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The largest cat that hunts in a group. Wild cat: list and short description of species

It probably won't be a mistake if I say that the most popular wild cat is the lion. no wonder they call him the king of beasts.

The lion lives in Africa and India. Few people know, but in India there is a nature reserve in the state of Gujarat called Gir Forest. So, in this reserve, a small population of Indian lions has survived.

Lions are the only cats that live in flocks all the time. For example, cheetahs can temporarily unite in small groups, for example, three individuals. And lions constantly live in a collective, a flock of lions is called a pride.


Of all cats, and perhaps of all predators, lions are distinguished by their mane.


These large cats are sexually dimorphic. What does it mean? In fact, everything is very simple, in lions, boys and girls are very different from each other, not only internally, but also externally. Lionesses do not have such a lush mane.


Lionesses occupy a subordinate position in the pack. They mainly hunt and the food of the pack depends on the lionesses.

Servals are also found in Africa. Although they are not large, they compete with cheetahs. And they may just be their prey, I guess.


Serval is a cat with big ears. She loves to live in thickets of small vegetation, which is why she is called a bush cat.


In the bushes of shrubbery, the serval perfectly disguises its color.


Like the cheetah, the serval is tamed. He is even kept in apartments as a pet.

Caracal lives in the deserts of Africa and Asia. Therefore, the caracal is also called the desert lynx, and outwardly it looks like a lynx.


The name caracal comes from the Turkish word karakulak, which is disguised as "black ear". The ears of the caracals are really black.


Despite the outward resemblance to a lynx, the caracal is genetically closer to the serval. In captivity, these cats interbreed.


Although the leopard is a large predator, it is inferior in size to lions and tigers. And not a little inferior.


The main habitat of the leopard is Africa, although it can be found in Asia up to China. But only in Africa is its population in a normal state, if so it is possible to write about an animal from the Red Book

Photo of tigers

So, moving closer to Asia, let's pay attention to tigers - this is one of the symbols of Asia.


The wild tiger is one of the most formidable predators. They live and hunt alone. Only during the mating season can the female and the male hunt together.


Now let's move to South America. Here the largest representative of the feline family is the jaguar.


The jaguar has a magnificent color, somewhat similar to the color of a leopard. Outwardly, these cats are very similar.


Black jaguars are found in nature. This is not a separate species, but an unusual color variant.


The Indians told the legends about these cats, endowing them with mystical powers.

Jaguarundi photo

Another cat, whose range is mainly in South America, is the jaguarundi. This cat lives in savannas and leads a rather hidden lifestyle.

Jaguarundi dark color.

Outwardly, the jaguarundi resembles a mixture of a cat and a weasel, the shape of the animal is very elegant and graceful. Jaguarundi hunts during the day.

Cougar photo

America's other large wildcat is the cougar. It lives in North America and is a very common predator there.

Although its appearance is quite impressive, especially in winter, when its lush winter coat makes it visually larger, it is about the size of a normal house cat.


Pallas are not tamed. They can live in a vallière, but they will not become tame animals. Keeping them at home is generally illegal, since the species is dying out and is listed in the Red Book.

Many feral cats are becoming increasingly rare due to population growth. People are destroying habitats, food supplies and just poaching.

Liger, this little-known hybrid is the largest cat in the world. On average, a liger individual weighs from 300 to 370 kg and can reach up to 4 meters in length and up to 2 meters in height. This huge cat is almost twice the size of the largest lion.

As the name suggests, the liger is a mixture of the two largest felines - lions and tigers, namely a male lion and a female tiger. Interestingly, if a tiger is a father and a lioness as a mother, then a completely different animal, the so-called "tiger", will be born, which is much smaller in size than a tiger. This is due to the fact that in male lions the genes responsible for growth are more active than in lionesses, while in tigers it is the other way around - genes that inhibit growth are less developed in females. Therefore, ligers grow to such incredible sizes, the gene that inhibits growth is suppressed. By the way, ligers grow throughout their lives.

Outwardly, ligers look more like tigers than lions: they have no manes, and characteristic tiger stripes are visible on their bodies, although they are very pale.

You can only meet ligers in captivity, because in nature, lions and tigers live in different geographical areas: lions in Africa, and tigers only in Asia. However, even in captivity, these huge cats are very rare. Now there are about 25 individuals in the world. Like many other feline hybrids, ligers cannot reproduce - almost all males are sterile, but most of the females are capable of bearing offspring.

