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Information about large cats


RANGE: Tigers live in almost every region of climate. Found in hot rain forests of Malaya, Dry woods of India and the cold snowy spruce of Manchuria. They survive also in grasslands, swamps and marshes. They seldom go into open country, like the lion. The territory of a single tiger may cover 25 to 300 sq. miles depending on the availability of prey. A males territory may cover the smaller territories of 1-2 females. ENDANGERED: Less then 2000 now remain in the wild.

SIZES
Length: Adult Males nose to tail nearly 10 feet. (Tigresses) the female slightly shorter then 8 feet.
Weight: Males from 400-600 pounds and females from 220-375 pounds.
BREEDING
Sexual Maturity: 3.5 to 4 years
Mating: Non-seasonal
Gestation: 95 to 110 days
No. of Young: 1-6 cubs
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, except in breeding season, when they come together to mate.
Diet: Deer, antelope, oxen, wild pigs.
Lifespan: Up to 20 years in the wild.

	SIZES Length: Adult Males nose to tail nearly 10 feet. (Tigresses) the female slightly shorter then 8 feet. Weight: Males from 400-600 pounds and females from 220-375 pounds.
	BREEDING Sexual Maturity: 3.5 to 4 years Mating: Non-seasonal Gestation: 95 to 110 days No. of Young: 1-6 cubs
	LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary, except in breeding season, when they come together to mate. Diet: Deer, antelope, oxen, wild pigs. Lifespan: Up to 20 years in the wild.

Through the Ice Ages, the tiger lived throughout Eurasia. Until the 1800's, tigers ranged most of the Asian continent. Today, only a few hundred are left there. Man has moved them out or killed them off.

This is the largest of the cat family. Admired for its strength and beauty. Yet, like the lion, a tiger is known to avoid people. Not living as a group, the tiger is a solitary animal, but not unfriendly. Two tigers may meet crossing paths, rubbing heads together in a greeting, then a quick departure. Several tigers may share a kill. Tigers communicate by many sounds including a roar which can be heard for up to two miles.

A tigers coat ranges from a light brownish-yellow to a deep orangish-red with black stripes. The fur on the throat, belly and insides of the legs is white. Many tigers have a ruff of hair around the head.

The tiger will hunt at night wandering over other animal tracks, along stream beds. They depend on their keen eye sight and clear hearing. Occasionally relying on their sense of smell for prey. A tiger will rush its prey - being extremely swift for short distances and can leap nearly 30 feet (9 meters). If an attack fails, there is a need to rest. As long as a week may pass without a successful kill. A tiger will always drag its prey to thick cover, preferably near the water.

The muscles of the neck, shoulders and fore legs are the most powerful. A tiger will drag up to 600 pounds nearly l/4 of a mile. A tiger will stay with the carcass until it has eaten everything but the bones and stomach. Eating up to 50 pounds of meet a night. A long drink and a nap quickly follow a kill.

Tigers are exceptional swimmers, often Iying in water to cool themselves. Tigers can also climb trees, but do not usually do so.

SIZES
Length: Adult Males nose to tail 106"-130". (Tigresses) the female between 95"-108".
Weight: Males from 420-700 pounds and females smaller at 220-370 pounds.
BREEDING
Sexual Maturity: 3.5 to 4 years
Mating: Non-seasonal
Gestation: 103 to 105 days
No. of Young: 2-4 cubs
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, except in breeding season, when they come together to mate.
Diet: Deer, antelope, fish, rodents, bear, rabbits.
Lifespan: Up to 20 years


RANGE: Frozen tundra of the Soviet far east. Some found near the Chinese border with North Korea in 1990. Covering areas of 1200-1600 square miles. ENDANGERED: It is estimated that there are 150-430 Siberian tigers still existing in the wild. There are 490 existing in captivity.

Remaining cats in Russia nearly 150-250. The Siberian Tiger, "The Great Wanderers", hunting solely at night, can consume up to 70 pounds of meat in one sitting.

Cubs, ranging normally 2-4 at birth, are born blind and helpless depending entirely on their mother. At one year, the cub is taught how to hunt. They will stay with their mother for 2-3 years, with a full life span of up to 20 years.

There are protected areas of Russia today for this animal - The Sikhote Alin, Lazousky, and Kedrovaya Pad Reserve. A law of the Russian Federation on Environmental Protection and Management of 1992, gave the Siberian tiger legal protection.

The Siberian tiger is the largest and heaviest subspecies. The tiger has round pupils and yellow irises. Due to a retinal adaptation that reflect light back to the retina, their night vision is six times greater than that of humans.

The Siberian tiger has a long, lanky body, with long legs and large paws for navigating through their snowy environment. Their fur grows very long to keep them warm during the harsh winters.

SIZES
Length: Adult Males nose to tail up to 13 feet. (Tigresses) the female slightly smaller.
Weight: Males from 500-700 pounds and females slightly smaller.
BREEDING
Sexual Maturity: 3.5 to 4 years
Mating: Non-seasonal
Gestation: 95 to 110 days
No. of Young: 1-6 cubs
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, except in breeding season, when they come together to mate.
Diet: Deer, antelope, oxen, wild pigs.
Lifespan: Close to 10 years.

