Snow Leopard - Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyztan has several outstanding geographical features: the average altitude for Kyrgyzstan is 2,750 meters, the highest of any country in the world, the Tian Shan Mountain range covers 80% of the country, Kyrgyzstan is further away from an open sea than any other country, and none of its rivers drain into an ocean or sea.

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Panthera uncia - During the warm summer months, the snow leopard roams throughout the higher alpine meadows amid the snow and glaciers lying above the tree line. During the winter, it follows the migratory routes of prey animals moving into the lower forests or scrub regions. Unless breeding or in the case of a female being accompanied by cubs, the snow leopard is a solitary animal. It is well adapted for cold regions: a short stocky body, dense fur to protect it from the cold, and wide paws for traveling over deep snowy terrain.

Schmidt's Dace - Kyrgyzstan

Leuciscus schmidti - The Schmidt's dace is a member of the Cyprinidae family, more commonly referred to as the carp or minnow family.  It is the largest of the fish families and contains over 2,400 species. The Schmidt’s dace has an average length of 27 centimeters and is limited to Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-kul. It feeds mainly on insect larvae, insects, and filamentous algae. Lake Issyk-kul is the 10th largest lake in the world by volume and the 2nd largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea.

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Most of present day Kyrgyzstan was added to Tsarist Russia through a treaty negotiated in 1868 between Russia and China’s Qing Dynasty. Kyrgyzstan was officially incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1876. The Russian takeover and attempts to enlist the local population into the military resulted in many Kyrgyz migrating to either Afghanistan or China. With the demise of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan became the first of the Central Asian republics to declare itself independent.