Which big cat is also called the ounce?

The big cat also called the ounce is the snow leopard.

The snow leopard’s scientific name is Panthera uncia, and “ounce” is an old English name for this elusive mountain cat. The term ultimately came through Old French once, a word originally associated with the Eurasian lynx. A mistaken division of the French phrase l’once helped create the modern form “ounce.”

Snow leopards live across the high mountains of Central and South Asia, including the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, Mongolia, and parts of western China. Their thick fur, broad paws, and long tails help them survive cold, rocky environments. The tail also acts as a counterbalance and can be wrapped around the body for warmth.

The name can cause confusion because “ounce” is much more familiar as a unit of weight or volume. It is also easy to confuse the snow leopard with the leopard, but the snow leopard has a stockier build, paler fur, and a much longer, thicker tail. Despite its name, it is a separate species rather than a color form of the common leopard.