The largest cats of the Earth: lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs. Wild cats: breeds with photos and names

Biology classifies cats into two subfamilies: big cats and small cats. But in the distribution of cats into these groups, it is not the size itself that plays a role, but the structure of certain bones. Therefore, representatives of the largest cats in the world are found not only among the subfamily of large cats. Cougars and cheetahs are sometimes not inferior in size to panthers, although they belong to a small group.

In the first place among large cats is the tiger, one of the representatives of the panther genus. Most tigers live in Asia and feed on ungulates. These predators prefer to hunt alone, in the morning or in the late afternoon, while they see in the dark six times better than a person.

Some characteristics of the tiger:

weight varies from 180 to 300 kg;
life expectancy up to 15 years, in captivity 25 years;
the largest of the subspecies, the Amur tiger, reaches a length of three and a half meters;
the predator accelerates to 60 km / h.

The most common subspecies of the tiger, the Bengal, consists of 3,000 to 4,500 individuals. Three out of nine species have already become extinct, the rest are endangered.

A noble, proud and majestic predator that lives in the African savannas. Lions live in families or prides. Only females hunt, often also in groups. Of the entire cat family, lions are the tallest.

Some facts about lions:

weight reaches 250 kg;
life expectancy 10-14 years, in captivity can reach up to 20 years;
the size of a lion in length is from 2.7 to 3 meters. One of the largest lions was 3.3 meters long;
the usual running speed for these animals is 50 km / h, the maximum is 80 km / h.

The species of lions is at risk of becoming endangered; over the past decades, their population in Africa has decreased by 40%.

liger

Interesting features of this unusual species:

the liger Hercules was listed as the largest cat on Earth;
has a weight of 400 kg and a height of 3.7 meters;
there are 25 individuals of this species in the world;
Ligers are capable of childbearing, which is not typical for hybrids;
ligers love to swim.

A leopard is a large cat, smaller than a tiger or lion. It lives in Africa, Asia, the Far East in Russia. Has spots all over the body. There are also black panthers, which also have spots, but due to melanism they do not show through.

Leopard Features:

weight in males up to 80 kg, in females up to 65;
body length, excluding tail, 0.9-1.9 meters;
life expectancy 12-15 years, in captivity - up to 23 years;
leopards climb trees and can swim and fish.

The population of these animals is steadily declining: five species are already listed in the Red Book, and the number of the Far Eastern, or Amur, leopard is 60 individuals. This is due to the constant cutting of trees in the main habitats, poaching and a decrease in the food supply.

The jaguar belongs to the genus Panthera. It lives in South and Central America, feeds on both small rodents and adult mammals. Able to swim, climb trees. He spends his life alone, meets with other representatives of his species only during reproduction.

Some features of this predator:

body weight - 60-90 kg;
body length, excluding tail, 1.1-1.8 meters;
life expectancy 10 years, in captivity - up to 25 years;
the jaguar hunts at night, prefers to sleep during the day;
the animal is listed in the Red Book.

The genus of panthers is different in that the spots on the skin of predators are unique, like human fingerprints.

Snow Leopard

The snow leopard, or irbis, belonging to the genus Uncia, lives in the mountains of Central Asia. They live in mountain caves one by one, travel a lot, they do not show aggression towards people, attacks are rare.

Features of snow leopards:

body length with tail is 2-2.3 meters;
body weight - up to 60 kg;
life expectancy 20-25 years;
snow leopards jump up to 6 meters in length and up to 3 meters in height;
snow leopards do not know how to meow, purr, or growl.

The snow leopard is recorded in the Red Book, since 6,000 individuals remain.

Puma belongs to small cats, although the size is not at all small, 1-1.8 meters long. It lives in North and South America, hunts deer, leads a solitary lifestyle.

Interesting Facts:

in nature, cougars live up to 20 years;
the main enemies of cougars are bears, jaguars and wolves;
cubs do not leave the shelter unless their mother calls them;
the cougar reaches 65 km / h on the plains, but quickly gets tired.

Cougars are constantly hunted, but due to their adaptability to different living conditions, their subspecies are not under the threat of complete extermination.

The cheetah lives in Africa and the Middle East. The fastest of all land animals. Produces food during the day, the diet consists mainly of gazelles and antelopes.

