1404 lines
63 KiB
Plaintext
1404 lines
63 KiB
Plaintext
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THE WILD CATS
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R. Roger Breton
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Nancy J Creek
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The Family of Cats
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Technically, domestic cats belong to the class mammalia (mammals), the
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order carnivora (meat-eaters), the family felidae (cats), the genus
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felis (lesser cats), and the species cattus (domestic cats): that's
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our cat, felis cattus.
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There are three genera of the family felidae: panthera, the large or
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greater cats; acinonyx, the cheetahs; and felis, the small or lesser
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cats. A fourth genus, smilodon, the saber-toothed tigers, just missed
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by only 12,000 years: almost no time at all, geologically speaking.
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Since there is of necessity a lot of discussion about cat sizes using
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the terms "large" and "small," we shall use the terms "greater" and
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"lesser" in reference to the genera.
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The terms "greater cats" and "lesser cats" refer to size only in
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general: the larger lesser cats are larger than the smaller greater
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cats. The most obvious difference between the two genera is that
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greater cats can roar and the lesser cats cannot. The ability to roar
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is determined by the structure of the throat: most significantly, the
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small bones (the hyoid bones) that support the larynx. In the greater
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cats, these bones have been partially replaced by cartilage, allowing
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extraordinary flexibility of the throat and enabling the cat to roar.
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In the lesser cats, these bones are rigid and roaring is impossible.
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Contrast the deep-throated, deafening roar of a lion to the snarling
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cough of a puma.
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The genera are divided into species. Generally speaking, two dissimi-
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lar animals belonging to the same genus are considered as belonging to
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different species if they do not interbreed and produce viable off-
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spring: they either physically cannot interbreed, such as a puma and
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a housecat (boggles the mind, not to mention the housecat!); would not
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interbreed naturally, such as a jaguar and a leopard, which just don't
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have the right smells and signals to inspire mating; or their off-
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spring would be sterile, such as a lion and a tiger, whose offspring
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is a "liger" if the father is a lion or a "tigon" if he is a tiger,
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but is always sterile. Conversely, if two such animals do interbreed
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and produce viable offspring, they naturally and quickly become the
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same species even if they weren't to start with -- interbreeding will
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do that sort of thing -- though they may maintain enough differences
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to be classed as separate subspecies.
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There are some notable exceptions to this rule, particularly where man
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has interfered. The species Geoffroy's cat, for example, can physi-
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cally mate with the domestic cat and produce viable offspring, but
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would not normally do so in the wild, as the smells and signals are
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wrong and the mating instinct would not be triggered. Man has suc-
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The Wild Cats Page 1
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cessfully circumvented this, however, and produced viable offspring in
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a attempt to produce cats with wild-cat patterns. Such hybrid off-
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spring are usually treated as a subspecies of one species or the
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other, based upon dominant characteristics: so far, only new subspe-
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cies of Geoffroy's cat have been produced, not new domestic cats.
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This is not the case with other hybrids, most notably the Bengal is a
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domestic cat-leopard cat hybrid.
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Differing species come about through isolation. If some members of a
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species become separated from the main body of their species by dis-
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tance or natural obstruction, they will eventually evolve into a
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different species, losing the ability to interbreed. All members of
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the genus felis, subgenus felis, have a somewhat complex relationship
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to each other. The parent species in this group is felis sylvestris,
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the European wildcat, who first evolved some 600,000 years or so ago
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in central Europe (where he can still be found). During the Second
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Ice Age, he extended his domain into Africa and Asia. As the ice
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receded the seas rose and the climates changed, the immigrant species
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became isolated from each other by water, deserts, and mountains.
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Over time, the isolated subspecies evolved into the Sand Cat, the
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African Wildcat, the Forest Cat, the Black-Footed Cat, and the Chinese
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Desert Cat: other species also evolved, but failed to survive.
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Species are themselves further divided into subspecies (if wild) or
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breeds (if domesticated): the two classifications are analogous to
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each other. We should remember that panthera leo azandica (the Congo
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Lion) has exactly the same relationship to panthera leo that Siamese
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Cat has to felis cattus. Don't be fooled by the Latin: if a zoolo-
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gist set up a "zoo" of domestic cats, he'd find a Latin or Greek word
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for "Siamese," tack it on the end of "felis cattus," and call it a
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subspecies. It would still be a breed.
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All felids, regardless of genus or species, have certain basic things
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in common. In appearance, they all look like cats. While this may be
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arguable in the case of the Jaguarundi and, to a lesser degree, the
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Flat-Headed Cat, it is definitely not true of some other families:
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all members of the canid (dog) family, for example, do not look like
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dogs (not even all dogs look like dogs!).
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Besides a similarity of appearance, all cats have retractable claws:
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even the cheetah, the most primitive of all modern cats, has partial-
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ly-retractable claws.
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The most cat-unique common characteristic, however, is purring: all
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cats, and nothing but cats, purr. For some time it was believed that
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the greater cats didn't purr: some texts still say this even today.
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This is patently not true, all cats purr: lions purr, tigers purr,
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cheetahs purr, leopards purr, jaguars purr, pumas purr, bobcats purr,
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domestic cats purr; all cats purr, without exception. This alone
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proves common ancestry: probably pseudailurus, 28 million years ago,
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or dinictis, 40 million years ago, depending upon whether saber-
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toothed tigers purred, something our own Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon
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ancestors failed to note. There are also a whole slew of internal
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similarities, as would be expected.
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The Wild Cats Page 2
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Besides the biological similarities among cats, which one would ex-
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pect, there is one other distinguishing characteristics. Wherever it
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has adapted, in whatever ecological niche in whatever part of the
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world, the cat reigns supreme among carnivores in its size class. It
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is the penultimate hunter, with a finely-honed stalking and killing
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ability that other carnivores can only dream about. The typical
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member of family felidae scores in 30 percent of its hunts: no other
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carnivore, including man, comes close. It is also a merciful hunter,
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killing quickly and cleanly by severing the spinal column of its prey
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and minimizing the pain and suffering.
