Category Secrets of the Wild

      Although the jaguar and leopard look very similar to each other, they are two different animals. Both cats are spotted; however, if we examine them carefully, we can understand that the way the spots are arranged varies. A close look will reveal that the ring of spots of the jaguar, known as rosettes, have another spot inside.

      However, leopards do not have these. While the jaguar’s tail is shorter, the leopard’s is longer. There is a difference in size too. While both animals are smaller than lions and tigers, a jaguar is slightly larger in South America. Leopards are aplenty in Africa and Asia.

 

      It is not very common to see a fight between the two biggest cats. Moreover, in such an event, who is likely to win is dependent several factors. In terms of size, bite force, brain size and intelligence, the tiger is superior to the lion. Therefore, on paper, it is highly likely that the tiger wins. The teeth of a tiger are exceptionally strong and are the longest among all animals. Therefore, its bite force is higher than a lion’s.

      Tiger are heavier than lions and can beat them in power. The social nature of lions is another factor. Lions hunt in prides and may not be a force to reckon with when alone. It needs the support of the other members of its pride. The group mentality might work to the advantage of the tiger, which is a solitary animal. It needs no help to hunt and take care of its well-being. Therefore, the tiger is better equipped to take on the lion.

      However, on a given day, anything may happen. Better fighting skills may work in favour of the lion and it may beat the tiger after a tough duel.

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      It is highly unlikely to see cats living and hunting in groups because they are not social animals. However, this does not hold true in the case of the lion. The lion is a family animal. Lions live in communities, and depend on one another for sustenance.

      A community of lions is known as a pride. Normally, there will be 15 or more lions in a pride. However, a pride can be as small as three and as big as 40 in memberships. They hunt for food, bring up their litter and defend their territory as a community.

      Do you know that females in the pride do most of the hunting? They take up the responsibility of raising cubs too. However, when there is a kill, the male lions take the ‘lion’s share and the lionesses and cubs get only the remainder.

      Tigers, however, prefer to live alone, although they do sometimes socialize. Both lions and tigers prey on humans. However, we have more man-eating tigers than lions!

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      Do you know that the tiger is the largest feline species in the world? Native to the mainland of Asia, this big cat reaches a body length of up to 3.38 metres. The biggest cats in the feline family, they weigh up to 420 kg in their natural habitat. The Siberian tiger, a subspecies, can reach up to 320 kg in weight and 3.3 metres in length!

      Lions come only second in size. However, they have an exceptional ability to use their mane to look bigger than they really are. During confrontations, the lion uses this strategy to frighten off its opponent. A normal adult lion male weighs up to 250 kg, and a female, up to 182 kg. From head to body, lions have a length of 1.4 to 1.9 metres, and their measure up to 1 metre. African lions tend to be bigger than their Asiatic cousins.

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      Cheetahs are big; and therefore, many include them in the ‘big cats’ category. However, experts are of the opinion that they cannot be considered big cats, as their body is very different from that of other cats. Unlike lions and tigers, cheetahs cannot let out a deafening roar. All they can manage to produce are shrilly yelps that sound much like the meows of a cat.

      Leopards and lions are also found in the grasslands where cheetahs live. While the big cats hunt during night also, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the day alone in order to avoid confronting fierce rivals during night. Leopards and lions are stronger than cheetahs, and competing with them for food is not easy for these cats.

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      If there was a race among the big cats, the indisputable winner would be the cheetah. The cheetah, however, is the fastest animal not just among the cat family alone. There is hardly any animal in the entire world that can beat the cheetah in a race.

      When running at full steam, the cheetah can reach speeds of about 96.6 km per hour in just three seconds. In a few strides, the animal can reach speeds of more than 95 km/h. The most modern cars will struggle to match such power. However, the animal can run only for short distances. The cheetah will soon run out of steam, and give up eventually after about 180 meters if the prey seems to be getting away.

      The big cat has extraordinary manoeuvrability skills, and this gives the animal an advantage over the rest of the cat family. A beautiful spotted coat is the cheetah’s distinguishing characteristic among other cats. The back tear marks on the sides of its face also make the animal distinct from others.

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      Do you like the company if a cat? Its soft fur coat, sweet meow and purr will endear it to anyone and that is why the cat is one of Man’ favourite pets.

      Do you know that other than the domestic cat, there are many species that belong to the cat family such as tiger and cougars? There are about 37 species in the cat family, which is known as Felidae. Five of them, namely the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and snow leopard are considered ‘the big cats’.

      Sometimes other cats like the cougar, clouded leopard, sunda clouded leopard and cheetah are also referred to as ‘big cats’. Each of these species has certain qualities that make it different from the rest. For example, the tiger is the strongest among them and the cheetah is the fastest.

      Ocelots and lynxes that are endangered belong to the medium sized cats. They are too big to be called wild cats, and too small to be counted among the big cats. Some species which resemble the domestic cat are found in the wild too. The fishing cat, flat-headed cat, and the black-footed cat are some among them.