Distinctive features of the cheetah:

develops speed up to 110 km / h;
body length 1.1-1.4 meters;
hunts in a pack;
claws in the paws are not removed or are partially removed;
cheetahs get along with people, are tameable.

The number of these predators is falling, according to the latest information, no more than 4,500 cheetahs remain.

The size and abilities of wild cats are amazing, it is hard to believe that these creatures live on the same planet as people. But due to human activities, the population of these animals is rapidly declining. A person must protect, protect these incredible creatures, treat them with respect and not harm.

February 9, 2012, 14:10

Wild Bengal cat - Felis bengalensis, Prionailurus bengalensis is a beautiful cat, small in size. Among cats, it is one of the most common. Bengal cat habitats: Amur and Ussuri basin, Korea, Tsushima islands, Manchuria, Hainan, Taiwan, Tibet, China, India from Kashmir and South Balochistan in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south, Thailand, North Vietnam, Indochina, Malacca, Kalimantan, Java , Bali, Sumatra, Philippine Islands. The weight of a Bengal cat is from 2.5 to 6.8 kilograms. It feeds mainly on voles, mice, squirrels, birds, sometimes attacks hares, young roe deer and other animals that it can handle. Does not disdain insects, reptiles, amphibians and fish.
The Far Eastern Forest Cat is much larger than a domestic cat. The body size of the Amur leopard cat is 75-90 centimeters, the tail is 35-37 centimeters; it has relatively long legs, a small head, and a thin tail. Distributed in the Far East, along the coast of the Sea of Japan and in the Amur River basin. The range of the Far Eastern forest cat extends through all of China, west to Hindustan and south to the Malay Archipelago.
The Kalimantan cat - Catopuma Felis badia - is a rare, little-studied, wild cat. She lives on the small island of Kalimantan, belonging to Malaysia and Indonesia. Outwardly, the Kalimantan cat strongly resembles the Asian golden cat - temminka. Weight is 2.3-4.5 kilograms. The body length of the Kalimantan cat is up to 80 centimeters. Golden cat (golden African cat) - Profelis aurata, Felis aurata - a large cat with a beautiful golden brown coat. Beats in tropical rainforests, tall forests (from Senegal to northern Angola and from Congo in the west to southern Kenya in the east). Also found in alpine moorlands. It rises to the mountains up to 3600 m above sea level. Its length is 72-94 cm. Weight is 11-14 kg. Snow leopard (irbis-leopard) - Panthera unica - a mammal of the cat family. This species occupies an intermediate position between large and small cats. The body length from head to tail is 100-150 cm, the tail length is 80-105 cm. The weight of an adult male is 40-45 kilograms, females - 35-40 kilograms.
Iriomote cat - Felis iriomotensis - Iriomote cat - Japanese wild cat. It lives in the subtropical thickets of the island of Iriomot. This island is located two hundred kilometers from Taiwan. The Iriomote cat was discovered by the Japanese zoologist Y. Imaitsumi in 1965. The length of the animal with a tail is 70-90 centimeters. Reed cat - Felis chaus - swamp lynx, house cat - distributed over a wide strip from the Front and Asia Minor, Central Asia, Transcaucasia up to Hindustan, Indochina and Southwestern China. It is larger than other small cats. Nine varieties of it are known. The length of the body of the house is 56-94 centimeters, the tail is up to 29 centimeters, and the height of the ear is up to 8.5 centimeters. The weight of a reed cat is from 4 to 15 kilograms. Caracal or desert lynx - Felis caracal - a wild cat of medium size, resembles a lynx in appearance. On the black-gray ears are noticeable black tassels like a lynx. The name of this wild cat comes from the Turkish language from the word "karakalak", which translates as "black ear". Caracal lives in the steppes and deserts of most of Africa and in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, in Central and Asia Minor, in the east to Front India. Along the coast of the Caspian Sea, the range of the caracal reaches the Mangyshlak peninsula, and in the east, the caracal is sometimes found in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan. In a small number, caracal is found in the deserts of southern Turkmenistan. In nature, there are nine subspecies of caracal. Desert cat - Felis bieti. It is also called Gobi cat, Chinese cat. This species has been little studied. The desert cat is the only cat that is completely endemic to China, that is, this species does not occur outside of China. The weight of a cat is from 5 to 9 kilograms. The body length of the beast with a tail is 98-140 centimeters. Geoffroy's cat - Felis geoffroyi - a feline species that lives in South America - the most common wild cat in South America. Geoffrey's cat got its name in honor of the French naturalist Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire, who described this species. Geoffroy's cat lives in forests and pampas in southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, southern Patagonia, Bolivia. The Geoffroy cat is found exclusively east of the Andes. The length of an adult animal is 45-75 centimeters, the length of the tail is additionally 25-35 centimeters. The weight of the animal ranges from 4.2 kg to 4.8 kg. Viverra cat fisherman - Felis viverrina. The fishing cat, wivverina, the Asian fish cat lives in humid jungles up to 1500 meters above sea level, mangrove coastal swamps, near rivers and streams. Its length reaches 95-120 cm.