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Some zoologists break the three genera down further into subgenera
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based upon subtle or newly-discovered differences. As an example, the
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subgenus leopardus, the South American lesser cats, have 36 chromo-
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somes instead of the usual 38, (probably through a fusion of two
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chromosomal pairs). This is a major distinction, even though it is
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invisible to the eye and depended upon modern technology for its
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discovery, and is usually considered a legitimate subgenus. The
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subgenus lynx, on the other hand, is based upon the lynx and its
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relatives having short tails and tufted ears, a more obvious but also
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more trifling distinction. The subgenus of a wild species is given in
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brackets in the species list, and would replace the genus in nomencla-
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ture: "felis [puma] concolor" may be "puma concolor" instead of
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"felis concolor," but never "felis puma concolor." The relationships
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between subgenera can be clearly seen in the family chart.
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All species of cats have differing subspecies (breeds), not just the
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domestic cat. There are, for example, nine subspecies of lions:
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Panthera leo azandica: Congo Lion
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Panthera leo bleyenberghi: Bleyenbergh's Lion
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Panthera leo hollisteri: Hollister's Lion
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Panthera leo massaicus: Massai Lion
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Panthera leo persica: Persian Lion
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Panthera leo roosevelti: Roosevelt's Lion
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Panthera leo senegalensis: Senegal Lion
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Panthera leo somaliensis: Somalian Lion
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Panthera leo verneyi: Verney's Lion
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The difference in lion subspecies reflects variations in size, color,
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territory, etc., with the names coming from the discoverer, classifier
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or territory. The number of recognized subspecies of a wild cat
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species will be given, but individual subspecies will not be named.
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One small footnote: don't let the "scientific" name of the various
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cats fool you. Zoologists are as silly as the rest of us when it
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comes to naming things, but they hide their silliness behind a Latin
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or Greek facade. As an example, the scientific name for the common
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stripped skunk, mephitis mephitis, translates to "smelliest of the
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smelly."
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In our own case, the Latin word "felis," generic for "cat," is derived
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from the older Latin word "felix," meaning "happy," probably because
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The Wild Cats Page 3
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cats are not shy about letting the world know when they are happy,
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which is most of the time: they purr (purring also makes the cat
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owner feel happy). This means that "felis cattus" could be translated
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as "happy cat" or "purring cat," and the family "felidae" means "one
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of those who are happy." Deep stuff here!
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In order to be fair, and to give the zoologists their due, the Romans
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did call just any old cat "cattus," and one of their cats "felix
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cattus." (No, "felix cattus" does not mean "Felix the Cat," though
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we can see where Otto Messmer may have gotten the name.)
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The Species of Cat
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All in all, there are 38 recognized species of cats: six greater
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cats, panthera; one cheetah, acinonyx; and 31 lesser cats, felis,
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including the domestic cat. All of them except the domestic cat (and
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even some of those) have one thing in common: they are wild carni-
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vores and will often bite and scratch when encountered (bigger ones
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may also eat!). Count your fingers after petting!
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A description of each of the 38 species is given. Considerable
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thought went into the order in which the species should be listed.
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Most lists give the greater cats, then the cheetah, then the lesser
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cats, with the order within each genus being either the alphabetical
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order of their English or Latin names or the territory in which they
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were first discovered. None of this seemed to make sense here, so we
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decided to list them by weight and size, largest to smallest. Alter-
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nate English names are given after the primary name, and subgenera are
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given in brackets. The weights and lengths shown are for average male
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specimens of the various subspecies of each species: females tend to
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be slightly smaller. Please remember that new subspecies, or even new
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species (see the Iriomote cat), may be discovered at any time.
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When taking the domestic cat as a species we intentionally chose to
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use the typical feral cat a a model -- one that has returned to the
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wild state. Because of random interbreeding among feral domestic
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breeds, the dominance of certain genes, and the non-survival charac-
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teristic of certain traits, there has come to be estabished a definite
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and distinctive species: the medium sized brown or red mackeral tabby
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shorthair.
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When discussing the subspecies (breeds) of the domestic cat taken as a
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species, it is important to remember that several new breeds are
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created each year, several breeds are discontinued each year, and
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there is no agreement among "experts" as to what defines a new breed,
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making the exact number of breeds impossible to compute. As an exam-
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ple of this disagreement, a blue (grey) British Shorthair is usually
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classed as a separate breed, the British Blue, but a black British
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Shorthair is not. Overall, there is a definite upward trend in the
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number of cat flavors.
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The Wild Cats Page 4
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Tiger
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Name: Tiger
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Species: Panthera Tigris
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Weight: 200-500 pounds
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Head/Body: 60-72 inches
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Tail: 24-36 inches
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Subspecies: 7
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The largest cat and one of the most powerful land carnivores in the
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world (exceeded in strength but not speed by the Kodiak bear), the
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tiger is a massively built cat of awesome size and power, with some
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exceptional individuals reaching 800 pounds. Its distinctive coat is
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white to orange-brown with black, brown, or grey stripes. Its small
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round ears have black backs with a central white spot. The males of
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some subspecies sport side whiskers.
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The tiger may be found in all types of terrain of southern and south-
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eastern Asia and of eastern Asia northward to Mongolia and Siberia,
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where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks game of all types.
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It is an excellent swimmer.
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The tiger is the only truly striped cat, with a completely non-agouti
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coat. All other striped cats are tabbies.
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Lion
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Name: Lion
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Species: Panthera Leo
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Weight: 300-500 pounds
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Head/Body: 96-108 inches
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Tail: 24-36 inches
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Subspecies: 9
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The lion is very large cat with a balanced and well-proportioned body
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and a large head. Its coat varies from tawny to brownish-yellow with
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a black-tipped tail and black patches on its ears. The males have a
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heavy body-color, brown, or black mane.
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The lion may be found in all parts of Africa south of the Sahara and
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in the Gir Forest of India and, until recently, in all parts of the
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Near East and on the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas of Europe, where it
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hunts by night or day, from the ground, and seeks game of all types.
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The females do most of the hunting. It has been known to scavenge.
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The lion is unique in that it is the only wild cat that lives in a
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group, called a pride, consisting of one mature male and any number of
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females, cubs, and immature males.
