Post by CollidingStars on Apr 16, 2012 16:02:18 GMT -6
Cheetah:
Description:
Can achieve speeds between 70 and 75 mph. However, their bodies cannot stand long distance running; They are more suited to short bursts of speeds. They have semi-retractable claws, and paws that do not allow gripping, therefore they can only climb trees by jumping on easily accessible branches. Adult cheetahs weigh from 77 to 160 pounds, and are 26 to 37 inches tall at the shoulder. Males tend to be naturally taller than the females, but it is difficult to differentiate between the genders on appearance alone. They cannot roar, but can purr (In contrast to 'true' big cats, who can roar but not purr). They are also the least able to adapt to new environments.
Habitat: Desert, thick bush, grasslands, savannas, mountainous terrain.
Diet: Antelopes, Gazelles, Zebra young, fowl, hares.
Reproduction:
Females reach maturity in 20 to 24 months, males around 12 months (although they don't usually mate until around 2-3 years of age). Mating occurs throughout the year. One study showed females to be sexually promiscuous and often have cubs by many different males. Litter average is 2-3, with 9 at the most, and the gestation period in 90 to 98 days (roughly 3 months).
Cubs:
Cubs weigh 5.3 to 11 ounces at birth. They are born with their spots, and fur on their necks like a mane, that extends to their mid-back, giving them a Mohawk-type appearance. This fur is shed as the cub ages. Cubs leave their mother between 13 and 20 months after birth. The time before that is very important, as the cubs learn many lessons, such as how to hunt wild prey species and avoid other predators. Cubs stay together after their mothers leave them for another six or so months, at which the females leave, and the young males remain together for life. Life span is up to 12 years.
Behavior: They hunt in early morning or in later evening. They use their sight, not scent. Females are solitary and tend to avoid each other, though some mother/daughter pairs have been known to form for small periods of time. They live alone, except for their cubs, which they raise on their own. They travel over home ranges, which may overlap other females home ranges. Males are more social and often group with their other male siblings for life. If they were the only male in the litter, they may group with one or two other lone males. Duos or trios of males are more likely to obtain a territory, and territories are kept only for four years. The size of these territories depends on the available resources; typically 14 to 62 square miles.
Bobcat:
Description:
Bobcats are much like Lynxes, except much smaller. Coat colors range from light gray, yellowish brown, to reddish. They are less secretive then Lynxes are.
Habitat: Forests, swamps, deserts
Diet: Hates/Rabbits, deer, rodents, fowl
Reproduction: Can breed all year. Their litter size is usually 1-6 young, and born after a gestation period of 60 days.
Cubs: Kittens are weaned at 12 weeks, and are independent of their mothers at about a year of age. Their life span is around 12-13 years.
Behavior: They hunt both night and day.
Caracal:
Description:
Another cat that resembles the Lynx, though they are not close relatives. They can grow up to 3 feet in body length. Colors range from yellowish brown to darker red/brown. They can survive long periods without water. They are mainly nocturnal. Good tree climbers.
Habitat: Savannah, woodlands, mountainous terrain.
Diet: Rodents, fowl, small deer
Reproduction: Breeding all year round. The female will often mate with up to three males. Gestation period is around 71 days, resulting in a litter of 1-6 kittens.
Cubs: Kittens reach maturity at 16-18 months, but are often independent from their mothers after 12 months of age.
Behavior: Like the leopard, they may store their kills in trees for small periods of time. They tend to stay away from dense tropical forests.
Jaguars:
Description: Powerful swimmers and climbers. Weights range from 124 to 211 pounds. Females are slightly smaller than males. They stand roughly 25 to 30 inches at the shoulder.
Habitat: Rainforest, forests, rivers, wetlands,
Diet: Opportunistic hunters. deer, dogs, foxes, mice, birds, monkeys, turtles.
Reproduction: Females reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age, males at 3 or 4. Mating can take place at any time of the year. Females provide all the parenting. Gestation period lasts 93-105 days, resulting in up to 4 cubs.