The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a member of the cat family that lives in Southeast Asia. It vaguely resembles a leopard and is considered a rather ancient species, as well as a possible ancestor of the current large cats. The body length is 69-108 cm, the tail is 75-90 cm. The weight of the animal is 20-30 kg. Forest cat (lat. Felis silvestris). The forest cat or forest wild cat is common in the countries of Western Europe and Asia Minor, on the territory of Moldova, the Caucasus, and southern Ukraine. The body length of males is up to 90 cm, females - up to 70 cm. Depending on age and abundance of food, the weight of males reaches 7 kg, females - 5.8 kg. Manul (Pallas cat, lat. Felis manul; synonym - Otocolobus manul) is a steppe cat, lives in the regions of Central Asia from the Caspian Sea to Transbaikalia, in Western China, Mongolia, Tibet, Afghanistan. To date, this species has been little studied. In terms of size, the manul does not differ much from the average domestic cat: the body length of the manul is 52-65 cm, the tail is 23-31 cm; body height at the withers 25 cm; ear width and height 5 cm; the length of the cat's skull is up to 9 cm, the width at the cheekbones is 7 cm. Margay, margi (lat. Leopardus wiedii or Felis wiedii) is a long-tailed American cat. It lives in moist dense evergreen forests of South America up to Mexico. These are Panama, Ecuador, Guyana, Uruguay, Belize, northern Colombia, Peru, northern and eastern Paraguay, northern Argentina. Margai is a wild forest tree cat. He looks a lot like an ocelot. This is a small cat with a long tail, on high legs. The body length is 50-80 cm, the tail length is 30-40 cm. The weight of the cat is 2.5-4 kg. ncilla or brindle cat (Felis tigrinus) is a small spotted cat. Oncilla lives in tropical forests in northern South America and southern Central America, in Brazil, Guyana, Argentina, Suriname, Venezuela, French Guiana, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its length is 60-85 centimeters, oncilla is one of the smallest cats. Moreover, 25-40 centimeters fall on the tail. The weight of a cat is from 1.5 to 3 kilograms.
Ocelot (lat. Felis pardalis). This is the most beautiful and largest of the wild American cats, except for the puma and the jaguar. The ocelot lives in a large area of South and North America - from Southeast Brazil, Northern Argentina, Central Bolivia and Peru to the US states of Arizona and Arkansas. There are ten varieties of ocelot. The length of the ocelot reaches 80-130 cm, the length of the tail is 30-40 cm. The weight of the animal is from 7 to 14.5 kg.
Pampas cat (lat. Felis colocolo) or grass cat is a small cat from the Pampas regions of Argentina and Chile. It lives in the southern regions of South America - in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, the foothills of the Andes. Its weight is 3-7 kg. Body length - up to 76 cm. Tail length - up to 25 cm.
Puma (lat. Felis concolor) or cougar. This large American cat is also called the cougar, the mountain lion. It is found in the southwest of Alaska, in Central Canada, the USA, Central and South America. Canines up to 4 cm in length. Puma weighs from 27 to 102 kg. The length of her body with a tail is from 145 to 275 cm.
Sand cat (lat. Felis margarita). It is also called the desert cat or sand cat. This is a very unique and beautiful cat. Scientists have discovered it twice. For the first time in 1858, a North African variety was described, and in 1926, a sand cat was described that lives in the deserts of Kyzyl-Kum and Kara-Kum. A sand cat is a small cat 73-91 cm long and weighing from 2 to 3.4 kg. Moreover, the length of the tail is 28-35 cm. Lynx (lat. Felis lynx) is the northernmost of the cat species. In many European countries, it has been completely or almost completely exterminated. Now it is found only in Russia, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Ukraine in the Carpathians. The body is short, dense, 80-105 cm long. The weight of the animal is 8-15 kg. Serval (lat. Felis serval, Leptailurus serval) bush cat. The serval lives throughout Africa, excluding the Sahara and the extreme south of the mainland. Its habitats are located north, south and east of the Sahara. Its body is approximately 90-135 cm long, tail 30-40 cm Weight ranges from 8 to 18 kilograms. Steppe cat - steppe cat - Felis lybica - or African wild cat. Distributed throughout Africa and in a vast area from the Mediterranean to China. The length of her body is 63-70 cm, the cat weighs 3-8 kg. It has fully retractable claws. Her ears are big. The tail is long - 23-33 cm.
Temminka - Asian golden cat (lat. Catopuma temminckii) is larger than the African golden cat. She looks like a cougar, except for her coat color and size. The size of the animal depends on the habitat. Temminka is found on the territory from Nepal to Sumatra, in Southeast Tibet, China, Burma, Laos, Vietnam. A cat weighs from 12 to 16 kg. Her body length is 66-105 cm. The black-footed cat is the smallest and lightest. Lives in southern Africa in the Kalahari Desert, in Botswana and Namibia. It lives on open dry plains, steppes and savannahs, in thickets of grass with scattered shrubs. Its weight is 1-1.9 kg, the body length of males is up to 43-50 cm, females - up to 36 cm. Tail length is 15-22 cm.
Jaguarundi (lat. Puma yaguarondi). The jaguarundi lives from the south of the United States to the north of Argentina: on the coast of Mexico, in Peru, Paraguay, in the south of Brazil. The body length of the jaguarundi is 55-70 cm, the tail length is 50-60 cm. The cat weighs from 4 to 8 kg.