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The Wild Cats Page 5
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Jaguar
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Name: Jaguar
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Species: Panthera Onca
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Weight: 90-300 pounds
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Head/Body: 72 inches
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Tail: 22 inches
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Subspecies: 8
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The jaguar, often incorrectly called a panther (a panther is a leop-
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ard), is a massive and powerfully built cat, with a deep-chested body
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and a large head. Its coat is yellowish-brown with dark brown spots
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in center-spotted rosettes. Some individuals are very dark brown,
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almost black, effectively masking their spots.
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The jaguar may be found near water in savannahs and forests in all
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parts of North and South America south of the United States. The last
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native jaguar in the U.S. died in the early 1960's. It hunts by
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twilight, from the ground, and seeks peccary, capybara, coypu, otter
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and fish. It is an excellent swimmer.
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Puma
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Name: Puma, Mountain Lion, Cougar
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Species: Felis [Puma] Concolor
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Weight: 100-200 pounds
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Head/Body: 48-60 inches
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Tail: 28 inches
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Subspecies: 29
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The largest of the lesser cats, the puma, often incorrectly called a
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panther (a panther is a leopard), is a large and powerful cat with a
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graceful and narrow body and exceptionally strong legs. It is the
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champion jumper among cats, able to execute a 30 ft. standing broad
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jump or an 18 ft. jump straight up the face of a cliff. Its head is
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small, with small rounded ears. Its has a distinctive call midway
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between a cough and a snarl. Despite its size, it is a lesser cat and
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cannot roar. Its coat is a uniform tawny color with lighter under-
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parts and white on the chin and throat. It sports a white moustache.
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The puma was until recently found in all parts of North and South
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America except the arctic, but is rapidly vanishing from large por-
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tions of the U.S. and Canada. It is strongly territorial, claiming an
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exceptionally wide range, and is solitary even by cat standards,
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avoiding its own kind except to mate. It hunts by day, primarily from
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the ground but occasionally from high rocks, low cliffs, or trees, and
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seeks deer, sheep, goats, peccary, capybara and other similarly-sized
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game. It will occasionally stalk livestock when other prey is scarce.
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It avoids humans and their settlements and farms when establishing its
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territory, but is not shy about contact when a human moves into an
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already established territory. It is intensely curious about every-
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thing in its range, and has been known to enter houses on occasion,
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even while occupied. In one recorded incident in Arizona, a puma
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The Wild Cats Page 6
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entered a house and stole the roast from the dinner table while the
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couple was sitting there. They (probably wisely) opted not to move
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nor to challenge its right to do so.
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Old wives tales and Hollywood notwithstanding, there has never been a
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substantiated case of a puma attacking a human, even a child, unless
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cornered, injured, ill, or protecting its cubs. Hunters' and ranch-
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ers' dogs are a different story, and do not fare well upon encounter.
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Unfortunately, the hunters and ranchers usually take the dogs' side.
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An exceptionally gentle cat for one so large, the puma is easily
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tamed, especially when taken as a cub, and does well in captivity.
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Snow Leopard
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Name: Snow Leopard, Ounce
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Species: Panthera [Uncia] Uncia
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Weight: 150 pounds
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Head/Body: 41 inches
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Tail: 35 inches
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Subspecies: 1
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A rare cat, the snow leopard is a large, graceful cat with a long,
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lithe build. Its coat is smoke grey with dark grey spots in broken
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rosettes.
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The snow leopard may be found above the tree line in the high moun-
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tains of central Asia, where it hunts by day, from the ground, and
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seeks grazing animals and large birds.
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Little is known about this cat, partly because of its rarity and
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partly because of its habitat: only a brave, mountain-climbing zoolo-
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gist can study it in the wild. Some zoologists classify the snow
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leopard as a lesser cat, sticking with the genus uncia, as its hyoid
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bones are intermediate between the two extremes: it can roar softly
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(though louder than the clouded leopard). Most zoologists, however,
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place it in the genus panthera, and classify it as a greater cat.
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Leopard
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Name: Leopard, Panther
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Species: Panthera Pardus
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Weight: 90-150 pounds
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Head/Body: 48 inches
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Tail: 24 inches
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Subspecies: 15
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The leopard or panther is a large, graceful cat with a long, lithe
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build. Its coat is pale brown to yellowish-brown with dark brown
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spots in rosettes. Some individuals are very dark brown, almost
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black, effectively masking their spots and producing the famous black
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panther.
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The Wild Cats Page 7
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The leopard may be found in all parts of Africa south of the Sahara,
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Asia east of the Indus and south of Mongolia, and Indonesia, where it
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hunts by night, by twilight, and by day in late afternoon and early
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morning, from the ground or from trees, often dropping silently on its
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prey, and seeks large or small game of almost any type.
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A solid-colored leaopard or "black panther" is often of a more agres-
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sive nature than those with a spotted coat. This is because normal
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spotted mothers tend to dislike solid-color cubs, often driving them
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away prematurely. This ostracism produces mean-tempered, intolerant
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individuals, just as it does with humans. No satisfactory explanation
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has ever been given for this phenomenon.
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Cheetah
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Name: Cheetah
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Species: Acinonyx Jubatus
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Weight: 65-110 pounds
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Head/Body: 48-60 inches
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Tail: 20-30 inches
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Subspecies: 6
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The most primitive of all cats, evolving some 18 million years ago,
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the cheetah is a tall, slim, long-legged cat, built along the lines of
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the greyhound. Its claws are only semi-retractable, and it has a
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distinctly dog-like muzzle. Its coat is yellowish-brown with dark
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brown spots and a long white-tipped tail.