Despite their huge size and rather frightening appearance, ligers are not aggressive and even friendly towards humans. They love to play and indulge like house kittens. And also these cats know how and love to swim.

The largest individual of the liger is a male named Hercules. He was born in 2004 in America. Now he weighs 420 kg., His body length is more than 4 meters, and his height is more than 2 m, while Hercules continues to grow.

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Everyone loves cats. Well, almost everything.

We are in the editorial office site we just adore these graceful and majestic creatures that truly adorn our planet. Today we invite you to get acquainted with rare cats, many of which we have not even heard of. Until this day.

1. Black-footed cat

One of the smallest felines, the black-footed cat, is a native of southern Africa. Its weight rarely exceeds 2.5 kg, and its length with its tail is 50 cm. The lifestyle and habits of these cats are poorly understood, but it is known that they choose abandoned termite mounds and porcupine burrows as their homes.

2. Fishing cat

Unlike most members of the family, the fishing cat swims and catches fish perfectly. Their paws are also not the same as everyone else's - anglers have membranes between their toes, which help them to swim perfectly, but do not allow them to retract their claws. Although the size of their bodies is not so large - the length of the male rarely exceeds 1.2 m, these cats have gained a reputation for fighters: once a cat contained in one of the zoos escaped from a cage and killed a leopard.

3. Iberian lynx

The Iberian lynx is one of the most endangered felines in the world. Once these big cats inhabited all of Portugal and Spain, but today their habitat is practically limited to the national park "Coto Doñana". Despite the name, it is distantly related to the common lynx and is half its size.

4. Jaguarundi

The jaguarundi is one of the few felines that leads a diurnal lifestyle. Jaguarundi live in Central and South America, but it is quite difficult to see them in the wild, which is why the animals are little studied. Scientists do not even have data on their life expectancy - it is only known that in captivity they live up to 15 years.

5. Chilean cat

The Chilean cat, which lives in the southern region of South America, spends most of its life in the dense crown of trees, from where it hunts its prey. Among the locals, the Chilean cat is considered a real vampire because of the two punctures from the fangs that it leaves on pets that it cannot kill.

6. Long-tailed cat

The Chilean cat's neighbor in South America, the long-tailed cat, also spends most of its life in the crowns of trees. These cats have an amazing feature: they can jump from branch to branch and climb down from the tree head down - just like squirrels do. In addition, her hind legs are so strong that she can hang upside down on them for quite some time.

7. Rusty cat

The rusty cat is one of the smallest felines, weighing no more than 1.5 kg. These babies live, the population of which does not exceed 10 thousand individuals, only in Ceylon and India, and if "island" cats live in humid jungles, then "continental" - in arid open places. The meow of these cats is very similar to the meow of domestic cats, and it is quite easy to tame them.

8. Clouded leopard

If the length of an ordinary leopard, excluding the tail, can reach 190 cm, then the smoky ones grow no more than 1 m. It is believed that this particular cat became the progenitor of all large modern felines, but its habits are in many ways similar to the behavior of domestic cats. Clouded leopards spend most of their time in the trees, and females also use the hollows as "maternity homes".

9. Oncilla

A miniature copy of the jaguar, the oncilla, is one of the least studied species among felines. Little is known about their lifestyle - despite the fact that they are found in Brazil, Argentina and several other countries, it is difficult to see them in their natural habitat, since their color allows them to hide well in the crowns of trees.

10. Sand cat

In addition to Central Asia, sand cats live in one of the most extreme places on our planet - in the arid Sahara desert. These cats are the smallest representatives of wild cats, whose length is no more than 90 cm, of which almost half is on the tail. Sand cats can live without water for a long time, getting its supplies from food.

11. Forest cat

Despite the significant difference in appearance, the forest cat is the closest relative of the dune cat. But in color, they resemble ordinary tabby domestic cats, and this is not surprising, because it was wild cats that 10 thousand years ago nailed to humans and became the ancestors of our pets. However, modern wild cats do not at all strive for closeness to a person and try to stay away from him.

12. Geoffroy's cat

The dimensions of the Geoffroy cat, which lives in the southern part of the South American continent, are the same as that of an ordinary domestic cat, moreover, they are quite capable of interbreeding with each other. However, unlike domestic cats, Geoffroy's cats know how to swim and can feed on the fish caught with their own hands. In addition, they are able to store food by arranging storage in the foliage of trees.