I've been introducing them to you all year. You admired them, each of them was called the most beautiful. But it's time to decide. Who exactly do you think is the most beautiful? Let's choose the cat of 2017!

There are 41 of them in total. All are beautiful, although maybe some are not for everyone, but I am sure that each of them is worthy of attention and each has fans. Personally, I could not unambiguously choose the best. In my TOP 3 mark at least twenty contenders.

This article has been updated for the 5th time. Initially, I wanted to show you all the felines in one place. As it turned out, even the most inveterate "cat lovers" knew far from everyone. So my work was not in vain.

Well, let's define Miss Kitty 2017?

If suddenly you see this article for the first time, let's first try to figure out what pussies are and how they differ from each other, but then vote anyway !!!

All cats, without exception, are predators. And they belong to the squad of predators, and then this squad is divided into two suborders: canids and felines. Cats include hyenas, mongooses, viverrids, and felids. They are all very distant relatives, but cats are only those who are part of the cat family!

And this is what this family looks like in the subfamily / genus / species projection:

Subfamily Small cats (Felinae)

- genus Cheetahs (Acinonyx)

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You can read the original of this article (full version).

It's hard to believe, but one of the most formidable predators in the world, a lion and a small kitten belong to the same cat family. They are easy to identify by the natural grace inherent only in cats, retractable claws and a short flattened muzzle.

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, a round head with a prominent 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 individuals with white and golden colors also come across. Such unusual colors are associated with genetic violations.

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 among themselves; in the event of a decrease in the number of prey, attacks on livestock and people begin. With excellent night vision, the tiger prefers to hunt in the morning or evening. The tiger prefers to follow in the footsteps of the victim or wait for her in ambush, for example, near a reservoir. Unlike a lion, a tiger is very concerned about cleanliness; before going hunting, he always bathes or falls out in the snow to fight off the smell that can scare away prey.

A tiger can attack people if the boundaries of its territory are violated or if the food supply is reduced. Humans are easy prey for this predator.

Now, due to a decrease in the population, such cases are extremely rare, and a tiger, when meeting with a person, prefers to retreat. But earlier, attacks by man-eating tigers were recorded more than once. The Bengal tigress is widely known, on account of which the lives of more than 400 people. It has been suggested that a tiger that has tasted human flesh will continue to prefer this type of prey.