RANGE: The white tiger origin was recorded in India during the start of the HB Mughal period from 1556 to 1605 A.D.

ENDANGERED: During the last 100 years, only about 12 such white tigers have been seen in India, resulting in 1 in every 10,000. Ancestry traces back to a single white male known as Mohan, captured in 1959. The Maharajah who captured the Mohan soon figured out the only way to produce additional white tigers was to breed him to his own daughter. Becoming the first generation in this century. Prices for a white tiger today start at $60,000.

The White Tiger is just that. This is not a separate subspecies of the Bengal Tiger and they are not Albinos. They have ice blue eyes, a pink nose, creamy white fur and chocolate brown to black stripes. A white tiger can be born from a mating of two orange tigers carrying the recessive gene, known as a double recessive allele. A Bengal tiger with two normal allele or one normal and one white allele is colored orange. Only a double dose of the mutant allele results in a white tiger.

There is no such thing as a snow tiger. All white tigers originate from the first white tiger "Mohan", from India. The white tiger was hunted to extinction from the 1700's by the Maharajah, who thought if he killed the Great Ghost Cat, it would bring him spiritual greatness. They were hunted to extinction and disappeared until "Mohan" was spotted in 1959.

Their white color does not help them in their natural environment, the jungle. Rather, it is a hindrance, as the white stands out instead of blending in.

SIZES
Length: Adult Males nose to tail approximately 9 feet. The female is smaller.
Weight: Males from 350-550 pounds and females smaller at 250-300 pounds.
BREEDING
Sexual Maturity: 3 to 4 years
Mating: Non-seasonal
Gestation: 92 days
No. of Young: 1-5 cubs
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Companionable. Live in prides.
Diet: Deer, antelope, zebra and other hoofed animals.
Lifespan: Up to 20 years in the wild, 25 in captivity.

RANGE: Every pride stays within a specific territory, where food and water are plentiful year round. Covering 15 square miles (39 square kilometers). When prey is scarce, lion prides will travel 100 square miles (260 square kilometers).

ENDANGERED: Only the Asiatic lion from India's Gir Forest are endangered with less then 200. The African lion is plentiful - a survival rate is greatened since the inception of African wildlife preserves where lions are not to be hunted. A lion will avoid contact with humans unless tormented or sick. When provoked, this is a terrible foe to man. Mortality is high of lion cubs. Up to 80 percent die before 2 years of age.

Lions belong to the class of Mammalia and an order of Carnivora. This cat is a known symbol for beauty and power, "The King of Beasts". The mane of the male lion makes his appearance larger than he really is. This mane gives him protection during battles with other male lions or predators. The mane is not fully grown until 5 years of life. They are colored blonde, brown and black, usually darkening with growth.

Lions colors are ideal for hiding within the shrubs. A brownish-yellowish color, having the back of the ears and the tuft of the tail black. At birth, cubs have spots, fading as they mature.

The strength of the lion comes from the shoulder. Every paw having detectable claws that are razor sharp. A lion has 30 teeth. Four large pointed teeth called canines, are used to hold its prey, kill it and tear it apart. Four cheek teeth called Carnassial teeth are for cutting through tough skin and tendons that join muscle to bone. They have no teeth suitable for chewing, thus the lion will swallow its food in chunks.

The pride may consist of up to 35 cats. Having anywhere from 1-5 males, several lionesses and their cubs. A pride may separate for periods to hunt and live, reuniting by rubbing cheeks. Prides stay together for years, but male cubs are chased away by their fathers within 2-3 years. Returning to the territory when full grown, challenging other males for dominance of the territory and the lionesses. They rest for usually 20 hours per day.

This animal lives a life of feast and famine. Eats usually every 3-4 days but sometimes going without food for weeks. A male will eat up to 75 pounds of meat in a meal. Catching food is difficult for the lion as most animals are faster then the lion with a top speed of 35 miles per hour. The lion surpnses its prey by stalking to within 50 feet and springing out of the bush, going for the throat for strangulation. They hunt at dark.

SIZES
Length: Head and body 48 inches. Tail 24 inches.
Weight: 90-150 pounds.
BREEDING
Sexual Maturity: 2.5 years
Mating: Non-seasonal
Gestation: 90-105 days
No. of Young: 1-6 cubs
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, except in breeding season, when they come together to mate.
Diet: Small Mammals and Birds.
Lifespan: 12 years (up to 20 years in captivity.


RANGE: Far East in China, stretching throughout southern Africa south of the Sahara. Parts of Arabia. Also a few scattered populations in north Africa. Occupying areas from 4-12 square miles (10-30 Sq. Km.) with overlapping boundaries with other leopards. ENDANGERED: Today over 100,000 are living in the wild, though dropping rapidly due to human destruction of land.