The feline family is very careful, mysterious, graceful and unusually attractive animals. Unfortunately, many of them are already listed in nature conservation books or are even on the verge of extinction, and hunting is prohibited. We decided to compose Top 20 most beautiful felines living all over the world and occupying a wide variety of habitats. You can also see the Rating of the most beautiful cat breeds.

In addition, on the site you can see a collection of photographs on the topic: Friendship of a man and a lion, Friendship of a man and a tiger.

20. Serval (bush cat)

A predatory mammal of the feline family. Servals are common almost throughout Africa, excluding the Sahara, forestsequatorial zone and the extreme south of the mainland (Cape province). North of the Sahara (Algeria, Morocco), this beast is now extremelyrare, but still quite common in East and West Africa. There are about 14 subspecies. NThey inhabit open spaces with shrub and herbaceous thickets, settling, as a rule, not far from water. Theyavoid deserts, dry plains and humid tropical forests, keeping to the edges of the latter.It is an object of trade, since its skin is used for fur products; it is also prized in some parts of Africa due toyour meat. They also exterminate it because of attacks on poultry.As a result, in the densely populated regions of Africa, the number of servals has dropped noticeably. It is quite easy to tame andcan be kept in captivity as pets. Male servals can mate with common domestic cats, producing hybrids -"savannah".

19. Jaguarundi


A species of carnivorous mammals, which also includes the Pumas genus. Outwardly, the jaguarundi somewhat resembles a representative of the familymustelids or viverrids: she has an unusually elongated, flexiblea body on short strong legs and a long thin tail, which in general gives it a resemblance to a weasel or Madagascar fossa.Demonstrates great flexibility in habitat selection. These cats were met in the savannas, in the thorny thickets of chaparral, intropical rainforest. Features of the structure of the body allow him to easily wade among the dense grass and bushes.Jaguarundis often settle near water - in wetlands, along the banks of streams, rivers and lakes. In the mountains, they climb to a height of up to3200 m above sea level. Hidden animals, leading a predominantly solitary lifestyle (with the exception of the mating season).Unlike most felines, jaguarundis are active mainly during the day; the peak of their activity falls on 11o'clock in the morning. Jaguarundis are terrestrial animals, but they can climb and swim well. Due to its wide range, this animal is notis a protected species, although it has become rare in the southern United States. Little is known about its numbers and ecology.



Wildcat of Southeast Asia: in the eastern Himalayas, Sumatra and Borneo. Marble cats are slightly larger than domestic cats. Their length is about 55 cm, excluding the 50 cm tail. The fur pattern is reminiscent of a clouded leopard. Their immediate habitat is tropical forests. As a nocturnal hunter, the marbled cat feeds on rodents, especially squirrels, toads, birds and insects. Unlike the Bengal cat living on the ground, it moves mainly in the branches of trees, and thus both species do not constitute much competition for each other. Hunting for her is prohibited in Bangladesh, China (only in Yunnan province), India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.



A wild small cat from the genus of Asian cats. A close relative of the Bengal cat. The smallest representative of the feline genus... Lives only in India and Sri Lanka. The species is endangered with fewer than 10,000 adultsrepresentatives with a constant decline, due to changes in the natural habitat.The Ceylon rusty cats inhabit the rainforest, while the Indian population lives in dry, open areas.Rusty cats are nocturnal and live alone. Their behavior is very close to that of a Bengal cat. To theirprey include mice, lizards and insects. Despite being good at climbing trees, rusty cats most of the timespend, as a rule, on the ground.

16. Cheetah


A predatory feline mammal, the fastest land animal, it differs markedly from other members of the feline family. The body is slimwith developed muscles and practically no fat deposits, it seems even fragile. The nails are partially retractible, which is not typical for felines and exceptthe cheetah is observed only in the fishing cat, the Sumatran and Iriomotean cats. Cheetahs are daytime predators. They huntmainly on small ungulates: gazelles, impalas, wildebeest calves, - as well as hares. Three cheetahs can defeat an ostrich.87% of cheetah prey is Thomson's gazelle. Cheetahs usually hunt early in the morning.or in the evening, when it is not very hot, but it is still light enough. They are guided more by sight than by smell. Unlike other felines,cheetahs hunt in pursuit of prey, not in ambush. In pursuit of the victim, it develops a speed of up to 110-115 km / h, accelerates to 75 km / h in2 seconds. In Africa, the cheetah is the weakest of the large predators. Hyenas, leopards and lions can take prey from cheetahs,taking advantage of the fact that the cheetah needs up to half an hour to rest after the chase. The cheetah only eats the animals it has killedhimself, sometimes drags prey into the bushes,to hide it from predators and eat it later, but more often it hunts anew each time.


