Relatives of domestic cats are quite numerous: the existing classification notes the existence of 41 species of representatives of this family. Most of these animals are similar to each other, distinguished by their beauty and noble habits, although some wild relatives of domestic purrs stand out from the general crowd. Large and small cats, among which there are rare and endangered animals, are predators. At the same time, any of the predatory animals on our planet falls into the category of canines or cats. The latter, in addition to large and small cats, include the families of hyenas, civets, mongooses, Asian linsangs, and palm civets.
Tiger – striped perfection
This is the largest wild cat in the world. In size, the tiger is second only to the bear. The weight of a tiger can reach 250 kg, height at the withers is up to 1.15 cm. The body length of an adult predator is more than 3 meters. The largest tiger was killed in the middle of the last century in India, its weight was 388 kg. Currently, only six subspecies remain, the habitat of which is concentrated in Asia.
A strong, muscular, elongated body, a more developed front part, a round head with a convex skull and a bright striped color - this is a brief portrait of a tiger. The most common color is red (of varying intensity) with black stripes, but there are also individuals with white and gold colors. Such unusual colors are associated with genetic disorders.
The tiger is a territorial animal and always hunts alone. The feeding territory of one animal is from 300 to 500 km. Tigers rarely quarrel with each other; if the amount of prey decreases, attacks on livestock and people begin. Possessing excellent night vision, the tiger prefers to hunt in the morning or evening. The tiger prefers to follow the tracks of its prey or wait for it in ambush, for example, near a pond. Unlike the lion, the tiger is very concerned about cleanliness; before going out to hunt, he always bathes or rolls out in the snow to fight off the smell that could scare off the prey.
A tiger can attack people if the boundaries of its territory are violated or if the food supply decreases. People are easy prey for this predator.
Now, due to a decrease in the population, such cases occur extremely rarely, and when a tiger encounters a person, he prefers to retreat. But before, attacks by man-eating tigers were recorded more than once. The Bengal tigress is widely known and has killed more than 400 people. It was suggested that a tiger, having tasted human flesh, would continue to prefer this type of prey.
All tiger subspecies are classified as endangered and are listed in the Red Book. Tiger hunting territories are protected by the state. A breed of cat was developed that resembles a miniature tiger, called the Toyger.
Amur (Siberian) tiger
In the photo: the largest wild cat in the world is the Amur tiger.
A serious and beautiful predator, with thicker and longer fur compared to other subspecies. The only one of the tigers that has a layer of fat on its belly to protect it from the cold. The largest population of these animals lives in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories; it numbers about 500 individuals. In neighboring countries, the number of this tiger is very small due to its valuable fur and ingredients valued in eastern alternative medicine.
Even in the last century, the number of Amur tigers was so great that special teams were sent to hunt them. And in less than 50 years, the number of this predator has decreased to 200 individuals. Now, thanks to the efforts of biologists, the population number has increased.
However, at the moment the Amur beauty is under threat of extinction.
Ligers and Tiglons
And finally, the largest wild cat in the world (you can see the photo below) is a hybrid of a female tiger and a male lion. Ligers grow rapidly, gaining up to 500 grams per day. The offspring obtained from a lioness (mother) and a tiger (father) are called tiglons. Such animals are as rare as ligers, but are inferior in size.
Ligers usually grow larger than their parents, and tiglons are close in size to tigers. Ligers, like tigers, love to swim, but are more sociable, which is typical for lions. They can only live in captivity. It is quite natural that this hybrid cannot be born in nature, since tigers and lions do not have a common habitat and do not intersect in the wild.
The liger is the largest wild cat in the world. Until recently, there was a misconception that it grows throughout life due to hormonal characteristics. But then it was found that after reaching the age of six, this animal stops growing, like tigers and lions.
Standing on its hind legs, the liger reaches a height of four meters. Females of these cats weigh 320 kg and their body length is three meters. Quite often they retain the ability to reproduce, while the males are sterile. This is one of the problems in the reproduction of such hybrid offspring.
Cubs that were born from a ligress mother are called liligers. There is data on the maximum weight of such an animal being 540 kg, and in the USA, in the state of Wisconsin - 725 kg. In 1973, the Guinness Book of Records was updated with information about the largest liger at that time. The weight of this hybrid cat was 798 kilograms. The animal lived in South Africa, in one of the zoological centers.