This is the most aggressive and feared animals. Though dark in color, this leopard still has its rosettes (spots) of fur.

Nearly always hunting at night and early morning, from the tree and the ground. This is the most aggressive and feared animals in the world. Pound for pound, the leopard is the most deadly animal in the world. They are capable of killing an animal up to 1200 pounds and then drag that animal up 30 feet into a tree, before eating its prey.

The black leopard is referred to as the "Panther", but there is actually no animal strictly known as a black panther. There are only two black cats in the world; the black leopard from Asia, and the black jaguar from South America

The word panther, derived from the Latin "Panthera" actually means cat, and is a nick name for any cat, or a black cat as well. Also, Panthera is the family name for all big cats.

With the longest tail of the cat family, the leopard is some what of an acrobat. They can jump as high as 18 feet straight up in the air, 30 feet in a single leap, and move at speeds over 45 miles per hour.

SIZES
Length: Head to tail 40-75 inches. Shoulder height 18-32 inches.
Weight: 65-160 pounds (Males are 50% larger then above described females)
BREEDING
Sexual Maturity: 2.5 years
Mating: Non-seasonal
Gestation: 90-105 days
No. of Young: 1-6 cubs
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, except in breeding season, when they come together to mate.
Diet: Small Mammals and Birds.
Lifespan: 12 years (up to 20 years in captivity.)

RANGE: Far East in China, stretching throughout southern Africa south of the Sahara. Parts of Arabia. Also a few scattered populations in north Africa. Occupying areas from 4-12 square miles (10-30 Sq. Km.) with overlapping boundaries with other leopards.

ENDANGERED: Today over 100,000 are living in the wild, though dropping rapidly due to human destruction of land.

Leopard is the most widespread of all of the cats due to its highly adaptable hunting and feeding behavior. Preying with a combination of opportunism, stealth, and speed, they hunt alone and generally, like the tiger and lion, hunt at night. Ambushing and stalking within close range before a short, fast rush.

Adept tree climbers, leopards often drag their prey up trees out of reach from other predators. Because of variety and small size of prey, leopards will avoid contact and conflict with stronger competition, such as lions, tigers, hyenas and wild dogs. Territories, though, are defended with fierce fights. Leopards spray (mark their areas) on grass, logs, trees and brush.

Strong vocalization is used to proclaim territones and to make contact with separated individuals. Sounding like a rough rasping noise (chain-saw through rough wood).

The Leopard today is known as one of the "BIG FIVE" highly rated prey of sport hunters. Others being Lion, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino.

Leopards wide use of trees is mainly for resting; safely aloft from predators, shaded from the midday sun. For hunting; ready to leap, a leopard will survey its surrounding area for food, Occasionally dropping straight down directly atop passing prey. For conserving food; often dragging food to the top away from scavengers.

Having no particular breeding season, females are sexually receptive at 3-7 week intervals lasting a few days. Mating is frequent daily. Litters consisting of 1-6, though usually 3 cubs. All cubs are born blind weighing from 15-20 ounces. Cubs are kept hidden until they can follow their mother at 6-8 weeks. Only the mother will care for the young. She does this until 18-24 months, whereupon she will mate again

SIZES
Length: Adult Males nose to tail approximately 8 feet. The female between 5-7 feet.
Weight: Males from 130-150 pounds and females smaller at 80-130 pounds.
BREEDING
Sexual Maturity: 18 to 24 months
Mating: Non-seasonal
Gestation: 92 days
No. of Young: 1-5 cubs
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, except in breeding season, when they come together to mate.
Diet: Small rodents to fully grown deer, elk, beaver.
Lifespan: Up to 20 years.

RANGE: Covering wide areas from forests to mountains, tropical forests, grasslands to dry humid deserts. Territory span over 100 square miles.

ENDANGERED: 3000-5000 in the wild today.

The South American cougar is mainly active at twilight. Its colorization is light plain grayish brown. Cubs are born with spots on their bodies with rings on the tail that disappear as they get older.

Cougars take advantage of steep canyons and rocks for protection and food. They are loners by nature, known as the "Ghost of the wilderness". They are carnivores and are stalking predators.

Also known as the jaguar, puma or mountain lion, this long, tawny cat is the second largest cat of the Americas.

A solitary animal that comes together only to mate. Females are able to breed as soon as 18-24 months of age. Litters occur at 2-3 year intervals. The gestation period is 92 days. Born with blue eyes and spotted coats, cubs stay with their mother for 2 years. She is a playful, loving mother, teaching the cubs all they need to know to survive. Litters will be from 1-5, usually 3, kittens.

The cougars' successful hunt depends solely on the element of surprise. A fatal bite below the base of the skull, resulting in a broken neck, is their preferred method of killing.

Contrary to popular belief, cougars do not lurk in tree tops. They hunt from the ground and ambush prey from behind. Nocturnal and solitary hunters.

The cougar emits a birdlike whistles and terrifying piercing screams to communicate where they are and as instructions between the female and her cubs.