All subspecies of tigers are endangered and are listed in the Red Book. The hunting territories of tigers are protected by the state. A breed of cat was bred that resembled a tiger in miniature, called a toyger.

Amur (Siberian) tiger

In the photo: the largest wild cat in the world - the Amur tiger.

A serious and beautiful predator with thicker and longer fur compared to other subspecies. The only one of the tigers, on the stomach, which has a fatty layer to protect from the cold. The largest population of these animals lives in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, it has about 500 individuals. In neighboring countries, the number of this tiger is very small due to valuable fur and ingredients valued in oriental alternative medicine.

Even in the last century, the number of the Amur tiger was so great that special detachments were sent to hunt for 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 has increased.

However, at the moment, the Amur handsome man is under the threat of extinction.

Lion is the king of the animals

A dangerous predator, who is no stranger to nobility and grandeur. 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, the lion is very similar to the tiger. The color varies from dark brown to sandy. Lions are the only ones from the family of large wild cats that have a small tassel at the tip of the 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. They don't call him for nothing gentleman of the world of predators. His proud, majestic demeanor and noble warning about the start of the hunt with a regal roar make one admire and admire this animal from afar.

The only ones from the family of big wild cats do not live alone, but in original families - prides. Usually a pride includes females, cubs up to three years old and several males. The leader, an experienced and strong male, leads the pride. During hunting, 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 vacant place for a female. As a rule, the number of pride is the same and is obviously regulated depending on the food supply.

The surviving range of lions is located in Africa, and a small population is found in India.

Leopard (panther) - the most insidious of wild predatory cats

A dangerous and unpredictable predator from the cat family. In terms of jaw power, it is not inferior to its larger counterparts to the tiger and lion, although it is not as impressive in size. The growth at the withers of an adult leopard is no more than 80 cm, and the weight is up to 100 kg. The length of the body is from 120 to 195 cm. The body of this animal is elongated, light, somewhat compressed on the sides. The leopard has very beautiful spotted fur, thanks to which the leopard population has thinned greatly.

It climbs trees well, although it prefers to hunt on the ground. An excellent swimmer, therefore it easily overcomes water obstacles and does not disdain a fish. It can sit in ambush for a long time and lie in wait for prey. The natives of the area where leopards are found are much more afraid of them than their larger relatives. Too quickly and unexpectedly they know how to attack from trees and misfires are rare. Leopards drag their prey up a tree to protect them from other predators. These predators hunt at night and are always alone.

Black-colored individuals, called panthers, appearing in litters are considered more aggressive than the normally colored leopard. They got this color from the increased content of the hormone melatonin.

Jaguar is America's largest wild cat

This predatory inhabitant of the selva of Central and South America is very similar to a leopard, but much more massive and larger than it. The height at the withers is 63-76 cm, and the weight is approximately 90 kg. The body length of the jaguar can reach 185 cm. This representative of the cat is a solitary hunter, both males and females carefully guard their territory from their own kind and from other predators. Only during weddings do jaguars flock together, fights between males are rare - the choice is made by the female. She also raises kittens until they are old enough to defend their territory.

The prey of the jaguar can be caimans, crocodiles, peccaries, snakes, turtles, monkeys and other small and not very inhabitants of the selva and reservoirs. This predator does not disdain livestock. Attacks on humans are rare.

In many countries, the jaguar is listed in the Red Book and hunting for it is strictly prohibited. In others, such as Mexico, limited shooting is allowed.

Puma (mountain lion)

America's second largest predatory wild cat. The height at the withers is 60-90 cm, the length of the body is up to 180 cm, and the weight is not more than 100 kg. The body of the cougar is elongated, the legs are short, strong, the hind legs are more massive. The head is small. The color of cougars ranges from reddish to gray.

Cougars are found in almost all types of terrain: in the mountains, and in forests and on the plains. The cougar is a loner night hunter and her prey are numerous ungulates, she does not disdain birds, fish and insects. This predator does not distinguish between wild herbivores and livestock and willingly kills those who come to hand. Moreover, the cougar often kills more animals than it can eat. There have been cases of attacks on people. As a rule, children or short people walking alone are attacked.