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The cheetah may be found in open grassland and nearby forests in all
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parts of Africa, the Middle East, and south-central Asia, where it
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hunts by day, from the ground, and seeks antelope and other grazing
|
||
animals.
|
||
|
||
The cheetah is unique in several ways, and is the only member of genus
|
||
Acinonyx. It is easily tamed and trained to the hunt and is the
|
||
fastest four-footed animal on Earth, often achieving speeds in excess
|
||
of 80 mph for short distances.
|
||
|
||
There are some few zoologists who classify the cheetah as a lesser
|
||
cat, on the basis that it is definitely not a greater cat (can't roar)
|
||
and must therefore be a lesser cat. These zoologists belong to the
|
||
"you can't have a genus of one" school of biology. In our opinion,
|
||
this is total nonsense. The world abounds with single-species genera
|
||
-- the tuatara, a New Zealand reptile unlike any other reptile that
|
||
isn't already extinct and roughly related to other reptiles the way
|
||
the platypus is related to other mammals, comes to mind. Some of
|
||
these zoologists do write books, however, and do get their ideas in
|
||
print, which is why we mention them at all.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 8
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Clouded Leopard
|
||
|
||
Name: Clouded Leopard, Mint Leopard
|
||
Species: Panthera [Neofelis] Nebulosa
|
||
Weight: 40-66 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 36-42 inches
|
||
Tail: 30-36 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 4
|
||
|
||
The clouded leopard is a slim, well proportioned, medium-sized cat.
|
||
Its coat varies from pale brown to rich brown with large irregular
|
||
blotches, said by the Chinese to resemble the shape of mint leaves
|
||
(hence the name mint leopard in China). Its head is banded, with
|
||
small, round, black ears with a central grey spot. Its underparts are
|
||
pale or white, and its tail is ringed in black.
|
||
|
||
The clouded leopard may be found in the dense forest and scrub of
|
||
southern and southeastern Asia, where it hunts by night or day, from
|
||
trees, dropping silently down onto its prey, and seeks medium-sized
|
||
game of all types. Completely at home in the trees, this cat is one
|
||
of the best climbers -- the margay is arguably better, but is nowhere
|
||
near the same size -- and can run up and down a tree like a huge
|
||
squirrel.
|
||
|
||
Some zoologists classify the clouded leopard as a lesser cat, sticking
|
||
with the genus neofelis, as its hyoid bones are intermediate between
|
||
the two extremes: it can only roar softly. Most zoologists, however,
|
||
place it in the genus panthera, and classify it as a greater cat.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Northern Lynx
|
||
|
||
Name: Northern Lynx, Lynx
|
||
Species: Felis [Lynx] Lynx
|
||
Weight: 30-65 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 40 inches
|
||
Tail: 7 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 9
|
||
|
||
The northern lynx is a large cat with a powerful body, short, sturdy
|
||
legs, and a very short tail. It has a large head with side whiskers
|
||
and large tufted ears. Its coat is yellowish-brown fading to white on
|
||
its undersides, and may be spotted with dark brown: the presence of
|
||
spots and the spotting pattern varies considerably between subspecies.
|
||
|
||
The northern lynx may be found in the pine forests and thick scrub
|
||
south of the arctic in North America, Europe and Asia, where it hunts
|
||
by night, from the ground, and seeks rodents, birds, fish, small deer,
|
||
goats, and sheep.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 9
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Spanish Lynx
|
||
|
||
Name: Spanish Lynx
|
||
Species: Felis [Lynx] Pardina
|
||
Weight: 54 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 38 inches
|
||
Tail: 57 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 1
|
||
|
||
Very similar to but slightly smaller than the northern lynx, the
|
||
Spanish lynx is also a large cat with a powerful body, short, sturdy
|
||
legs, and a very short tail. It too has a large head with side whisk-
|
||
ers and large tufted ears. It has exceptionally keen eyesight, the
|
||
best of all the cats. Its coat is yellowish-brown fading to white on
|
||
its undersides, and is strikingly spotted with black.
|
||
|
||
The Spanish lynx may be found in the pine forests of the Iberian
|
||
peninsula, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks ro-
|
||
dents, birds, fish, termites, and small deer, goats, and sheep.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Caracal
|
||
|
||
Name: Caracal, Caracal Lynx
|
||
Species: Felis [Caracal] Caracal
|
||
Weight: 35-50 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 29 inches
|
||
Tail: 9 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 9
|
||
|
||
The largest African lesser cat and an exceptional climber and jumper,
|
||
the caracal is a slenderly built cat with long legs and a short,
|
||
sharply tapered tail. Its coat is reddish-brown with distinctive
|
||
tufted ears and white markings around its eyes and on its throat,
|
||
chin, and belly.
|
||
|
||
The caracal may be found in the deserts, scrub, savannahs, mountains
|
||
and rocky areas of Africa, Arabia, and southern Asia as far east as
|
||
India, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks small
|
||
animals, birds of all sizes, and the young of the larger grazing
|
||
animals.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Serval
|
||
|
||
Name: Serval
|
||
Species: Felis [Leptailurus] Serval
|
||
Weight: 30-40 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 32 inches
|
||
Tail: 16 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 14
|
||
|
||
The serval is a lightly built cat, with long legs, large ears, and
|
||
short tail. Its coat is light brown with dark spots, black-tipped
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 10
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
tail, and black ears with distinctive white spots.
|
||
|
||
The serval may be found near water and in the reedbeds and marshes of
|
||
Algeria and Africa south of the Sahara, where it hunts by night, from
|
||
the ground, and seeks rodents, reptiles, birds, and small deer.
|
||
|
||
|
||
African Golden Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: African Golden Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Profelis] Aurata
|
||
Weight: 30-40 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 29 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 2
|
||
|
||
The African golden cat has a sturdy build, with long legs, large paws,
|
||
small head and short tail. Its coat has a wide range of colors, from
|
||
chestnut brown to silver grey, with white on its cheeks, chin, chest
|
||
belly and insides of its legs.
|
||
|
||
The African golden cat may be found in the dense forests and scrub of
|
||
central and west Africa, where it hunts by night and twilight, from
|
||
the ground, and seeks rodents, birds, and small deer.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bobcat
|
||
|
||
Name: Bobcat, Bay Lynx, Wildcat
|
||
Species: Felis [Lynx] Rufus
|
||
Weight: 15-35 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 30 inches
|
||
Tail: 6 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 11
|
||
|
||
The bobcat is proportioned like a small lynx, with a powerful body,
|
||
short, sturdy legs, and a very short tail. Its fairly large head has
|
||
large, sharply-pointed ears, tufted in some subspecies. Its buff coat
|
||
fades to white on its undersides and is barred and spotted on its
|
||
flanks, belly and legs with dark brown or black. The backs of its
|
||
ears are black.
|
||
|
||
The bobcat may be found in most terrain, short of actual desert, of
|
||
western North America from British Columbia to central Mexico. It is
|
||
very territorial, where it hunts by night, from the ground or trees,
|
||
and seeks rabbits, gophers, and other small animals.