Margai is sometimes kept in South America as a domestic cat. Forest margai differ from ordinary pets in strong long legs, in addition, they are somewhat larger. The length of a cat without a tail is about 60 centimeters. They are also called a reduced copy of an ocelot. But the tail of the margai is special - it is two-thirds of the length of the entire cat, it is decorated with stripes and rings. That is why Margai is also called a long-tailed cat. It balances with its tail, moving in the crowns along thin branches. Lives in trees, and there he finds his prey. Just like an ordinary cat, margai hunts lizards or small birds. The only one of all felines, the margai can twist the ankles 180 degrees and climb a tree just like a squirrel - up or down. Due to deforestation and the diligence of hunters, margays are becoming less common, and are already recognized as an endangered animal. Alas, in zoos they reproduce very poorly.



A wild cat from the genus Katopum that lives in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. Previously, it was referred to the now-abolished genus of golden cats. Today, its resemblance to the African golden cat is believed to be based on convergent evolution. The species is named after the Dutch zoologist Konrad Temminck. More than twice the size of a common domestic cat. Its length is 90 cm, not counting the tail, which is 50 cm long. The habitat of the Temminck cat stretches from the Himalayas and southern China to the Indochina Peninsula, and it is also found in Sumatra. Inhabits forest biotopes. Due to deforestation and hunting, Temminck's cat has become a rare animal. In China, its meat is considered a delicacy, and its bones are used in traditional Chinese medicine. In Thailand, there are a lot of legends around her, according to one of which it is believed that burning the fur of a Temminck cat drives the tigers out of the vicinity, and wearing at least one hair from her fur, according to local omens, protects against a tiger attack.



Carnivorous feline, common in Central America, northern and centralparts of South America. The northernmost region inhabited by ocelots is the US state of Texas. Its population is concentrated inocelot avoids tropical forests, open spaces. Ocelots live alone and hunt primarily at night. Duringthe heat of the day they love to hide in the hollows of trees. Despite the excellent ability to climb trees and rocks, they huntearth. Ocelot prey mainly includes small mammals and birds, howeversometimes they do not disdain and snakes. The largest specimens of the ocelot also overpower small donkeys and pigs.Due to the intense hunting for it, the ocelot has become an extremely rare animal in our time. Thanks to new interstateHunting for ocelots, as well as the sale of any products made from ocelots, are prohibited.



A representative of the feline family that lives in Southeast Asia. It vaguely resembles a leopard and is consideredquite an ancient species, as well as a possible ancestor of today's large felines. Its value corresponds to approximatelythe size of the shepherd. The clouded leopard is found in southeast Asia, from southern China to Malacca and from the eastern Himalayas toVietnam. The subspecies found in Taiwan became extinct. Its biotopeare tropical and subtropical forests located at altitudes up to 2000 meters. Live alone and move around normallyin the thickets. The long tail helps them to maintain balance in a difficult environment for movement. Among the feline smokyleopards are the best at climbing trees. They also swim well. Their prey includesdeer, wild boars, monkeys, birds, goats, reptiles. They wait for their victims on the branches and suddenly jump on top of them.Because of its precious hide, the Clouded Leopard has been hunted a lot in the past. Today he is threatened by poaching, butthe greatest danger to its preservationrepresents the progressive deforestation of the tropical rainforests that are its home.



A species of the feline family. The sand cat has the smallest size among wild cats: its body length is 65-90 cm,and 40% is occupied by the tail. The feet are covered with coarse wool, which protects the soles of the feet from hot sand burns.The fur is thick and soft, protecting the body from low night temperatures. The habitat of the sand cat looks like a strip startingin the Sahara (Algeria, Morocco, Chad, Niger) and through Arabianpeninsula to Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan) and Pakistan. Lives exclusively in hot, aridareas. Its habitats are very diverse, from sandy deserts. Sand cats are strictly nocturnal.Only the Pakistani subspecies is active in winter and early spring, mainly at dusk. From the heat of the day, they escape inshelters - in old burrows of foxes, corsacs, porcupines, as well as in the widened burrows of ground squirrels and gerbils.Cats are carnivorous; their diet includes almost all the game that they can find. It is based on gerbils,jerboas and other small rodents, lizards, spiders and insects. Sometimes tolai hares and birds, whose nests are ruined.The sand cat is also known for its hunt for venomous snakes (horned viper, etc.). In winter, she sometimes approaches the villages,but does not attack domestic cats and birds. Dune cats get most of their moisture from food and can for a long timedo without water. Natural enemies of sand cats are snakes, large birds of prey and jackals.Sometimes they independently dig shallow burrows or holes, where they hide in case of danger. NSpractically devoid of vegetation, to rocky valleys overgrown with bushes. They are not huntedhowever, they are caught for sale. They also suffer from destruction of their natural habitat.In general, the dune cat is the most "prosperous" species among wild cats.



