Abstract: Tomur National Nature Reserve (TNNR) is located in northwestern Xinjiang near the border between China and Kyrgyzstan, and is one of the largest nature reserves associated with snow leopards (Panthera uncial) in China. We surveyed snow leopards from October 2004 to December 2005 to investigate their population density and number in TNNR. Using a sign survey and a prey availability survey, we estimated the snow leopard population density and compared the results with camera trap survey results in TNNR, and tried to find a less labor intensive and relatively accurate method to estimate snow leopard population density. By sign surveys, we recorded the snow leopard sign density about 8.63/ km. With this sign density, we estimated the snow leopard population density in TNNR was 2 - 5 /100km² with the total number of 47. 52 -118. 8 using Jackson’ method, and 1.99 – 3.47/100km² for population density and 47.28 – 82. 45 for total number using Formozov’s method. We estimated the population density of the main snow leopard prey species, ibex, in the TNNR was 270 /100km² . Using McCarthy’s methods, we estimated the snow leopard population density according to ibex density was 1. 59 – 3. 23 /100km² and thus the total number 37. 78 – 76. 46. Compared with the camera trap results which showed that the snow leopard population density was 2. 0 -3. 2/100km² ,we found Formozov’s sign survey and prey availability survey were relatively accurate for estimating snow leopard population density. In the absence of enough labor and effort, these methods are suggested for investigating snow leopard population density.

Key words: Ibex, Prey-availability surveys, Population density, Sign surveys, Snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

关键词: 痕迹调查法, 食物资源调查法, 雪豹, 北山羊, 种群密度