|
||
|
||
Prior to the settlement of its territory by Europeans, the bobcat
|
||
ranged over a much wider area of the U.S. and Canada. This is the
|
||
wildcat that a mountain man was supposed to be able to whup his weight
|
||
in.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 11
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jungle Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Jungle Cat
|
||
Species: Felis Chaus
|
||
Weight: 16-30 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 24-30 inches
|
||
Tail: 9-12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 9
|
||
|
||
Possibly one of the ancestors of the domestic cat, the jungle cat is a
|
||
well proportioned cat with a sturdy build and definite cat-like move-
|
||
ments and actions. It is definitely a mutated felis sylvestris. Its
|
||
coat is sandy grey to tawny red with pale stripped-tabby body markings
|
||
(more pronounced in kittens) with darker, almost black tabby-type
|
||
facial markings, dorsal stripe, and tail tip.
|
||
|
||
The jungle cat may be found in the jungles, woodlands, scrub, reedbeds
|
||
and marshes of Egypt and southern Asia. Often found living in and
|
||
around human settlements and farms. It hunts by night or day, from
|
||
the ground, and seeks rodents, reptiles, birds, and other small ani-
|
||
mals.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Ocelot
|
||
|
||
Name: Ocelot
|
||
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Pardalis
|
||
Weight: 12-30 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 35 inches
|
||
Tail: 16 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 11
|
||
|
||
The ocelot is a medium-sized cat with a graceful body, long, powerful
|
||
legs, and a short tail. Its coat is a soft creamy yellow with strik-
|
||
ing center-spotted rosettes of black with a soft brown color inside
|
||
the rosette. The rosettes often link up to form chains. Its head is
|
||
boldly marked with black spots and bars. Its tail is heavily ringed
|
||
with a black tip.
|
||
|
||
The ocelot may be found in any type of cover from thorny chapparal to
|
||
jungle, but never in the open, of North and South America south of the
|
||
United States, where it hunts by night, from the ground, but spends
|
||
the day secure in high trees, and seeks birds, deer, peccary, coati
|
||
mundi, agouti and other small mammals.
|
||
|
||
This cat has a severe handicap in being one of the most beautiful of
|
||
all cats. As a result it has been hunted to near-extinction for its
|
||
pelt, in spite of being a protected species in most countries. It is
|
||
believed that not all subspecies currently remain.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 12
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
European Wildcat
|
||
|
||
Name: European Wildcat
|
||
Species: Felis Silvestris
|
||
Weight: 10-30 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 22-28 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 7
|
||
|
||
An older species, evolving about 650,000 years ago, the European
|
||
wildcat is in the direct ancestral line of the domestic cat (our cats)
|
||
and is the parent species for several related small cats, most notably
|
||
felis lybica, which it strongly resembles. It is about one-third
|
||
larger than a feral domestic cat and resembles it in both build and
|
||
coat. It is often mistaken for a large tabby with disastrous results,
|
||
as it is not at all friendly (somewhat vicious, in fact). Its coat is
|
||
long and thick, to protect it from harsh European winters, and is
|
||
colored and marked identically to your basic brown stripped-tabby
|
||
alleycat.
|
||
|
||
The European wildcat may be found in all parts of Europe and Asia west
|
||
of the Urals and the Caspian except the arctic. It is not afraid of
|
||
humans and will live on the outskirts of cities scavenging in garbage
|
||
bins (much as do raccoons and coyotes in the U.S.). It is very pro-
|
||
lific and a long way from being endangered, even though its territory
|
||
is diminishing as more and more of Europe is converted to city and
|
||
suburbs. It hunts by twilight, from the ground, and seeks rats,
|
||
squirrels, birds, small deer, domestic cats, small dogs, and poultry.
|
||
It is usually considered vermin by farmers and villagers.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Fishing Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Fishing Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Prionailurus] Viverrina
|
||
Weight: 25 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 32 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 1
|
||
|
||
The fishing cat has a long, sinuous body, almost civit-like in appear-
|
||
ance, with relatively short legs and a somewhat flattened tail. It
|
||
forepaws have unusually long phalanges (toes) and claws. Its claws
|
||
extend considerably from their sheaths even when fully retracted. All
|
||
four feet are webbed. Its coat is light brown with dark brown irregu-
|
||
lar spots, fading to white underneath. The backs of its ears are
|
||
black with a central white spot.
|
||
|
||
The fishing cat may be found in the marshes and swamps of southern and
|
||
southeastern Asia. It avoids human settlements, where it hunts by
|
||
day, in the water and from the ground, and seeks fish, crayfish,
|
||
mollusks, rodents, reptiles and other small animals. It is the best
|
||
swimmer of all cats, catching fish by pursuit and using its long claws
|
||
as fishhooks.
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 13
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Temminck's Golden Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Temminck's Golden Cat, Asiatic Golden Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Profelis] Temmincki
|
||
Weight: 14-25 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 31-35 inches
|
||
Tail: 19-20 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 3
|
||
|
||
Temminck's golden cat is a medium-sized, well-proportioned cat with
|
||
short round ears, about twice the size of a cat. It has a strikingly
|
||
beautiful appearance, with a deep-golden coat fading to white on its
|
||
undersides. In some subspecies, there is an absence of spotting,
|
||
while in others faint brown spotting is evidenced. An occasional
|
||
individual will be very dark brown, almost black. There is a distinc-
|
||
tive grey patch behind each ear, while a white line bordered in black
|
||
runs from each eye to the top of its head.
|
||
|
||
Temminck's golden cat may be found in the forests and rocky areas of
|
||
Asia from the Himalayas to the Maylay Peninsula, where it hunts by
|
||
day, from the ground, and seeks game of all types up to the size of
|
||
small deer.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Flat-Headed Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Flat-Headed Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Ictailurus] Planiceps
|
||
Weight: 12-18 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 22 inches
|
||
Tail: 7 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 1
|
||
|
||
A very unusual cat, the flat-headed cat is omniverous, being equally
|
||
content with prey or vegetation. It is about the size of the domestic
|
||
cat, but with a very long body, short legs and tail, and a broad, flat
|
||
head with a ridge formed by the nasal bones and small round ears. Its
|
||
coat is reddish-brown to dark brown, with a yellowish-brown face and
|
||
white underparts. The underside of its tail is yellowish-brown.