Despite the incessant hunting and the narrowing of the habitat, the population of cougars is sufficient, large, since this predator easily adapts to other living conditions.

Cougars are found throughout South America, the western regions of North America and the Yucatan.

An unusually beautiful leopard with smoky gray fur with black spots. The irbis 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 more stocky and shallow. The body of the snow leopard is stretched, slightly raised in the region of the sacrum. The height of the withers is not 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.

Irbis rarely attacks humans and livestock. This can only happen if the cubs are protected. Irbis live in pairs and hunt together and raise offspring.

They feed, train and raise their cubs, and the female ruthlessly plucks the fur from her stomach to warm the den.

Now all over the world there are no more than 7 thousand individuals of the snow leopard. Unfortunately, snow leopards practically do not breed 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.

Cheetah is the fastest predatory cat

In a cheetah, both dog and cat features are bizarrely combined. A short body, long slender legs, like a canine, but paws, color and ability to climb trees are from cats. Scientists have long deduced the cheetah as a separate species of large cats, 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 up to 75 cm, body length up to 140 cm, and weight reaches 65 kg. The color of the cheetah is yellow-sand with black dots scattered all over the skin.

Females, except during the rearing of puppies, hunt alone. And males can stray into groups, usually consisting of littermates. With such a flock, they defend the territory and females from other cheetahs. Unlike most cats, they are diurnal predators. Large flat spaces make hiding places impossible, and cheetahs use a very 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 an accelerated pace no more than 400 meters. So, if the prey managed to escape, then the cheetah will simply rest and go looking for a less dodgy prey.

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 also easily tamed and showed great affection for their owners. They were led on leashes like dogs, they were played with without fear of injury. The image of a cheetah (in Rus' they were called pardus) is 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 just predators.

Unfortunately, the number of cheetahs is declining at an alarming rate. The main factor in the extinction of the population is the plowing of savannahs - the natural habitats of cheetahs.

Recently, closely related mixing due to the small number of animals has joined the causes of extinction. At the moment, there are no more than 4,500 cheetahs in the world.

In custody

Human activity has caused irreparable damage to the population of all wild predatory cats. Some species are lost forever, others are constantly under the threat of complete extinction. If this continues, then only one predator will remain on Earth - man.

There are several large feline hybrids in the world: liger, taigon, liliger, taligr. Of these, the largest liger is a hybrid of a lion and a tigress. In the wild, these hybrids are not fixed, because. outside the walls of zoos and circuses, lions and tigers are almost never found. The largest male ligers currently are Sudan, almost four meters tall and Hercules, 3 meters 70 cm tall. The latter weighs just over 400 kg. However, the largest recorded individual entered the Guinness Book of Records with a weight of almost 800 kg. Male ligers are sterile - they do not give offspring, unlike them, females may well reproduce, hybrids of liligers and taligers come from them, which are much smaller than their parents.

Kiara, the daughter of the liger Zita and the lion Samson, was born in the Novosibirsk Zoo in 2004, she became the first liliger in the world. When Zita refused to feed Kiara, the domestic cat Dasha took up the upbringing and feeding of the baby.

It is noteworthy that all representatives of large cat species belong to the genus Panthera. However, it is not itself an independent species, since like albinos, panthers are just leopards and jaguars with a rare black and even less often white color. Their body weight can reach 115 kg, against the background of handsome ligers, this rare representative of the cat family is a kitten.

The largest domestic cat

The largest cat breeds are Maine Coon and Regdol. Some representatives of these breeds of animals weigh from eight to twelve kilograms, which puts them in first place among all domestic cats that have ever existed. The fluffy huge Maine Coon looks like a fabulous Bayun cat, but has a very sociable and affectionate disposition, he loves his family to the point of adoration and is wary of strangers.

Domestic cats are similar in appearance to the Domestic Lynx and Manul, rather large representatives can reach up to 6 kilograms. If the Domestic Lynx adapts to the content in the house, then Manul is an exceptionally wild cat.

The largest extinct cat

The largest representatives of extinct felines are the cave lion, miracinonyx and saber-toothed tiger. However, these "dinosaurs" did not have a gigantic size and were much smaller than modern tigers and ligers. Scientists are sure that ligers are an extinct species, revived in an artificial environment. Perhaps, before, lions and tigers were not separated by such large distances as they are now, and joint offspring could have appeared as a result of a natural meeting of representatives of these species.

