Snow leopards live at high altitudes --- approximately 9,800 to 17,000 feet above sea level --- and require heavy fur coats to protect them from harsh weather and wind gusts. Leopards in tropical environments do not require as thick of a coat of fur as the snow leopards. Snow leopards even have thick fur on their tails, whereas tropical leopards only have a thin layer of fur on this body part. Also, snow leopards have grayish fur to help blend in with their surroundings, while tropical leopards possess yellowish or orange fur. Also, some tropical leopards have completely black fur, which is the result of of a melanistic morph; black leopards are usually found in Southeast Asia.
Since they live in rocky environments, snow leopards have a heavy layer of fur on their feet. The fur layer provides padding for walking and jumping on mountain ledges. Snow leopards need heavy padding since they are able to jump over 45 feet before landing on a rocky surface. Furry paws also help for traction on snow, which causes mountain slopes to become slippery. Tropical environment leopards do not require heavy padding on their feet, since they spend most of their time in trees and grassy areas. Leopards in tropical environments rely on digitigrade walking for stealth. Digitigrade walking is the result of leopards walking on soft cushioning pads underneath their paws.
Snow leopards possess small heads and broad noses with deeper nasal cavities than leopards in tropical forests. When breathing cold air, a snow leopard's nasal cavity is able to make the air warm in the cavity's specialized sinus passages before it enters the lungs. Tropical leopards have larger heads and ears than snow leopards; snow leopard have small ears to contain the amount of warmth that leaves their bodies. The jaws of a tropical leopard are especially large, allowing this animal to drag deceased prey up trees; leopards place their prey in trees to prevent scavengers, such as hyenas, from stealing the carrion.
All leopard species have long tails, but the snow leopard has a tail almost as long as the length of its entire body; an adult snow leopard's body is at least 4 to 5 feet long. Also, snow leopards wrap their tails around their body to provide an extra blanket for warmth on especially cold days. Both snow and tropical leopards use tails for balance and coordination.