|
||
|
||
The flat-headed cat may be found in the forests and scrub of south-
|
||
eastern Asia, often near human habitation and farms, where it hunts by
|
||
night, from the ground, and seeks rodents, frogs, other small animals,
|
||
fruit, sweet potatoes, and other legumes. It often raids garbage cans
|
||
and gardens, and fills the ecological niche that in other parts of the
|
||
world is filled by raccoons, weasels, and stoats.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 14
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
African Wildcat
|
||
|
||
Name: African Wildcat
|
||
Species: Felis Lybica
|
||
Weight: 10-18 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 24 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 11
|
||
|
||
The primary ancestor of the domestic cat (and our cats), whom it
|
||
resembles, the average African wildcat has a more sturdy build and is
|
||
slightly larger than the average domestic cat -- though not as large
|
||
as some of the bred-for-size subspecies. Its coat is light brown to
|
||
light yellowish-brown with stripped-tabby markings. Cats with darker
|
||
tabby markings, similar to tabby cats, are found in forested areas,
|
||
while cats with paler markings are found in grasslands.
|
||
|
||
The African wildcat may be found throughout Africa and the Middle
|
||
East, Asia as far east as India, and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia,
|
||
and Majorca. It is often found around human settlements and farms.
|
||
It hunts by night, usually on the ground but sometimes from trees and
|
||
bushes, and seeks rodents, reptiles, birds and insects.
|
||
|
||
The African wildcat is very easily tamed, especially when taken as a
|
||
kitten, and many farmers in its range have African wildcats in lieu
|
||
of domestic cats.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Margay
|
||
|
||
Name: Margay, Marguey, Tree Ocelot
|
||
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Wiedii
|
||
Weight: 9-18 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 26 inches
|
||
Tail: 16 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 11
|
||
|
||
The margay has a slim, graceful body with long legs and a long tail.
|
||
Its coat is a light yellowish-brown with striking dark brown irregular
|
||
spots, which may form rosettes. Its tail is ringed.
|
||
|
||
The margay may be found in the forests of the Yucatan and Central and
|
||
South America, and one subspecies near the Texas-Mexico border, where
|
||
it hunts by day, from trees, and seeks small mammals, birds, tree
|
||
frogs, and lizards.
|
||
|
||
The margay is without question the best climber of all cats. It runs
|
||
up and down the trees like a squirrel, virtually living in them from
|
||
birth to death -- which is almost never by falling. So well adapted
|
||
is the margay to arboreal life that its feet are extraordinarily
|
||
flexible, with the hind feet capable of turning completely around.
|
||
Its claws are also exceptionally strong and sharp. It is not unusual
|
||
for a margay to be discovered hanging head downward from one hind foot
|
||
while it catches a quick nap seventy feet in the air.
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 15
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jaguarundi
|
||
|
||
Name: Jaguarundi, Jaguarondi, Weasel Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Herpailurus] Yagouaroundi
|
||
Weight: 16 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 26 inches
|
||
Tail: 18 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 8
|
||
|
||
Often mistaken for an otter because of its peculiar shape and appear-
|
||
ance, the jaguarundi has a long sinuous body, very short legs, a
|
||
flattened tail, and a long flattened head with a short nose and very
|
||
small low-set round ears. Similar to the flat-headed cat but even
|
||
more extreme in appearance. Its coat comes in two color phases,
|
||
brownish-grey to black and bright reddish-brown, which readily inter-
|
||
breed, producing young of both phases in their litter. Both phases
|
||
shade to white on their undersides.
|
||
|
||
The jaguarundi may be found in lowland forests, scrub and chapparal of
|
||
South America and North America south of the southwestern United
|
||
States, where it hunts by night and by day in the afternoon, from the
|
||
ground, and seeks mainly birds and the occasional rodent. It fills
|
||
the same ecological niche as the raccoon, weasel, otter, or
|
||
stoat, and occasionally has territorial clashes with them.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Feral Domestic Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Feral Domestic Cat
|
||
Species: Felis Cattus -- formerly Felis Domestica
|
||
Weight: 8-15 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 12-24 inches
|
||
Tail: 5-10 inches
|
||
Subspecies: Legion.
|
||
|
||
Due to the fact that this is a truly domesticated animal, subject to
|
||
human breeding programs, normal criteria do not apply. Many of the
|
||
"breeds" (subspecies) are merely color variations of the same basic
|
||
breeds. Programs are also under way to introduce new and exotic
|
||
colors and body types, as well as to produce smaller and larger varie-
|
||
ties of existing breeds. When deprived of human companionship, the
|
||
domestic cat will revert to the wild state: such a cat is said to be
|
||
feral. When this occurs, it will, within the course of a few genera-
|
||
tions, lose most of its man-introduced and artificially-maintained
|
||
recessive characteristics, and stabilize as a small, muscular cat of a
|
||
definite type and coloration. This body type and coloration can be
|
||
seen in the common alleycat, which is merely a feral or semiferal cat
|
||
still residing around people.
|
||
|
||
Among those features that quickly vanish are the Persian skull struc-
|
||
ture, the Siamese body type, long hair, and other recessive character-
|
||
istics. The Persian flat-faced (Pekingese) skull inhibits the sense
|
||
of smell and decreases visual acuity. Cats of this type left on their
|
||
own seldom live long enough to breed. The long, lean Siamese body
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 16
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
type, while graceful, simply cannot withstand a good cat-fight with a
|
||
15 pound alleycat, and will fail during territorial and courtship
|
||
battles.
|
||
|
||
Several coat characteristics desired by man, such as Siamese colora-
|
||
tion or long, silky hair, are recessive and will quickly disappear
|
||
unless constantly maintained by careful breeding. Feral cats do
|
||
partake in a selective breeding program, but their only criteria is
|
||
survival.
|
||
|
||
The ordinary mackerel-stripped tabby in black-brown or orange are the
|
||
dominant coat patterns and colors, though there will always be some
|
||
individuals with solid black or dark-brown coats. All other patterns
|
||
and colors are recessive and will vanish.
