Is water an important resource for the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in periods when terrain is covered with snow?

Some mammalian species that inhabit cold environments are known to eat snow to fulfill their water requirements. However, there is a potential trade-off between eating snow and drinking water because of the considerable energy that the body invests in warming the ingested snow. It is claimed that the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) eats snow to fulfill its requirement of water, which is why several researchers do not consider water as a limiting...