Lion is the king of the animals
A dangerous predator who is not alien to nobility and greatness. The weight of a lion can reach 250 kg, and the height at the withers is about 123 cm. The length of the body ranges from 170 to 250 cm. In its structure, a lion is very similar to a tiger. Color varies from dark brown to sand. Lions are the only ones from the family of big wild cats to have a small tassel at the tip of their tail. Females differ from males not only in their smaller size, but also in the absence of a mane, the main decoration of a lion. It is not for nothing that he is called the gentleman of the world of predators. His proud, majestic demeanor and noble warning of the start of the hunt with a royal roar make one admire and admire this animal from afar.
They are the only ones from the family of big wild cats that do not live alone, but in peculiar families - prides. Typically, a pride includes females, cubs up to three years old and several males. The pride is led by a leader, an experienced and strong male. During the hunt, females usually serve as beaters, while males wait in ambush. It is almost impossible for an outside lion to get into the pride; an exception is made only in the case of a female vacancy. As a rule, the number of prides is the same and is regulated, obviously, depending on the food supply.
The lion's extant range is in Africa, with a small population in India.
Leopard (panther) - the most insidious of wild cats of prey
A dangerous and unpredictable predator from the cat family. In terms of jaw power, it is not inferior to its larger counterparts, the tiger and lion, although it is not as impressive in size. The height at the withers of an adult leopard is no more than 80 cm, and its weight is up to 100 kg. The body length is from 120 to 195 cm. The body of this animal is elongated, light, somewhat compressed at the sides. The leopard has very beautiful spotted fur, thanks to which the leopard population has greatly depleted.
It climbs trees well, although it prefers to hunt on the ground. An excellent swimmer, he easily overcomes water obstacles and does not disdain fish. It can sit in ambush for a long time and lie in wait for prey. The natives of the area where leopards live are much more afraid of them than of their larger relatives. They are able to attack from trees too quickly and unexpectedly and misfires rarely occur. Leopards drag their prey up a tree to protect it from other predators. These predators hunt at night and always alone.
The black-colored individuals that appear in litters, called panthers, are considered more aggressive than the normally colored leopard. They received this coloring from the increased content of the hormone melatonin.
Black-footed cat. Black-footed Cat (Felis Nigripes)
One of the smallest modern representatives of the cat family. Average weight - 1.6 kg, body length 36-52 cm, tail - 13-20 cm.
The black-footed cat is found in the desert areas of southern Africa. Color – sandy yellow with dark spots. Black-footed cats occupy rabbit or termite burrows.
Jaguar - America's largest wild cat
This predatory inhabitant of the jungles of Central and South America is very similar to a leopard, but much more massive and larger. Height at the withers is 63-76 cm, and weight is approximately 90 kg. The body length of a jaguar can reach 185 cm. This representative of the feline is a solitary hunter, both males and females carefully protect their territory from their own kind and from other predators. Only during weddings do jaguars gather in packs; fights between males rarely occur - the female makes the choice. She also raises the kittens until they are old enough to defend their territory.
The jaguar's prey can include caimans, crocodiles, peccaries, snakes, turtles, monkeys and other small and not so small inhabitants of the jungle and reservoirs. This predator does not disdain livestock either. Cases of attacks on people are rare.
In many countries, the jaguar is listed in the Red Book and hunting it is strictly prohibited. In others, such as Mexico, limited shooting is permitted.
Manul. Pallas Cat (Otocolobus Manul)
It received its second name - Pallas's cat - in honor of the German naturalist Peter Pallas, who first described the Pallas cat in the 18th century. The synonymous Latin name Otocolobus comes from the Greek us, otos - ear, kolobos - ugly, that is, “ugly ear”.
Pallas's cat is distributed in Central and Central Asia, from Southern Transcaucasia and western Iran to Transbaikalia, Mongolia and Northwestern China.
Puma (mountain lion)
America's second largest predatory wild cat. The height at the withers is 60-90 cm, the body length is up to 180 cm, and the weight is no more than 100 kg. The body of the puma is elongated, the legs are short, strong, the hind legs are more massive. The head is small. The color of pumas ranges from reddish to gray.
Cougars are found in almost all types of terrain: in the mountains, in forests and on the plains. The cougar is a solitary night hunter and its prey is numerous ungulates; it does not disdain birds, fish and insects. This predator does not distinguish between wild herbivores and livestock and eagerly kills those that come to hand. Moreover, the cougar often kills more animals than it can eat. There are known cases of attacks on people. As a rule, children or short people walking alone are attacked.
Despite the incessant hunting and narrowing of the habitat, the population of pumas is sufficient and large, since this predator easily adapts to other living conditions.
Pumas are found throughout South America, the western regions of North America and the Yucatan.
Caracal or steppe lynx. Caracal (Caracal Caracal)
For a long time, the caracal was classified as a lynx, which it resembles in appearance, but a number of genetic features distinguished it into a separate genus. Despite this, the caracal is still a little closer to lynxes than other cats, while being much closer to the puma in morphological characteristics.