|
||
|
||
Non-albino white is a dominant color, but is poor camouflage for a
|
||
hunter (except, perhaps, in the snow): white cats are often deaf,
|
||
which is definitely not a survival characteristic.
|
||
|
||
The feral domestic cat will continue to be found around man. The
|
||
reasons for this are not as obvious as one would think. While a good
|
||
hunter and fighter, a feral cat is simply not in a class with its wild
|
||
cousins. When it leaves the haunts of mankind it is bound to meet up
|
||
with a bobcat, a European wildcat, or some other kin, and the reunion
|
||
is usually very hard on the feral cat. By becoming domesticated and
|
||
accepting cathood, felis cattus has given up his independence forever.
|
||
|
||
There is an exception to this. Where man has already driven away
|
||
competing wild cats, the feral cat quickly rises to the top of the
|
||
ecological heap for his size class.
|
||
|
||
The feral cat will hunt by day or night, from the ground, and will
|
||
seek mice, rats, squirrels, birds, lizards, and other small animals.
|
||
In times of famine it will become cannibalistic.
|
||
|
||
Unlike other wild cats, with the exception of the lion, the feral cat
|
||
will often be found in groups, called clowders. The feral clowder
|
||
bonds together for mutual comfort and affection, but will seldom hunt
|
||
together or band in mutual defense against a common enemy. It is as
|
||
though his connection with man has introduced the domestic cat, feral
|
||
or otherwise, to the benefits of love and companionship, but has not
|
||
yet overcome the solitary hunting and fighting instincts.
|
||
|
||
A word of caution: don't be fooled by appearance into thinking of a
|
||
feral domestic cat as someone's pet. Even though it may look exactly
|
||
like Old-Tom-Sleeping-by-the-Fire, it is a truly wild animal and may
|
||
very quickly and very efficiently shred an extended hand or arm.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 17
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Mountain Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Mountain Cat, Andean Highland Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Oreailurus] Jocobita
|
||
Weight: 8-15 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 23 inches
|
||
Tail: 14 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 1
|
||
|
||
The mountain cat is similar to a cat in size and build. Its coat is
|
||
of a very fine silky texture, about two inches in length, and of a
|
||
pale silver or reddish-grey color fading to white on the undersides.
|
||
It has faint brown or ochre tabby-like markings on its body and flanks
|
||
which may darken to almost black on its undersides and legs. Its tail
|
||
is ringed with dark brown or black, with the tip always the body
|
||
color. Its ears are grey.
|
||
|
||
The mountain cat may be found in arid regions of the high Andes,
|
||
sometimes above the snow line, of Peru and northern Chile and Argenti-
|
||
na, where it hunts by day, from the ground, and seeks chinchilla,
|
||
viscacha, and other small mammals.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Leopard cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Leopard Cat, Bengal Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Prionailurus] Bengalensis
|
||
Weight: 7-15 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 25-32 inches
|
||
Tail: 10-14 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 7
|
||
|
||
The leopard cat is cat sized and shaped, with a well-balanced carriage
|
||
and build. Its coat varies in ground color from grey to red with
|
||
white or very light underparts. It is randomly patterned with dark
|
||
brown or black spots over its entire body. Its head has strong black
|
||
and white striped markings.
|
||
|
||
The leopard cat may be found all over southern and central Asia from
|
||
India to the Philippines, Mongolia, Manchuria, Siberia and Japan,
|
||
where it hunts by night or day, from trees, and seeks game birds,
|
||
fish, squirrels, hares, and other small animals.
|
||
|
||
One interesting fact about the leopard cat is that is the only wild
|
||
cat to be successfully used in a domestic-wild hybrid breeding program
|
||
in recent years, giving rise to the beautiful and mild-mannered Bengal
|
||
breed.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 18
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Pampas Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Pampas Cat, Grass Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Lynchailurus] Colocolo
|
||
Weight: 8-14 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 24 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 7
|
||
|
||
The pampas cat is a small cat, about the size of a cat, with a broad
|
||
face and large pointed ears. Its coat varies from a silvery grey,
|
||
through all tones of yellow and yellowish-brown, to a light brown,
|
||
with the flanks, legs, and tail banded with a darker variation of the
|
||
body color.
|
||
|
||
The pampas cat may be found in the open grasslands and high pampas of
|
||
southern South America east of the Andes, where it hunts by night,
|
||
from the ground, and seeks birds, cavies and other small animals.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Chinese Desert Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Chinese Desert Cat
|
||
Species: Felis Bieti
|
||
Weight: 12 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 30 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 3
|
||
|
||
A very rare cat, the Chinese desert cat is a well-proportioned cat-
|
||
sized cat. Like the sand cat, the soles of its feet are covered with
|
||
thick mats of fur to protect it from the hot sands. Its coat is sandy
|
||
brown with distinctive darker brown spots set in wide-spaced vertical
|
||
rows. Its undersides are very pale.
|
||
|
||
The Chinese desert cat may be found in the deserts, steppes, scrub and
|
||
mountains of Mongolia and China, where it hunts by night, from the
|
||
ground, and seeks small rodents and reptiles.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Iriomote Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Iriomote Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Mayailurus] Iriomotensis
|
||
Weight: 12 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 23 inches
|
||
Tail: 8 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 1
|
||
|
||
A very rare cat, discovered in 1964, the Iriomote cat has a long body
|
||
with short legs and tail. Its coat is brown with lines on its neck
|
||
that end at its shoulders and black spots that merge into lines on its
|
||
flanks. Its ears are black with white spots.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 19
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Iriomote cat may be found only on the small island of Iriomote,
|
||
off the coast of Taiwan, where it hunts by night, from trees, and
|
||
seeks birds and small mammals.
|
||
|
||
The discovery so recently of the Iriomote cat caused a considerable
|
||
stir in zoological circles. It should be taken as notice that we
|
||
certainly don't know all there is to know.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marbled Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Marbled Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Pardofelis] Marmorata
|
||
Weight: 12 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 21 inches
|
||
Tail: 15 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 2
|
||
|
||
A rare cat, the marbled cat resembles a long-tailed cat in size and
|
||
build. Its beautiful, striking coat is pale brown, with irregular
|
||
slightly darker brown blotches sharply outlined in dark brown or
|
||
black. Its long cylindrical tail is full from rump to tip and carries
|
||
its body pattern.
