Snow Leopard

True Wild Life | Snow Leopard | The snow leopard  is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia. Although sharing its name with the common leopard, the snow leopard is not believed to be closely related to the Leopard or the other members of the Pantherine group and is classified as the sole member of the genus Uncia uncia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and its exact taxonomic position will not be resolved until further studies are conducted.

Snow leopards live between 3,000 and 5,500 metres above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown, but it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild and between 600 and 700 in zoos worldwide. 

Snow leopards are carnivores and actively hunt their prey, though, like all cats, they are opportunistic feeders, eating whatever meat they can find, including carrion and domestic livestock. The Snow Leopard eats goats, sheep, rabbits and birds. It can catch prey over 3 times its own weight!

At one time, the Snow Leopard was nearly hunted into disappearance for its fur. Its rare, beautiful fur could sell for a very high price. Now, conservation actions, for the Snow Leopard's numbers are slowly becoming popular. Sadly, the hunters kill the leopard for its fur, and some leopards are killed by people to protect domestic goats.

Iberian Lynx

True Wild Life | Iberian Lynx | The Iberian lynx also known as Spanish lynx is a critically endangered species native to the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe. It is one of the most endangered cat species in the world. The species used to be classified as a subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx, but is now considered a separate species. Both species occurred together in central Europe in the Pleistocene epoch, being separated by habitat choice. Iberian lynx resembles other species of lynx, with a short tail, tufted ears and a ruff of fur beneath the chin. Iberian lynx has leopard-like spots with a coat that is often light grey or various shades of light brownish-yellow. The coat is also noticeably shorter than in other lynxes, which are typically adapted to colder environments.

In spite of its strong resemblance to the Eurasian Lynx, the Iberian Lynx has a smaller body and the facial features of a house cat. Iberian lynx typically hunts smaller animals, usually no larger than hares. It also differs in habitat choice, with Iberian lynx inhabiting open scrub and Eurasian lynx inhabiting forests.

The Iberian Lynx must really like rabbit because it accounts for an amazing 80% of their diet. They also eat young deer and duck. At one time, rabbits disappeared due to an epidemic outbreak and the number of Iberian Lynx plummeted. This is because rabbits are its main food. Today, development continues to destroy forest environments and could trigger another decline in rabbits. If that happens, it will cause irreparable damage to the already scarce population of Iberian Lynx.

There are only a few forests in Spain and Portugal where the remaining Iberian Lynx live, making them one of the most critically endangered species of the Felidae family. Forest development is one of the main reasons they have become so rare. Their habitat has diminished and they live sporadically due to roads and towns being built in the forest. Further damage comes from poachers who continue to violate bans on their hunting.

White Tiger

True Wild Life | White Tiger | The white tigers originated in the pure Bengal strain in India. Later in captivity Siberian was crossed in to make a bigger more impressive white tiger. They do have some pigment, so they are not albinos. The white tiger has a shorter life expectancy than the orange tiger, thought to be due to the white tigers mutated genes and to the inbreeding depression necessary to perpetuate the bloodline. The white tiger was always rare to come across in the wild in India, and none have been seen in the wild for over 50 years. The gene that causes the background to be white is a simple recessive. For that reason to produce whites they must be mated either to other whites or to normal orange tigers that are carriers of the white gene. The white tiger has been known to give birth to an orange tiger when mated to an orange male. Cubs of both colors occur in the same litter.

White tigers have also sadly appealed to those who are rich who either display the white tiger in captivity or killed the white tigers for their fur. For that reason white tigers are no longer seen in the wild. All were captured for captive breeding programs or killed as trophies for rich hunters. It has been speculated that some white tiger individuals are born with a blue tinge to their black stripes. Although this has not been recorded, it is possible for a genetic mutation to occur diluting the black stripes of the white tiger a blue/gray color. This dilution of black to blue is common in horses, cats, and dogs.

As white tigers are simply a different coloured version of the normal orange tiger, there are very few differences (if any at all) in the white tiger's behaviour. The white tiger lived in a jungle habitat where there was plenty of cover for the white tiger to remain hidden and to keep on the look out for potential prey. However, they did tend to stand out against their backgrounds and did not camofluage as effectively as normal orange tigers

The tiger is a carnivorous mammal and a fearless predator hunting large mammals including deer, wild boar and cattle. Tigers are extremely stealthy animals and are able to sneak up on their prey and catch it off guard. This makes the tiger a ruthless and dominant predator within its environment. The tiger is a solitary animal and it requires a large territory in order to ensure that there is an adequate food supply. Tiger cubs remain with their mother until they are strong enough and experienced enough to hunt for themselves.

