Jenny Hansen, age 13, of Columbus, Ohio, for her question:

HOW LARGE IS THE SNOW LEOPARD?

Snow leopard is a large mammal that is a member of the cat family. You'll find it in many zoos but you'll have to go to the mountains of Central Asia if you want to find it in the wilds. The handsome animal is also called an ounce.

Some experts say the animal is only a leopard like feline while others say that it is definitely in the same family as the true leopard.

The snow leopard has a thick layer of soft underfur covered by thick, long hair. The beautiful coat is pale gray, with black rosettes anti a black streak along the spine. The underparts are whitish.

The animal's body is about four feet long and the tail is about three feet long. It lives in the high mountains and is mainly nocturnal, prowling at night and sleeping during the day. A female will have two to four cubs in a litter.

Snow leopards have been overhunted for their fur and are now endangered