The caracal is also close to the African serval, with which it interbreeds well in captivity. It is found in savannas, deserted steppes, deserts and foothills of Africa, in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, Asia Minor and Central Asia, and the Middle East. It is rare in the CIS: it is found in the deserts of Southern Turkmenistan, along the coast of the Caspian Sea it reaches the Mangyshlak Peninsula, in the east it sometimes appears in Kyrgyzstan and the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.
In Russia, single individuals of caracal can be found in the foothills and deserts of Dagestan, but its total number does not exceed 100 individuals.
Irbis - snowy beauty
An unusually beautiful leopard with smoky gray fur with black spots. The snow leopard lives high in the mountains and occasionally descends to the foot, following the migration of ungulate herbivores. In appearance, this strong cat resembles a leopard, but is squat and smaller. The body of the snow leopard is stretched, slightly raised in the sacrum area. The height of the withers is no more than 60 cm, and the body length ranges from 103 to 130 cm. The main habitat of the snow leopard is South and Central Asia.
The snow leopard rarely attacks humans or livestock. This can only happen if the cubs are protected. Snow leopards live in pairs and hunt and raise their young together.
They feed, train and raise their young, and the female mercilessly plucks fur from her belly to insulate her den.
Currently, there are no more than 7 thousand snow leopards worldwide. Unfortunately, snow leopards practically do not reproduce in captivity, so the population of these magnificent animals continues to decline. It is almost impossible to meet this rare endangered species in the wild; the snow leopard carefully avoids people.
Jaguarundi
They are part of the Puma genus. They have an elongated body, particularly flexible, short but strong legs and a long, thin tail. In appearance, it is somewhat similar to a weasel. It is bright red or brown mixed with other shades.
The length of the jaguarundi is from 55 to 77 cm, plus a tail, which can grow up to 33-60 cm, height - from 25 to 35 cm. You can meet it in America. They live alone. They are terrestrial animals, especially active during the day, but they can climb trees.
They feed on small prey (up to 1 kg), everything they can catch. Sometimes they raid poultry houses, or eat green figs.
Cheetah is the fastest cat of prey
The cheetah intricately combines both canine and feline features. A short body, long slender legs, like a canine, but the paws, color and ability to climb trees are from cats. Scientists have long bred the cheetah as a separate species of large cat, but according to the latest molecular studies, the cheetah still belongs to the subfamily of small cats. And the dimensions of this cat are as follows: height at the withers is up to 75 cm, body length is up to 140 cm, and weight reaches 65 kg. The color of the cheetah is yellow-sand with black dots scattered throughout the skin.
Females, except when raising puppies, hunt alone. And males can form groups, usually consisting of littermates. In such a pack they defend territory and females from other cheetahs. Unlike most cats, they are diurnal predators. Large, flat spaces eliminate the possibility of cover, and cheetahs use a completely different strategy. They approach the victim at a distance of 10 meters and then make a quick dash, the speed of which can reach up to 115 km/h. But cheetahs can move at such a rapid pace for no more than 400 meters. So, if the prey managed to escape, the cheetah will simply rest and go look for a less resourceful victim.
The history of the cheetah and its service to man is interesting. In ancient times, this animal was widely used in hunting wild animals. Devotion, honesty and ingenuity were highly valued by hunters from various countries: Byzantium, France, India and Rus'. Cheetahs were not only excellent beaters, but were also easily tamed and showed great affection for their owners. They were led on leashes, like dogs, and played with without fear of injury. An image of a cheetah (in Rus' they were called pardus) is located on the Hagia Sophia. But at some point, perhaps after the arrival of the British in India, who loved to organize sport hunting for cheetahs, they became simply predators.
Unfortunately, cheetah numbers are declining at an alarming rate. The main factor in the disappearance of the population is the plowing of savannas, the natural habitats of cheetahs.
Recently, closely related mixing due to the small number of animals has also joined the causes of extinction. At the moment, there are no more than 4,500 cheetahs in the world.
Some interesting facts from the life of rusty cats
Rusty cats “walk by themselves” and are loners, each of them has their own territory, which only cats of the opposite sex can enter during the mating season.
Spotted animals are not afraid of water, swim beautifully and even catch fish, which they love to feast on. Poultry sometimes also becomes prey for cats, which local residents really don’t like. If a cat gives birth to kittens, they will definitely be of the same sex. Usually these are two babies, sometimes three.
Few people have managed to photograph a rusty cat in its natural habitat. So far, there are no more than a dozen photos of rusty beauties that were taken not in zoos, but in nature, and even then after 2005.
