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| SKC Films Library >> Science >> Zoology >> Mammals >> Order Carnivora | |
Family Felidae fE' luh dE, cats |
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| CONTENTS | |
A Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) can reach a speed of 70 mph, but only over a short distance. After a few hundred yards it gives up, so although a cheetah will outclass a human athlete in the 200-meter sprint, it is unlikely to complete the course in the 1,500-meter event. |
Bobcat (Lynx rufus) The trails used by bobcats can be traced, not only by footprints but also by scratches on tree trunks where the bobcats have stretched and sharpened their claws. |
 Caracal (Caracal caracal) "Caracal" is derived from the Turkish word “karakulak” meaning “black ear,” and it is easy to see why this cat is so named. Each of the caracal's distinctive ears is controlled by about 20 muscles that help these hunters better determine where prey is hiding. The prominent black ear tufts can be up to 1.75 inches long. |
Jaguar (Panthera onca) The largest cat in the Americas, and third largest in the world, the jaguar weighs 100-250 pounds, stands about 3 feet at the shoulders, and is 6½ to 7½ feet long. "Jaguar" comes from the native Indian word yaguara, which means "a beast that kills its prey with one bound." |
 Sand Cat (Felis margarita) The smallest of all the wild cats, the sand cat is 17-22 inches long and weighs 3-7.5 pounds. Although it looks a lot like a domestic cat, it can be distinguished from its cousins by its very broad head and widely-spaced ears. It is the only cat known to inhabit true desert areas. |
Leopard (Panthera pardus) A shy and wary animal, the leopard is so well camouflaged that it can easily go undetected, even when living around human populations. An excellent tree climber, it is not uncommon for a leopard to lurk in a tree and wait for unsuspecting prey to walk by. |
Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguarundi) This member of the cat family is often mistaken for a weasel or otter and is even known as an "otter cat" in parts of its range. It lives in a variety of habitats from extreme southern Texas, through Mexico and Central America, to northern Argentina. |
Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) Considered the world's rarest cat, only 25-40 Amur leopards are known to exist in the wild, all of them along the border between Russia and China, specifically along the Amur River. |
The Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized member of the "big cats family," being up to 4 feet long, with a 15-inch tail, and weighing up to 35 pounds. The name ocelot is from the Mexican word tlatocelotl, meaning field-tiger. |
Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) As its name implies, the fishing cat's diet is comprised primarily of fish. It hunts along the edges of watercourses and grabs prey from the water, and will also dive into the water to catch prey further from the banks. |
The Margay (Leopardus wiedii) inhabits tropical and subtropical forested regions from Northern Mexico to Uruguay and northern Argentina. Notable for its climbing ability, it is one of the very few cats capable of descending from trees head first. |
 The Cougar (Puma concolor) is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the animal with the most common names of any animal, with more than 40 different names in the English language alone. Virtually every specific geographic region in which cougars are found has its own name for this wild cat, but cougar, panther and mountain lion are the most common names. |
The Serval (Leptailurus serval) has the longest ears and legs relative to overall size of all cats, as well as a long neck and relatively small head. One of the best hunters in the cat family, servals make a kill in about half of all tries, compared to an average of only one of every five or six attempts for other cats. |
Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) This big cat is covered with fur that ranges in color from light gray to smoke gray, shading to white on the belly. It is native to the high, rugged mountains of Central Asia, from Afghanistan to Kazakstan and Russia to India and China. Listed as an endangered species, there are an estimated 4,000 to 6,500 left in the wild. |
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| SKC Films Library >> Science >> Zoology >> Mammals >> Order Carnivora | |