigers, snow leopards do not roar. They make soft purring sounds, a 'chuff' that is a friendly greeting, and a long mewing call to talk to other snow leopards across the mountain.
There are only a few thousand snow leopards left in the wild. They are very shy and hard to study. In Nepal, scientists use trail cameras hidden along mountain paths - the camera takes a photo whenever something walks past, and that's often the only way people see one.