There are many different animals in the world. All of them are very different from each other. Some live in the sea, others live on land. Some feed on plants, others are predators. Some of them are small, others are huge and heavy.

The heaviest aquatic animal

The largest and heaviest aquatic animal in the world is rightfully the blue whale. Its length can be about 30 meters, and the weight starts from 180 tons and more. Such an animal has a dark blue color with bluish hues on the sides. The heart of a blue whale can be about 600 kilograms, and the tongue is about 2.5 tons, which can be compared with in size.

The volume of the lungs of a blue whale exceeds three thousand liters in size, which is an absolute record among all known animals.

Such whales feed on tiny organisms that are in the sea and have - krill. A blue whale can eat up to 40 million of these per day. Most often, blue whales prefer to stay alone or in pairs. These animals communicate using echolocation. The sound that blue whales utter when communicating is similar to the sound of a working jet aircraft and can be carried over vast distances, more than one thousand kilometers.

Female blue whales give birth to their cubs once every three years after a previous pregnancy that lasts about a year. The mass of a newborn whale fluctuates within 3 tons.

The blue whale is a rather peaceful animal that has lost its warlike abilities, which contributed to the almost complete extermination of this species.

The largest and heaviest land animal

The largest land animal is the elephant. The animal is characterized by a heavy massive body, a short neck and a large head, as well as huge ears and thick limbs. The weight of the male can reach 6 tons, the length is about 7 meters and the height is slightly more than 3 meters.

The females of the animal weigh almost half as much. Their height is about 2.5 meters, and the length is about 5 meters. Adult elephants, due to their large size, most often do not have in their natural habitat, but small elephants are often subjected to bloodthirsty attacks from crocodiles, hyenas and leopards.

According to the latest statistical estimates, the population of these animals in the wild is about 550 thousand individuals. The largest animal killed is an African elephant, which was shot in Angola, its weight was more than 12 tons, which is a record.

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Hunting, destruction of forests and reservoirs, pollution of nature with waste are factors that have contributed to the extinction of almost 850 species of representatives of the animal world over the past 500 years.

The main reasons for the extinction of species

Any changes on the planet affect the world. Both global (natural disasters, wars) and the most insignificant (forest fires, river floods). The most detrimental consequence of animals is human life, many have disappeared precisely because of it.

10 most famous extinct animals

Types of animals that a person can no longer see in nature:

Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the largest carnivorous sushi. Could reach 13 m in length, 5 m in height, weigh 7 tons. Bipedal Predator. He had a weapon in the form of a long tail and a powerful skull. Fossilized remains of individuals have been found in North America. According to the hypotheses of scientists, the species, along with the rest of the dinosaurs, more than 60 million years ago as a result of a comet collision with the Earth.

Quagga (extinct since 1883) is a subspecies of the common zebra with stripes on the front half of the body. They occupied a vast territory of Africa. They were exterminated by people for the sake of meat and freeing up space for pastures for livestock.

The Tasmanian tiger (or wolf) was the largest marsupial carnivore of our time. Inhabited the territory of Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea. The name was given for the stripes on the back and habitat. Intensive hunting, diseases (brought by man to territories isolated from civilization), and the appearance of dogs are to blame for the extinction of the species. The species has been considered extinct since 1936, but even today there are people who claim to have seen living individuals.

Sea cow (subspecies of Steller) is an absolutely defenseless animal. The species was discovered in the Bering Sea in 1741 by Georg Steller. Individuals were similar to modern manatees, only much larger. An adult sea cow was 8 m long and weighed about 3 tons. In just 27 years, the animals were exterminated by man for the sake of dense skin and fat.

Chinese river dolphin - extinct as a result of pollution of the river waters with waste from cargo and industrial ships. In 2006, the extinction of the species was recorded.

The Caspian tiger (extinct in the 1970s) - ranked third in size among all species. It was distinguished by unusually long hair, huge fangs and an elongated body. The coloration resembled a Bengal.

Tur (extinct since 1627) is a primitive bull. They were hunted only by aristocrats. When, in the 16th century, the species was threatened with extinction, hunting was prohibited and violation of the ban was severely punished. This did not save the population from destruction. At the beginning of the last century in Germany, they tried to revive the species, but to no avail.

