Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

319

lions, tigers, and other big cats

Claws out

when a cat pounces

on a victim, or climbs

up into a tree, it

unsheathes its sharp

claws. Muscles in the

feet extend the claws

and draw them back in.

leopard

the leopard weighs about 130 lb (60 kg),

and its body measures about 5 ft (1.5 m).

leopards are adaptable creatures. they

can survive in hot tropical forests or on

cold mountainsides. they may

also live close to towns

and villages.

Asia

Africa

tiger

unlike most cats, the tiger does not mind water.

a tiger sometimes pulls its dead prey near the

water’s edge, because it needs to take frequent

drinks during a meal. tigers stalk their prey

through dense undergrowth, then bound over

the last 50 ft (15 m) or so, taking their victim

by surprise. on average, a tiger consumes

about 40 lb (18 kg) of meat a day.

roaring

only the big

cats—lion, tiger,

jaguar, and leopard—can roar, and

they do so loudly. the snow leopard

is the only big cat that cannot roar.

the males roar to warn others to

keep away from their territories.

a lion’s roar can be heard up

to 5 miles (8 km) away.

CliMbing

leopards are excellent

climbers. they sleep, rest,

and watch for prey from the

branches of trees. they also drag their

uneaten food up into a tree to store it,

and to keep it away from scavengers.

Lions

Cheetah

Cheetahs hunt by sight rather

than smell, and once it spots its

prey, no animal can outrun a

cheetah over a short distance.

Cheetahs can speed along at

about 37 mph (60 km/h)—as

fast as a car. since the cheetah’s

claws are always extended, they

provide the cheetah with extra

grip as it starts its run. if a

stalking cheetah is detected

before it gets within about 600 ft

(180 m) of its prey, it does

not make the final dash.

Claws in

Most of the time, a cat’s claws

are protected in muscular sheaths.

this keeps the claws sharp and less

likely to break. some cats, such as

cheetahs, don’t have sheaths and so

their claws are visible all the time.

Jaguar

the jaguar (below) stalks its prey in the

same way as the tiger. Jaguars eat a variety

of creatures, including tapirs, fish, frogs,

rodents, sloths, and small caimans (south

american crocodilians).

panther

the black panther (right)

is a leopard with dark

coloring. in daylight, its

spots show black in its

dark gray-brown fur.

Conservation

leopards and other big cats have

been overhunted for their fur and

because they attack livestock

and, very rarely, people. the

trade in big cats and fur products

is now banned by an international

agreement. the maps show the

main areas of the world where

these big cats still live.

Leopards

Tigers

Find out more

animals

animal senses

Camouflage, animal

Cats

Conservation

and endangered species

Mammals

Cheetah Zoos

Cheetahs

Africa

Asia

Africa

Asia

Asia

37 mph37 mph

US_319_Lions_tigers_cats_2.indd 319 09/02/16 3:56 pm