Cubs: Cubs are weaned at three month, remain in birth den until 6 months of age before accompanying mother on hunts. They will leave their mother after a year or two. Young males are nomadic at first. Life span is 12-15 years.
Behavior: These are another solitary feline. They keep territories, of which Females may overlap, but they generally try to avoid each other. They use scrape marks, urine, and feces to mark their territories.
Jungle Cat:
Description: Coat color ranges from sandy yellow to reddish brown, and may have faint stripes on the legs and tail. Adult males reach up to 16 kg in weight. A very abundant species, adaptable to new environments.
Habitat: Grasslands, marshy grounds, rivers, forests. They tend to stay away from Rain forests.
Diet: Rodents, hares, small mammals, fowl, reptiles, pigs, small deer, fish.
Reproduction: May mate all year round. A gestation period of 65 days will result in a litter of 3-6 young.
Cubs: Kittens are born heavily spotted but lose these spots as they age. They are weaned at 15 weeks of age, are independent of their mother at 8-10 months, and will reach sexual maturity at around 18 months.
Behavior: .They are not a very shy species, their curiosity leading them places other wild cats might not go. They may take up abandoned human establishments. They are more active during the daylight hours. They are terrestrial. They may jump into rivers or lakes to fish.
Leopard:
Description:. They are able to easily adapt to new habitats. Can run at speeds near 36 mph. They can climb trees even while carrying a heavy carcass. They have big heads and strong jaw muscles. They are between 18 to 31 inches tall at the shoulder. Males are larger, with weight between 66 to 200 pounds, with females at 51 to 130 pounds. Coats range from yellow, to cream, to gray, to dark gold. They are powerful swimmers.
Habitat: Rain forest, desert, grasslands, woodlands, rivered forests, savannas.
Diet: Opportunistic hunters. May eat bugs, monkeys, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, foxes, jackals, antelopes, gazelles, deer.
Reproduction: Can mate all year round. Female is in heat for about a week, and gestation lasts for 90 to 105 days (A little more than 3 months). Litters are usually about 2-4 cubs. Females give birth in a cave, or a crevice among boulders, or a hollow tree or thicket den. Spots aren't defined much at birth.
Cubs: Cubs begin to follow their mother on hunts at 3 months of age, can fend for themselves at one year of age, but remain with their mothers for around 18-24 months.
Behavior: They are solitary and nocturnal, but that can vary. Home ranges of males vary in size between 12 to 30 square miles, with females having even smaller home ranges of 5.8 to 6.2 square miles. Same-sex home ranges do not over lap, though males home ranges may overlap females. Males are territorial.
Lions:
Description: Males are easily distinguished from females with a mane (color varies from blond to black). Coat colors vary from yellowish, reddish, or brown. Males weight ranges from 330 to 550 pounds; for females, it is 264 to 400 pounds. Males can be up to 4 feet at the shoulder (height), whereas females are a bit shorter at around 3 feet. When a male takes over a new pride, he typically kills all cubs less than two years old. To protect their cubs, females may group together and attack a usurper male.
Habitat: Savannah, grasslands, bush, forest.
Diet: Impalas, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, boar, deer, gazelle. Can be scavengers.
Reproduction: They can mate at any time of the year. A female may mate with more than one male while in heat. A couple will mate twenty to forty times a day for several days while the female is in heat. Gestation period lasts around 110 days (almost 4 months). A female will give birth to 1 to 4 cubs in a secluded den such as a thicket or cave, away from the rest of the pride. Females may synchronize their births to help each other is suckling the cubs and hunting, as they tend to hunt separately from the pride immediately after giving birth. Females will not become fertile again until their cubs mature or die.
Cubs: Cubs are born with brown spots, that fade as they age. They begin walking at around 3 weeks of age, and are not integrated into the pride until 6 to 8 weeks old. Face dangers of jackals, hyenas, leopards, eagles, and snakes. Weaning occurs after 6 to 7 months. Male lions reach maturity at about 3 years of age, and are able to challenge another male lion at 4-5 years of age. Male cubs must leave the pride at around 2-3 years of age. Lifespan of ten to fourteen years.