Great auk (extinct since 1844) - flightless, reaching 75 cm in height and weighing about 5 kg. Representative of an extensive family, the only one who is up to modern history.

The cave lion is the largest lion. The main part died out during the ice age, the remnants of the species could not recover after a series of cataclysms and finally disappeared 20 centuries ago.

Dodo (extinct at the end of the 17th century) is a flightless bird from the island of Mauritius. It belonged to the family of pigeons, however, it reached 1 m in height. The species was also exterminated by man.

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Advice 4: What kind of feline did domestic cats come from?

Domestic cats descended from wild representatives of the species of forest cats, although so far most biologists attribute them to this species and consider them only a separate subspecies. The period of domestication dates back to the Neolithic Revolution, which took place about 10,000 years ago.

domestic cats

Biologists have not yet come to a consensus on whether cats should be classified as a separate species or not. For a long time, the most common and beloved pets among people were considered representatives of the forest cat species, forming a separate subspecies along with such groups as the Oman cat, steppe cat, cat and others. Despite some differences in appearance and behavior, all these groups really belong to the same species, as they can interbreed with each other and produce healthy offspring.

The same applies to domestic cats: once in wild conditions and running wild, they can find a mate among their wild counterparts and continue the genus, which allows them to be classified as the same species.

However, some biologists have proposed a separate species of domestic cat on the basis that a huge gulf separates them from their brothers: it is difficult to imagine that smooth sphinxes or blunt-nosed Persian cats belong to the same species as the graceful, aggressive and forest cat.

History of domestic cats

Thus, the ancestors of all domestic cats were forest cats - small predatory mammals that today live in Africa, northern Asia and Europe. They are fast, cunning, shy and aggressive animals.

They, in turn, descended from more ancient representatives of the cat genus and have close family ties with the dune cat - a small animal resembling a small lynx.

Several thousand years ago, forest cats inhabited the territory of the Middle East and at first tried not to meet representatives of the human race. During the Neolithic Revolution, people learned to grow plants, and the stocks of grain began to attract rodents to the dwellings of people. It is believed that the small mammalian pests were followed by predatory cats that preyed on them.

Gradually, people began to cooperate: the neighborhood was beneficial to both. The domestication of these animals took place about 10 thousand years ago, presumably in the region of the so-called Fertile Crescent, where the first settled settlements and the beginnings of human civilizations were formed.

Genetic studies have made it possible to identify the origin of domestic cats more accurately: all representatives of the domestic subspecies descended maternally from several steppe cats. Steppe cats are a subspecies of forest cats, which separated from other predators of this species about 130 thousand years ago. It was these animals that lived in the Middle East, it was they who were domesticated by the ancestors of modern people.

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Maine Coon is a large muscular cat with wide strong paws and large ears. On the head and neck, the hair of these animals is short, but on the back and sides it lengthens. In addition, Maine Coons have a luxurious fluffy collar and tassels on their already long ears. The coat color of this breed can vary. The color may include black, white, gray, brown, as well as any combination of these shades. There are also bright red Maine Coons.

The fruit of love between a cat and a raccoon

"Maine Coon" in translation means "Maine raccoon". The breed got this name due to the similarity of animals with raccoons. For a long time, people who did not understand biology considered the shaggy Maine Coon with tassels on the ears and a characteristic striped color to be the result of a love affair between a raccoon and a cat. Of course, there are no raccoons among the Maine Coon ancestors, but the name was assigned to the breed.

Huge cat character

Despite its impressive size, the Maine Coon is a meek and docile animal. These cats are strongly attached to the owner, for which they received the nickname cat-dog. They can, like a devoted dog, spend all day around the house, watching what he is doing and patiently waiting for the owner to be free and able to pay attention to them. At the same time, Maine Coons are not intrusive. They won't rest on your keyboard when you're working on your laptop, and they won't fit between your face and a book while you're reading. Raccoons are usually wary of strangers, but do not show aggression.

In appearance, the Maine Coon may seem clumsy, but in fact it is very active. This breed is better for people living in their homes or spacious apartments, as the Maine Coon loves to run, hunt for a ball or. Until recently, the ancestors of cats caught mice on farms, so the hunting instincts in them are very strong.

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