A predatory mammal of the feline family. Its second name - Pallas cat - he received in honor of the German naturalistPeter Pallas, who discovered Pallas' cat on the coast of the Caspian Sea in the 18th century. Pallas' cat is an animal the size of a domestic cat.Pallas cat's fur is the fluffiest and thickest among cats. Distributed in Central and Central Asia, from South Transcaucasia andwestern Iran to Transbaikalia, Mongolia and Northwest China. Pallas' cat habitats are characterized by a sharply continentala climate with low temperatures in winter and low snow cover; it is most numerous in areas with little snow. InhabitsPallas' cat, steppe and semi-desert areas, is sedentary. Active mainly at dusk and early morning; sleeps during the dayin the shelter. The slowest and most clumsy of the wild cats. Pallas' cat feeds almost exclusively on pikas and mouse-likerodents, occasionally catches gophers, tolai hares, marmots and birds. Pallas' cat is not adapted to running fast. In case of danger forit is characterized by concealment; he also escapes from enemies by climbingon stones and rocks. An alarmed Pallas' cat emits a hoarse rumbling or a sharp snort.Pallas' cat is rare or extremely rare, and its numbers continue to decline. In places he is on the verge of extinction,included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, in the IUCN Red List with the status of "close to threatened". Pallas' cat huntingis universally prohibited.



A species of mammals from the genus of lynx, the northernmost of the feline species; in Scandinavia, it is found even beyond the Arctic Circle.It was once very common throughout Europe, but by the middle of the 20th century it was exterminated in most countries of Centraland Western Europe. Successful attempts have now been made to revive the lynx population. Prefers deaf dark conifersforests, taiga, although it is found in a wide variety of plantations, including mountain forests; sometimes it enters the forest-steppe and forest-tundra.She perfectly climbs trees and rocks, swims well.She also perfectly survives in the snow (above the Arctic Circle), catching fur-bearing animals. With an abundance of food, the lynx lives sedentary, withdisadvantage - it wanders. She is capable of walking up to 30 kilometers per day. Her diet is based on hares. She alsoconstantly hunts grouse birds, small rodents, less often small ungulates, such as roe deer, musk deer, spotted andreindeer, occasionally attacks domestic cats and dogs, in addition - on foxes, raccoon dogs and other small animals.According to the Russian zoologist Mikhail Krechmar, there is not a single confirmed case of a lynx attack on a person.Moreover, the lynx is known as one of the most easily tamed animals.

A predatory mammal of the feline family. For a long time, the caracal was attributed to the lynx, to which it looks like, however, a numbergenetic characteristics singled it out into a separate genus. Despite this, the caracal is closer to the lynx than other cats.Although outwardly the caracal looks like a lynx, in morphological features it is closest to a cougar. The caracal is also close to the AfricanServal, with which it crosses well in captivity. Found in savannas, deserts and foothills of Africa, in the deserts of Arabiapeninsula, Asia Minor and Central. On the territory of the CIS, it is small in number: it is found in the deserts of southern Turkmenistan, along the coastThe Caspian Sea reaches the Mangyshlak Peninsula, in the east it sometimes appears in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.The caracal is active mainly at night, but in winter and spring it appears during the day. The crevices of the rocks andburrows of porcupines and foxes; sometimes they are used for several years in a row. Its main food is rodents (gerbils,jerboas, ground squirrels), tolai hares, partly small antelopes, in Turkmenistan - gazelles. Sometimes he catches hedgehogs, porcupines,reptiles, insects, small animals of prey such as foxes andmongoose, young ostriches. Can steal poultry, attack lambs and goats. Caracals are easy to tame. In Asia(India, Persia) with tame caracals hunted hares, pheasants, peacocks and small antelopes. In Africa, especially South,caracal is quite common and considered a pest. There is a special culture of hunting for caracal: it is lured by devices,imitating the cry of a wounded hare or a mouse, and at night they shoot from under the headlights. In addition, in South Africa, caracals are used,to drive away birds (mainly guinea fowls) from the runways of military airfields.Asian subspecies of caracal are much rarer.