Behavior: Very social. Live in prides consisting of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of females hunt together. They spend much of their day (up to 20 hours) simply resting. Sometimes pairs of males or a lone female may become nomads. Males patrol the edges of their territory, while Lionesses to the hunting. Both sexes defend the territory against intruders. Lionesses do not typically tolerate outside females.
Predators: Giraffes and Rhino's are dangerous to them. No natural predators, though many lions die from attacks from other lions. Crippled lions may fall victim to smaller predators.
Marbled Cat:
Description: This are similar in size to a domestic cat. Weights very between 4.4 and 11 pounds. They are good at climbing trees, using their tails (which are usually longer than their body) for balance.
Habitat: Tropical forests, grassy hills,
Diet: fowl, rodents, reptiles
Reproduction: Gestation period lasts between 66 to 82 days, resulting in up to 4 kittens.
Cubs: Kittens can take solid foods at two months of age, around the time the begin actively climbing. They reach sexual maturity at 21 or 22 months of age, and have a life span of around ten years.
Behavior: The have home ranges that they travel, and are mainly nocturnal, but may me active at dusk and dawn.
Ocelot:
Description: They can have a body length of up to four feet. They weigh in at between 18 to 40 pounds, though may get larger. They swim well, and are decent but not great at climbing.
Habitat: Forests,
Diet: small deer, hare, rodents, reptiles, fish.
Reproduction: They tend to breed only once a year, though a female may mate again shortly after losing a litter. This mating can occur at any time of the year. Gestation lasts 79 to 82 days, and a litter of usually one (two or three for points) is born, in a den such as a cave or rocky bluff, hollow tree, or thicket.
Cubs: Cubs begin to leave the den at three months, but will remain with their mother for up to two years. They live 12-14 years.
Behavior: They are mostly active during the night. They may sleep in the lower branches of trees in a forested habitat. Males and females will often share territories of up to 3 square miles, and are fiercely territorial and may fight to the death in territorial disputes. They mark their territory with urine.
Snow Leopards
Description: The snow leopard cannot roar. Snow leopards have long thick fur, and their base color varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with whitish underparts. They have dark gray to black open rosettes on their body with small spots of the same color on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tail. Unusually among cats, their eyes are pale green or gray in color and normally live for 15–18 years
Habitat: Alpine, rocks, mountains, snow.
Diet: Opportunistic feeders, eating whatever meat they can find, including carrion and domestic livestock. They can kill animals three to four times their size, such as the Bharal, Himalayan Tahr, Markhor and Argali, but will readily take much smaller prey such as hares and birds.
Reproduction: Snow leopards become sexually mature at two to three years. They usually mate in late winter. Snow leopards have a gestation period of 90–100 days, so that the cubs are born between April and June. Males tend not to seek out another partner after mating, probably because the short mating season does not allow sufficient time. Paired snow leopards mate from 12 to 36 times a day.
Cubs: The cubs leave the den at around two to four months of age, but remain with their mother until they become independent after around 18–22 months.
The mother gives birth in a rocky den or crevice lined with fur shed from her underside. Litter sizes vary from one to five cubs (for Stones), but the average is 2. The cubs are blind and helpless at birth, although already with a thick coat of fur. When they are born they have full black spots and turn into rosettes as they grow up.
Tigers:
Description: Height at shoulder ranges from 35 to 43 inches. Males weigh around 488 pounds while females weigh around 308 pounds. Coats range from yellow to light orange, with stripes from dark brown to black.
Habitat: evergreen forests, tropical dry forests, mangroves, deciduous forests, grasslands, rivered forests.
Diet: Buffalo, boar, deer, porcupines, hares, fowl. May take on wolves and foxes.
Reproduction: General mating throughout the year. Males reach maturity at 4-5 years of age, with females at 3-4 years. Tigresses come into heat at intervals at about 3-9 weeks. Gestation period lasts 104-106 days. 1-4 cubs are born in a shelter of tall grass, brush, or caves. Mother goes into heat immediately after cubs are gone.