|
||
|
||
The marbled cat may be found in the forests of the Maylay peninsula,
|
||
Sumatra, Borneo and some neighboring small islands, where it hunts by
|
||
day, from trees, and seeks birds and eggs.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Pallas' Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Pallas' Cat, Manul
|
||
Species: Felis [Otocolobus] Manul
|
||
Weight: 7-12 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 22 inches
|
||
Tail: 10 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 3
|
||
|
||
The oldest living species of cat, evolving some 10 million years ago,
|
||
Pallas' cat is similar to the lynx in facial structure, with a large,
|
||
sturdy body and short legs. Its head is short and broad, with large
|
||
round eyes and blunt wide-set ears. Its long, silky coat varies in
|
||
color from light grey to russet brown, with white tips to its hairs
|
||
giving a sparkling, almost irridescent appearance. There are dark
|
||
lines on its cheeks, rings on its tail, and its lips, chin, and throat
|
||
are white.
|
||
|
||
The Pallas' cat may be found on the rocky plateaux and river banks of
|
||
central Asia, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks
|
||
small mammals and birds.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 20
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Rusty-Spotted Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Rusty-Spotted Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Prionailurus] Rubiginosa
|
||
Weight: 6-9 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 17 inches
|
||
Tail: 7 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 2
|
||
|
||
The rusty-spotted cat is a small cat with small round ears and a short
|
||
tail. Its soft, short coat is grey with a reddish tinge on top and a
|
||
pale underside. There are reddish spots scattered randomly over its
|
||
body and reddish stripes on its head. Its face has distinctive white
|
||
and dark markings. The soles of its feet are black.
|
||
|
||
The rusty-spotted cat may be found in the forests, scrub, dried river-
|
||
beds and drainage systems of India and Sri Lanka, where it hunts by
|
||
night, from the ground, and seeks small mammals and birds.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Tiger Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Tiger Cat, Tiger Ocelot
|
||
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Tigrina
|
||
Weight: 5-8 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 22 inches
|
||
Tail: 13 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 4
|
||
|
||
The tiger cat has a slim, graceful body with long legs and a long
|
||
tail. Its coat is a light yellowish-brown with striking dark brown
|
||
spots, which may form rosettes or chains of rosettes. Its tail is
|
||
ringed.
|
||
|
||
The tiger cat may be found in the forests of Central and South Ameri-
|
||
ca, where it hunts by day and by twilight, from trees, and seeks small
|
||
rodents and birds.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Geoffroy's Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Geoffroy's Cat, Geoffroy's Ocelot
|
||
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Geoffroyi
|
||
Weight: 6 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 20 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 5
|
||
|
||
The Geoffroy's cat is a small cat with a well-proportioned body and
|
||
head. Its coat varies from silver grey to ochre and is covered all
|
||
over with equally-placed small dark brown or black spots. On the
|
||
shoulders and flanks of some individuals the spots may merge to form
|
||
rosettes or bars.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 21
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Geoffroy's cat may be found in the open brushlands and scrub of
|
||
South America south of the Amazon basin and East of the Andes, where
|
||
it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks small mammals and birds.
|
||
|
||
The Geoffroy's cat is an exceptionally mild-tempered cat, and has been
|
||
bred with the domestic cat in an effort to produce a tame but wild-
|
||
looking hybrid.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Sand Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Sand Cat
|
||
Species: Felis Margarita
|
||
Weight: 5-6 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 20 inches
|
||
Tail: 12 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 4
|
||
|
||
The sand cat is a small cat with short legs and a very broad head with
|
||
low-set ears and full cheeks. The soles of its feet are protected
|
||
from hot sands by having a thick mat of fur. Its coat is a plain
|
||
yellowish-brown to greyish-brown, slightly darker towards its spine
|
||
and lighter underneath.
|
||
|
||
The sand cat may be found in the semi-desert regions of northern
|
||
African and the Middle East, where it hunts by night and twilight,
|
||
from the ground, and seeks small rodents and reptiles.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bay Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Bay Cat, Bornean Red Cat
|
||
Species: Felis [Pardofelis] Badia
|
||
Weight: 5 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 20 inches
|
||
Tail: 15 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 1
|
||
|
||
A small, very rare cat, the bay cat has a slender body with an excep-
|
||
tionally long tail and a round head with small rounded ears. Its coat
|
||
is reddish-brown (chestnut) with a pale undersides and significantly
|
||
darker ears. There are faint spots on its undersides and limbs and
|
||
suggestions of lines in its face.
|
||
|
||
The bay cat may be found only in rocky and scrub areas of the island
|
||
of Borneo, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks small
|
||
rodents and birds.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 22
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Kodkod
|
||
|
||
Name: Kodkod, Huina
|
||
Species: Felis [Oncifelis] Guigna
|
||
Weight: 4.5 lbs
|
||
Head/Body: 18 inches
|
||
Tail: 8 in. body
|
||
Subspecies: 2
|
||
|
||
The kodkod is the smallest cat in the Western Hemisphere. Its coat is
|
||
buff with heavy black spots. There are black bands on its legs, and
|
||
its ears are black with a white spot.
|
||
|
||
The kodkod may be found in the forests of Chile and Patagonia, where
|
||
it hunts by night, from the ground though it is an excellent climber,
|
||
and seeks small rodents and birds.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Black-Footed Cat
|
||
|
||
Name: Black-Footed Cat
|
||
Species: Felis Negripes
|
||
Weight: 2.5-4.5 pounds
|
||
Head/Body: 14-18 inches
|
||
Tail: 6-7 inches
|
||
Subspecies: 2
|
||
|
||
The black-footed cat is the smallest African cat, possibly the small-
|
||
est cat in the world. Its coat is light brown, slightly darker on
|
||
top, with dark brown or black spots, streaked on its cheeks, throat,
|
||
chest and belly, and with transverse bars on its forlegs and haunches.
|
||
Its feet have black soles.
|
||
|
||
The black-footed cat may be found in the deserts and savannahs of
|
||
southern Africa, where it hunts by night and twilight, from the
|
||
ground, and seeks small rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Wild Cats Page 23
|
||
|
||
|
||
|