7. Leo


A species of carnivorous mammals, one of four representatives of the genus Panther, belonging to the subfamily of big catsas part of the feline family. It is the second largest living cat after the tiger -some males can weigh up to 250 kg. The historical range of the lion was much wider than the modern one - even in the earlythe middle ages, the lion was found throughout Africa, except for deserts and tropical forests, it could also be seenin the Middle East, Iran and even in a number of places in southern Europe (for example, he lived in part of the territory of modern southern Russia,rising to about the 45th north parallel). In North and Northwest India, the lion was a common predator. butpersecution by humans and destruction of the habitat led to the fact that in Africa, the lion was preserved only south ofSahara, its range is currently torn apart. In Asia, a small population exists in the Gir Forest (in the Indian stateGujarat). Lions are a vulnerable species due to the irreversible decline in their population. For the last twodecades, the number of lions in Africa has declined by 30-50%. Populations are vulnerable outside protected areas.The reason for the decline in numbers is not fully understood, but the greatest threats are habitat loss and conflict with a person.

6. Black Panther


The name of dark-colored individuals of a number of species of large cats, which are a genetic variant of coloration - manifestationmelanism caused by a gene mutation and is characteristic almost exclusively of females. An example of a strong spread of mutation,which leads to melanism, in the feline population, is the populationleopard in Malaysia, where about 50% of animals are black.The black panther is not an independent species. Most often it is a leopard or jaguar. The existence of pumas-melanistsnot confirmed. The word "panther" is often applied not only to individuals with a black color, but also to others with a normal color.(reddish or spotted), even white - the so-called "white panthers".

5. Jaguar

Big cats. The only representative of the genus on the territory of North and South America. The third largest in the world, and the mosta large representative of the cat family in the New World. The species range extends from Mexico south to Paraguay and northArgentina. The main habitats of the jaguar are tropical rain forests and grasslands. Jaguars have a solitary lifestyle.The jaguar is a crepuscular predator. Its most active hunting hours are after sunset and beforedawn. Its main prey is capybaras and ungulates like mazam deer, bakers and tapirs, but it also attacks birds,monkeys, foxes, snakes, rodents. The jaguar also hunts on turtles - its powerful jaws are able to bite through their shell. In contrastfrom the cougar, the jaguar willingly and often attacks livestock. The predator swims well and rarely misses the victim that is looking forrescue in the water. He also digs from the sand on the ocean coastturtle eggs, sometimes throwing themselves at sleeping alligators or snatching fish out of the water. In a significant part of its former rangethis species is almost or completely exterminated. The change by people of the natural habitats of jaguars, fishingfor the sake of valuable hide, as well as shooting by herders who feared for the safety of their herds.The jaguar is included in the international Red Book and is protected in many countries. Shooting jaguars in limited numbersallowed in Brazil, Mexico and some other countries. Hunting for trophies is allowed in Bolivia.

4. Leopard


In the XX century, it was included in the IUCN Red Book, in the Red Book of Russia, as well as in the protection documents of other countries. However, in many African countries, the relatively high population of leopards makes it possible to allocate an annual quota for their prey. The large cat, however, is much smaller than the tiger and lion. The area of ​​distribution of the leopard is wider than that of any other representative of the feline family, with the exception of the domestic cat. The plasticity of the species is explained by its secretive lifestyle and its ability to hunt a wide variety of animals. The range of the leopard in the Caucasus by the middle of the 20th century has been dramatically reduced, its numbers are negligible, and in fact this subspecies is on the verge of complete extinction. Inhabits forest, partly forest-steppe regions, savannas and mountainous regions of Africa and the southern Front and southern half of East Asia. The leopard feeds mainly on ungulates: antelopes, deer, roe deer and others, and during the starvation period - on rodents, monkeys, birds, and reptiles. Sometimes attacks domestic animals (sheep, horses). Like a tiger, he often abducts dogs; foxes and wolves suffer from it. It does not disdain carrion and steals prey from other predators, including other leopards. The number of leopards throughout its range is steadily declining. The main threat to it is associated with a change in natural habitats and a reduction in the food supply. The main concern is the poaching of animals for the needs of oriental medicine.