Tiger

True Wild Life | Tiger | The tiger is the largest feline in the world, with the tiger growing to around 2.5 metres in length. The tiger is the most powerful of all the big cats, and is native to east and southern Asia. The tiger is feared by most human beings who inhabit settlements within the tiger's territory. There are six different subspecies of tiger which are the Bengal tiger, the Indochinese tiger, the Malayan tiger, the Sumatran tiger, the Siberian tiger and the South China Tiger. The white tiger is actually a Bengal tiger and is therefore not a subspecies itself.

The average tiger weighs around 300kg and a tiger can stretch its body (and tail) to roughly 4 metres. Tigers hunt snakes, boar, buffalo, crocodiles, deer, leopards and camels and are extremely effective at catching their prey due to their silent, stalking approach and their powerful bodies. The tiger can reach speeds of up to 90km an hour, making the tiger extremely fast. Tigers have even been known to conflict with rhinos and elephants with the tiger generally winning.

Tigers are generally orange with black stripes although it's common to get tigers with white and sandy coloured markings. The white tiger is a rare type of tiger, with bright white fur and black stripes, these tigers occur from a genetic mutation when in the mother tiger's womb. It is not certain that these white tigers will produce white offspring, many white tigers have been known to produce orange cubs. Today the tiger is a near endangered species with only a handful still roaming the Asian jungles. The tiger is still a completely dominant predator in it's environment particularly due to their extreme power, and ability to run, swim, jump and climb trees very effectively.

The tiger is a highly adaptable animal with the tiger's territory ranging from Siberia, to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps in central and south-east Asia. The tiger is also an extremely territorial animal and the tiger is generally a solitary animal. Due to the tiger's size and the tiger's want to be solitary, the tiger often requires large areas of habitat that can support the tiger's prey demands. Because of the tiger's need for a large territory mixed with the fact that the tiger is native to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has meant that there have been significant conflicts between tigers and humans.

Tigers usually mate from November to April and after a gestation period of just over 3 months, the female tiger gives birth to 2 or 3 tiger cubs. When the tiger cubs are first born they are blind and extremely vulnerable. By the time the tiger cubs is around 18 months old, it is able to hunt for itself. Tiger cubs are known to grow rapidly and can put on 100 g of weight every day. The tiger cubs usually stay with their mother until they are between 2 and 3 years old and the tiger cubs are then big enough and strong enough to venture out into the jungle to live a life of solitude.

Sumatran Tiger

True Wild Life | Sumatran Tiger | The Sumatran tiger is the smallest subspecies of tiger in the world, with male Sumatran tigers rarely growing to 2.5 meters in length. The Sumatran tiger is today a critically endangered species of tiger with only around 500 thought to be in the wild. The Sumatran tiger is natively found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra where the Sumatran tiger can be found inhabiting a variety of habitats from low and highland areas, to mountainous jungle and peat swamp forests.

The is Sumatran tiger the smallest species of tiger meaning that the Sumatran tiger is able to move through dense jungle with greater ease than it's larger cousins. The Sumatran tiger is quite different in appearance to other tiger species as the stripes of the Sumatran tiger are narrower than those of other tiger species and they also have larger manes. Sumatran tigers have slightly webbed paws which allows them to swim more efficiently after their prey.

The Sumatran tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting it's prey by stalking it until the Sumatran tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Sumatran tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats. Due to the size and power of the Sumatran tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the Sumatran tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Sumatran tiger.

After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Sumatran tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Sumatran tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Sumatran tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Sumatran tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own. Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Sumatran tiger is considered to be a critically endangered species. Modern estimates suggest that the current wild Sumatran tiger population is as low as 400 to 500 individuals.

South China Tiger

True Wild Life | South China Tiger | The South China tiger (also known as the Amoy, Chinese or Xiamen tiger) is a smaller-sized subspecies of tiger native to the forests of southern China. The South China tiger is the most critically endangered tiger species with only a handful left in the wild. The South China tiger is natively found in the temperate upland forests of southern China, where its once wide range has now been reduced to a few isolated populations, which are said to be found inhabiting the mountainous borders between provinces.

The South China tiger is one of the smallest species of tiger behind the Sumatran tiger and the Malayan tiger. As with the other smaller sized tiger species, the small size of the South China tiger allows it to move through the dense jungle more easily. Like other tiger species, the South China tiger is known to be a strong and capable swimmer, often able to catch its prey when its in the water. This hunting strategy only works however if the South China tiger is faster than the animal it is hunting.

