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Iberian Lynx
Lynx pardinus
Size: females 9 kg ( 20 lbs); males 13 kg (29 lbs).
Habitat: Dense scrub.
Primary prey: Rabbits.
Conservation Status: Endangered.
Principal threats: Reduction in the availability of prey; habitat loss.
Distribution: Iberian peninsula.
Notable Features: The Iberian lynx is about half the size of the Eurasian lynx and has always been restricted to the Iberian peninsula. Its primary prey, rabbits, have declined in numbers due to disease and this appears to be harming the lynx.
Jaguar
Panthera onca
The jaguar is one of the two largest cats of the Americas (or New World), along with the mountain lion. The jaguar is similar in size and coat pattern to the leopard, a species found only in the Old World. However, ithas a more stocky build and its coat pattern differs from that of the leopard in having one or two small spots within a rosette of larger spots. The jaguar does not roar like a lion - instead it growls and makes deep grunts that sound somewhat like a cough.
Size: females 36 kg (80 lbs) males 55 kg (122 lbs).
Habitat: Usually found near water in moist forest, but also occur in more arid habitats such as savannah and scrub where water is available.
Primary prey: An excellent swimmer, jaguars eat fish, turtles, caimans, and snakes as well as deer, sloths, capybaras, monkeys, and armadillos. .
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Principal threats: Loss of habitat due to deforestation; illegal hunting.
Distribution: The range of the jaguar has shrunk greatly in the last 100 years. Whereas it formerly ranged into the southwestern United States, it is now confined to southern Mexico and parts of Central and South America. The last jaguar killed in California was in 1860 and jaguars had disappeared from the United States by 1950.
Jaguarundi
Herpailurus yaguarondi
Size: females 4 kg males 6 kg.
Habitat: Jaguarundis are found in a wide range of lowland habitats, including primary forest, savannah woodland, swamp and dry scrub.
Primary prey: Rodents, birds, small reptiles, and rabbits.
Conservation Status: Stable (endangered in parts of the United States).
Principal threats: Loss of habitat due to deforestation; illegal hunting.
Distribution: Jaguarundis can be found from Argentina northward to the area surronding the Mexico-United States border.
Notable Features: Jaguarundis are a very unusual looking cat. Their elonbgate body, short legs, and narrow head give them a weasel-like appearance. Interestingly, they seem to be more closely related to pumas than to any of the other small cats of South America.
Jungle Cat
Felis chaus
Size: females 4 kg (8.4 lbs) males 6 kg (13.2 lbs).
Habitat: Marshy, wet environments; near streams and rivers.
Primary prey: Medium to large rodents, young deer and pigs.
Conservation Status: Stable.
Principal threats: Destruction of their wetland habitats.
Distribution: Eastward from the Middle East to India and southeast Asia.
Notable Features: Jungle cats active frequently during the day. Strong swimmers, they will dive to catch fish or escape from dogs.
Kodkod
Oncifelis guigna
Size: 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs).
Habitat: Moist, temperate mixed forest.
Primary prey: Small rodents and birds.
Conservation Status: ?
Principal threats: Loss of habitat due to deforestation.
Distribution: Chile and western Argentina.
Notable Features: This is the smallest cat of the Americas. Its climbs well and has relatively large feet and heavy tail.
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Size: females 28-60 kg (62-133 lbs) males 37-90 kg (82-198 lbs).
Habitat: Leopards are found nearly anywhere there is sufficient food and cover, including wooded savannah, temperate and tropical forest, and desert.
Primary prey: Leopards are generalist predators that eat all sorts and sizes of prey, ranging from small mammals and birds to young giraffes. Most often, they prey on medium-sized ungulates, such as deer and gazelles. .
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (endangered in parts of Asia).
Principal threats: Lack of prey; persecution by livestock ranchers; illegal hunting.
Distribution: Most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, India, China, Siberia, and southeast Asia.
Notable Features: The leopard has the widest distribution of the wild cats and is highly variable in habitat and prey choice. It also varies greatly in size and coat color over its range, probably in response to local conditions.
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
Size: females 2.5-3 kg (6-7 lbs) ; males 3-4 kg (7-8 lbs).
Habitat: Tropical rainforest to montane coniferous forest. Avoids deep snow and arid areas.
Primary prey: Hares, rodents, fish, and young deer.
Conservation Status: Stable.
Principal threats: Excessive hunting for the fur trade.
Distribution: southeastern Asia.
Notable Features: Although leopard cat numbers appear to be stable, there is some concern that they are being overhunted. A project is underway to design a sustainable management program for this cat.
Lion
Panthera leo
Size: females 120-182 kg (265-400 lbs) males 150-250 kg (330-550 lbs).
Habitat: Lions are usually found in open habitats such as grassy plains, arid woodlands, and semi-desert.
Primary prey: Lions usually kill prey larger than themselves, such as zebra, wildebeest, and buffalo but will also take smaller antelopes and warthogs. Lions will eat carrion and often steal carcasses from other predators such as hyenas, cheetahs, and wild dogs. .
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (endangered in Asia).
Principal threats: Loss of habitat ; illegal hunting.
Distribution: The distribution of the lion has diminished greatly over the last 2000 years. Formerly found throughout Africa, southern Europe and east to India, lions are now confined to sub-saharan Africa and a small population in India.
Notable Features:Along with tigers, lions are one of the two largest living species of cats today. Lions are the most social of all living cats, living in prides of related females, their offspring and one or a few adult males.
Manul, Pallas's Cat
Otocolobus manul
Size: 2-4.5 kg (4.4-10 lbs).
Habitat: Cold arid environments such as stony alpine desert and high altitude grasslands.
Primary prey: Small mammals and birds.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Principal threats: Illegal hunting; rodent poisoning programs.
Distribution: Central Asia.
Notable Features: Because the Manul lives in very cold environments, the fur on the tail and underparts is twice thelength of the fur on its back. Its flat head shape may help it stay concealed when hunting in open areas with little cover.
Marbled Cat
Pardofelis marmorata
Size: females and males 2-5 kg (5-11 lbs).
Habitat: Although little is known of the habits of this rare, small cat, it appears to prefer moist tropical forest ands is an excellent climber.
Primary prey: Rodents and birds? Very little data available.
Conservation Status: Indeterminate.
Principal threats: Habitat destruction; lack of data on its biology.
Distribution: Uncertain - perhaps from northern India and Nepal east and south throughout Indonesia.
Notable Features: The marbled cat has a very long tail and a coat pattern that is similar to that of the clouded leopard.
Margay
Leopardus weidii
Size: females and males 3.2 kg (7 lbs).
Habitat: Evergreean and deciduous forest.
Primary prey: Small arboreal mammals such as climbing rats, squirrels, opossums and birds.
Conservation Status: Indeterminate.
Principal threats: Loss of habitat due to deforestation; illegal hunting.
Distribution: The margay is found in forests from southern Mexico to the northern boundary of Argentina.
Notable Features: An excellent climber, the margay has very flexible ankles that allow it to climb down trees head first like a squirrel. It hunts in trees and can hang from a single branch by a foot with some assistance from its long, muscular tail.
 marshjazz · Mon May 16, 2005 @ 03:24am · 0 Comments |
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