3. Puma (mountain lion, cougar)


A species of the feline family. The word "puma" comes from the Quechua language. Cougar's closest relatives are the jaguarundi and the extinct North American genus Miracinonyx. The cougar is the second largest feline in America; only the jaguar is larger than it. Historically, the range of the cougar was the most extensive of all land mammals in America. Even now, in terms of the latitude of distribution, the cougar is comparable (of the feline) only with the red lynx, forest cat and leopard. Cougars were originally found almost everywhere from southern Patagonia to southeastern Alaska; the area of ​​its distribution quite accurately coincided with the area of ​​its main prey - various deer. Now in the United States and Canada, the cougar is preserved mainly in the mountainous western regions. In eastern North America, the cougar was completely exterminated; the exception is the tiny population of the subspecies Puma concolor coryi in Florida. Cougars lead a strictly solitary lifestyle. Cougar hunts mainly at night. Its diet consists mainly of ungulates: black-tailed, white-tailed, pampas deer, wapiti (American red deer), elk, caribou, bighorn sheep and livestock. However, the cougar can feed on a wide variety of animals - from mice, squirrels, possums, rabbits, muskrats, porcupins, canadian beavers, raccoons, skunks, armadillos to coyotes, lynxes and other cougars. They also eat birds, fish, and even snails and insects. Unlike tigers and leopards, the cougar does not distinguish between wild and domestic animals, attacking livestock, dogs, cats and birds when the opportunity arises. In doing so, she cuts more animals than she can eat. Despite the fact that cougars are an object of hunting and their range is shrinking due to environmental destruction, most subspecies are quite numerous, since cougars easily adapt to life in different landscapes. It is also interesting to note that some people have now begun to domesticate cougars as their pets.

2. Snow leopard (irbis or snow leopard)


A large predatory feline mammal living in the mountains of Central Asia.Weighs up to 55 kg. Due to the inaccessibility of habitat and the low density of the species, manyaspects of his biology. Currently, the number of snow leopards is catastrophically small, in the XX century it was included in the Red BookIUCN, in the Red Book of Russia, as well as in titles of protection of other countries. As of 2012, hunting for snow leopards is prohibited.The snow leopard range in central and southern Asia covers an area of ​​approximately 1,230,000 km² of mountainous regions andstretches through the territory of the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, India,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.Irbis is a typical representative of the fauna of the high rocky mountains of Central and Central Asia. Among the large felinesthe snow leopard is the only permanent inhabitant of the highlands. It predominantly inhabits alpine meadows, treelessrocks, rocky areas, stony placers, steep gorges and is often found in the snowy zone. Active at dusk, but sometimes during the day.The snow leopard is able to cope with prey three times its mass.The main prey of snow leopards almost everywhere and all year round is ungulates. It should be noted that due to the constantpersecution by humans, the snow leopard population is continuously decreasing.

1. Tiger



A species of carnivorous mammals of the feline family, one of four representatives of the panther genus, which belongs to the subfamilybig cats. Among the representatives of this species, there are the largest animals of the feline family. The tiger is one ofthe largest land predators, second only in mass to white and brown bears. Nine subspecies of the tiger have been identified.In the XX century, it was included in the IUCN Red Book, in the Red Book of Russia, as well as in the protection documents of other countries.As of 2012, hunting tigers is banned all over the world. The tiger is an exclusively Asian species. Historical range of the tiger(now strongly dissected into separate populations, sometimes very distant from one another) is located on the territory of the FarEastern Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, China, India and the countries of Southeast Asia, including the Sunda Archipelago(Indonesian islands). In the wild, tigers mainly feed on ungulates, sometimes they can hunt domestic animals,such as dogs, cows, horses and donkeys. Throughout its range, the tiger is the top of the food pyramid and almostdoes not experience competition from other predators.

Tigers, lions, cougars, panthers, cheetahs and leopards are considered the largest cats on planet Earth. In total, about 37 species of the cat family live, and almost all are large. Big cats themselves are rather secretive animals, they avoid interaction with humans because of the danger that threatens them.

All representatives of the feline family differ from each other in color, behavior, character, habitat, etc. But there are amazing creatures that differ from others in their incredible size.

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    Tiger

    The tiger is the largest wild cat in the world. Representatives of this breed can weigh up to 250 kg. Height at the withers is 1.15 cm. An adult predator reaches 3 meters in length. The habitat of these predators is concentrated mainly in Asia.