The South China tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting it's prey by stalking it until the South China tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. South China tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats. Due to the size and power of the South China tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the South China tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the South China tiger.

After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female South China tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn South China tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the South China tiger cubs are introduced to meat. South China tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.

Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the South China tiger is considered to be a critically endangered species. The South China tiger is the most critically endangered species of tiger and one of the 10 most endangered animals in the world, as there are thought to be less than 20 South China tigers left in the wild.

Serval

True Wild Life | Serval | The serval is a medium-sized cat that is found in parts of central and southern Africa. The average serval tends to be around 80cm in length but it is not uncommon for some adult servals to grow to over a meter in length. The serval has a spotted pelt like a cheetah and the serval also benefits from having astonishingly good fan-like ears which enables it to hear enemies and prey. The satellite dish ears also allow the serval to sense vibrations.

The serval has been extensively hunted across Africa for its fur meaning that some serval populations have become extinct. Today the serval is rarely found north of the African Sahara Desert and the serval is extinct from the southern Cape of Africa but the serval is still common is western and eastern parts of central Africa.

The serval hunts hares, birds, reptiles, frogs, fish and larger species of insects but the serval has also been known to hunt larger animals such as antelope, although this is uncommon for a servals normal diet. The serval eats fast to avoid losing its meal to larger predators. Servals have incredible leaping ability and can grab birds out of the air.

There are thought to be around 10 different subspecies of serval still found in the African wild, with there also having been sightings of albino (white) and melanistic (black) servals. Of the two, blacks are more common. The serval is thought to be most closely related to the caracal and the African Golden Cat that are found in similar territories in Africa to the serval.

The gestation period for a serval is a little less than 3 months after which time, 2 or 3 serval kittens are born although servals have been known to have as many as 5 kittens in one litter. The tiny serval kittens are born blind and their eyes are usually fully in open within 2 weeks. The serval kittens remain with their mother until they are about a year old and are big enough and strong enough to look after themselves in the African wild.

Puma

True Wild Life | Puma | Puma is simply another name for a cougar and therefore one of the largest and ruthless members of the cat family in the world. The puma is native to the Americas and can be found from Western Canada, to the Andes mountain range in South America and all along the west coast of North America.

The puma is a solitary mammal and will compete for prey with larger predators such as wolf packs and bears. The puma hunts deer, elk, beavers and other large mammals and the occasional bird.

Pumas tend to be tan or brown in colour and their size is often dependent on the area in which they live. Those pumas found in Canada and North America are generally slightly larger and have thicker fur than the pumas found in South America, as the uncompromising winters mean that the northern puma must have more defense against the cold.

Pumas are highly territorial and tend to be found in mountain ranges and in some areas where there is dense, undisturbed forest. The puma population day is declining mainly due to habitat loss.

Panther

 

True Wild Life | Panther | The term panther tends to be a general name that could refer to a few species of cat including the leopard, the cougar and the jaguar. The black panther is generally thought to refer to the black leopard, although it can also refer to the black jaguar. There have occasionally been reports of black cougars, but none have been documented with photos or a specimen. The panther tends to be black in colour and is otherwise identical to the feline species to which it belongs. The only real exception to this is the Florida panther found in the south east region of the USA, that is believed to be a subspecies of cougar and is quite rarely dark brown in colour. The Florida panther tends to have more of a speckled appearance.

The term "white panther" could refer to the leucistic or albino specimen of any of the three species mentioned. White jaguars have been documented, as has the occasional white leopard. There is a photo of a mostly white cougar killed by a hunter, and there are currently reported sightings of another. As with many other species of large cat, the numbers of both the normal spotted and the black panthers are declining rapidly due to hunting and habitat loss.

The cougar and the jaguar are found in the Americas. The leopard is found in Africa and Asia and tends to prefer dense, thick foliage and tropical forests. All three species are adept tree climbers. In addition, the jaguar is an enthusiastic swimmer that will even tackle crocodiles. As with other species of large feline, panthers are carnivores and tend to hunt more at night than during the day. The panther rests in the shade during the day and will head out at night to search for food. Being black can be an advantage here as they are well camoflaged in the dark.