    External signs of a tiger:

    • strong muscular body;
    • round head with a convex skull;
    • bright color (red with black stripes).

    The tiger hunts alone. Its feeding area ranges from 300 to 500 km. For the predators, enmity among themselves was not noticed, if the amount of prey decreases, then the tigers attack livestock and people. The predator hunts in the morning and in the evening, thanks to its excellent eyesight, it sees perfectly in the dark. It attacks from an ambush, pursuing the victim in the footsteps.

    Tigers are very clean, unlike other members of the feline family. Before hunting, he always bathes in order to bring down his smell, which will interfere with him during the hunt.

    Humans are the easiest prey for a tiger. But he can attack only when a person violates the territory of a predator or the tiger's food supply runs out.

    Now there are no cases of tiger attacks on people. This is due to the decline in the animal population. All subspecies of tigers disappear and are included in the Red Book.

    Amur (Siberian) tiger

    Compared to other tigers, the fur of this representative is thicker and longer. There is a layer of fat on his stomach that protects from the cold. The largest population is in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, there are about 500 individuals. In eastern countries, its population is very low due to the fact that its fur is very valuable in alternative medicine.

    Several decades ago, the population of the Amur tiger was quite large; over time, it decreased to 200 individuals. But thanks to the efforts of biologists, the number of Siberian tigers is gradually increasing. But they are still in the Red Book.

    Wild steppe cats - lifestyle, character, the possibility of domestication

    a lion

    One of the largest cats on Earth. This dangerous predator in weight reaches 250 kg, and the height at the withers is 123 cm. The body length is 170 - 250 cm. The structure is somewhat similar to a tiger. The color can be either dark brown or sandy. A distinctive feature is the tassel at the end of the tail. The main decoration of a lion is a luxurious mane, which only males have.

    Warns of the hunt with its majestic roar. The only felines live in prides. The leader of the pack leads him. In the hunt, males are in ambush, and females are beaters of prey. It is almost impossible to get into the pride to the lions. There is a certain number of animals in the flock, which is due to the food supply. The habitat of lions is located in Africa and India (less).

    Puma (mountain lion)

    Proudly bears the name of the second largest wild cat in America. The height at the withers is 60-70 cm, the length of the body reaches 180 cm, and the weight is up to 100 kg. The body of the animal is massive, elongated, the hind legs are larger than the front ones, the head is small. The color is reddish or gray.

    It lives in almost all areas from the plains to the mountains. He is not particularly picky about food, he can eat both ungulates and insects. There are known cases of attacks on people, mostly children and short people walking alone.

    Hunting for this predator does not affect its population in any way. This is due to the fact that the animal perfectly adapts to various conditions. Mainly in South America, western North America and Yucatan.

    Leopard

    The leopard is the most cunning of carnivorous cats. Although it differs in size from a lion and a tiger, it is not inferior to them in terms of the power of the jaw. Height at the withers is no more than 80 cm, and the animal gains weight up to 100 kg. The body length is from 120 to 195 cm. Because of their spotted color, leopards are attacked by poachers. Differs from other wild cats in that:

    1. 1. perfectly climbs trees;
    2. 2. overcomes water obstacles;
    3. 3. eats fish;
    4. 4. sits in ambush for a long time;
    5. 5. hunts at night and alone;
    6. 6. Drags food up the tree to protect it from other predators.

    Panthers are considered more aggressive, whose color is black. They got this color due to the increased content of the hormone melatonin.

    Jaguar

    Very similar to a leopard, but much more massive and larger than it. Height at withers 63-75 cm, weight about 90 kg. The body length is up to 185 cm. By nature it is a lone predator, jaguars carefully guard their territory. Males protect their families, and females raise kittens until they grow up.

    They can feed on both crocodiles and livestock. Attacks on humans are extremely rare. In most countries, this representative of the feline family is listed in the Red Book, but in Mexico it is allowed to shoot in a limited number.

    Irbis

    It is also called snowy beauty. It lives high in the mountains, descends to the foot only in case of pursuit of herbivorous ungulates. Outwardly, the leopard looks like a leopard, but more squat. It stands out for its unusual smoky fur covered with black spots. The body of the snow leopard is elongated and raised at the sacrum. the height at the withers is about 60 cm, and the body length varies from 103 to 130 cm. It lives in the regions of South and Central Asia.