Female panthers follow the same breeding pattern as more normally colored members of their species. In leopards the gene causing blackness is a simple recessive. Two spotted parents can have a black cub crop up in a litter if they are both carriers. In the jaguar, the gene causing melanism (blackness) is a simple dominant. Two black jaguars can produce a spotted cub. There is a black jaguar x lioness hybrid that inherited her sire's black coloration. In cougars a truly black specimen has never been documented. Its mode of inheritance is currently unknown.

Mountain Lion

True Wild Life | Mountain Lion | The mountain lion is one of the biggest species cat native to the mountains of the Americas. The mountain lion is thought to be a subspecies of cougar that is strictly confined to the mountainous areas. The mountain lion is a highly adaptive feline, able to withstand the harsh conditions in the Rocky and Andes mountains. The mountain lion does not hibernate and therefore the mountain lions undergo uncompromising winters.

Mountain lions tend to hunt rabbits, hares and larger birds, and without doubt deer and elk if they were to come across it. The mountain lion has no real natural predators although the mountain lion needs to be wary of bears due to the bears severe size advantage.

Female mountain lions tend to have one litter of kittens every two or three years. The female mountain lion kitten litter size can range from one mountain lion kitten to six. Female mountain lions are extremely protective over their mountain lion kittens and some female mountain lion individuals have been known to fight to off large mammals, including grizzly bears, with success.

Baby mountain lions are born blind, and these mountain lion kittens are completely dependent on their mother at first until the mountain lion kittens are around three months of age. As the mountain lion kittens grow, they begin to go out with their mother, first visiting kill sites, and after six months, the mountain lion kittens begin to hunt small prey on their own.

Lion

True Wild Life | Lion | The lion is one of the biggest and most powerful of all the cats, with the lions body growing to roughly 3 meters long! The lion is currently found predominantly in Africa, but the lion can also be found in remote part of Asia. The Asian lion however, is thought to be smaller than the African lion and numbers of the Asian lion are decreasing rapidly. In historic times, the lion was likely to be found in southern Europe but the lion no longer exists there today. The male lion will only get to about 8 years old, where the female lion have been recorded to live until the lion is 20 in the wild. The lions tend to stay in groups of around 20 lions but only one lion is a male.

Sadly the few remaining species of lion is seeing a 20% decline in population in the past 20 years. This could be due to the loss of the lions habitat and the hunting of the lion by humans. The fact that other animals (such as humans) also hunt more and more of the animals that the lion preys on means that the amount of food available for the lion in the wild is decreasing, which naturally has negative implications on the lion. An adult lion is known to have a roar so load that it often be heard more than a few miles away, despite the fact that lions are unable to roar properly until they are a couple of years old. The lion uses its roar to call to other lions but the roar of the lion also tends to be the first attempt to warm off approaching danger.

The lion has the reputation of being the king of the animal world although the lion only really eats every 3 to 4 days. Surprisingly enough, the female lions tend to do most of the hunting while the male lion rests. The lionesses have very strategic and well-practiced hunting routines as these female lions need to ensure that there is enough food for them and their cubs. Lions live in small groups called prides that are extremely territorial. Lion prides will seldom go into each others territory and this means that problems can occur when the animals lions hunt, as animals such as zebra and wildebeest follow the rains leaving very little food for the lions to hunt when the dry season is at its peak.

Lion Foot Facts

• The lion has large paws with soft pads underneath and sharp claws on the end of each toe of the lion.

• The soft pads on the underside of the foot of the lion enable the lion to stalk and chase its prey with as little noise as possible.

• The sharp claws on the toes of the lion give the lion more grip when running and also allow the lion to grab onto its prey both when catching it and eating it.

• The structure of the feet and legs of the lion mean that the lion is able to jump over 10 meters and the soft pads on their feet give the lion a smooth and quiet landing.

• The lion has retractable claws which means that the claws of the lion do not get worn down easily so that their claws remain sharp for catching their prey and have a dewclaw on their front paws which the lion uses as a toothpick.

Lion Teeth Facts

• An adult lion has 30 teeth in total which includes four fang-like canines and four carnassial teeth.

• The lion uses its fanged canine teeth for holding onto and then biting its prey and the four blade-like carnassial teeth for cutting through tough skin and meat.

• The rest of the teeth in the mouth of the lion are conical and are designed for cutting up and tearing the food in their mouths.

• The lion is not able to move its jaw from side to side like humans can and so the lion only uses one side of its mouth at a time to eat.

• Lions do not chew their food into tiny pieces but instead swallow chunks of meat whole which enables the lion to eat as much food as it can, as quickly as possible.