Cubs: Cubs suckle for 3-6 months, beginning to eat small amounts of solid foods at 2 months of age. They follow their mother around after 2 months, taking part in hunting at around 5 months. After 2-3 years, cubs slowly begin to separate from family group (mother and siblings).
Behavior: Tigers lead solitary lives, hunting individually on their home ranges that may overlap for reproduction. Home ranges rely on each other for this reason, so if one Tiger moves his home range, the females that associate theirs with his will move theirs also.
Description:
Can achieve speeds between 70 and 75 mph. However, their bodies cannot stand long distance running; They are more suited to short bursts of speeds. They have semi-retractable claws, and paws that do not allow gripping, therefore they can only climb trees by jumping on easily accessible branches. Adult cheetahs weigh from 77 to 160 pounds, and are 26 to 37 inches tall at the shoulder. Males tend to be naturally taller than the females, but it is difficult to differentiate between the genders on appearance alone. They cannot roar, but can purr (In contrast to 'true' big cats, who can roar but not purr). They are also the least able to adapt to new environments.
Habitat: Desert, thick bush, grasslands, savannas, mountainous terrain.
Diet: Antelopes, Gazelles, Zebra young, fowl, hares.
Reproduction:
Females reach maturity in 20 to 24 months, males around 12 months (although they don't usually mate until around 2-3 years of age). Mating occurs throughout the year. One study showed females to be sexually promiscuous and often have cubs by many different males. Litter average is 2-3, with 9 at the most, and the gestation period in 90 to 98 days (roughly 3 months).
Cubs:
Cubs weigh 5.3 to 11 ounces at birth. They are born with their spots, and fur on their necks like a mane, that extends to their mid-back, giving them a Mohawk-type appearance. This fur is shed as the cub ages. Cubs leave their mother between 13 and 20 months after birth. The time before that is very important, as the cubs learn many lessons, such as how to hunt wild prey species and avoid other predators. Cubs stay together after their mothers leave them for another six or so months, at which the females leave, and the young males remain together for life. Life span is up to 12 years.
Behavior: They hunt in early morning or in later evening. They use their sight, not scent. Females are solitary and tend to avoid each other, though some mother/daughter pairs have been known to form for small periods of time. They live alone, except for their cubs, which they raise on their own. They travel over home ranges, which may overlap other females home ranges. Males are more social and often group with their other male siblings for life. If they were the only male in the litter, they may group with one or two other lone males. Duos or trios of males are more likely to obtain a territory, and territories are kept only for four years. The size of these territories depends on the available resources; typically 14 to 62 square miles.
Bobcat:
Description:
Bobcats are much like Lynxes, except much smaller. Coat colors range from light gray, yellowish brown, to reddish. They are less secretive then Lynxes are.
Habitat: Forests, swamps, deserts
Diet: Hates/Rabbits, deer, rodents, fowl
Reproduction: Can breed all year. Their litter size is usually 1-6 young, and born after a gestation period of 60 days.
Cubs: Kittens are weaned at 12 weeks, and are independent of their mothers at about a year of age. Their life span is around 12-13 years.
Behavior: They hunt both night and day.
Caracal:
Description:
Another cat that resembles the Lynx, though they are not close relatives. They can grow up to 3 feet in body length. Colors range from yellowish brown to darker red/brown. They can survive long periods without water. They are mainly nocturnal. Good tree climbers.
Habitat: Savannah, woodlands, mountainous terrain.
Diet: Rodents, fowl, small deer
Reproduction: Breeding all year round. The female will often mate with up to three males. Gestation period is around 71 days, resulting in a litter of 1-6 kittens.
Cubs: Kittens reach maturity at 16-18 months, but are often independent from their mothers after 12 months of age.
Behavior: Like the leopard, they may store their kills in trees for small periods of time. They tend to stay away from dense tropical forests.
Jaguars:
Description: Powerful swimmers and climbers. Weights range from 124 to 211 pounds. Females are slightly smaller than males. They stand roughly 25 to 30 inches at the shoulder.
Habitat: Rainforest, forests, rivers, wetlands,
Diet: Opportunistic hunters. deer, dogs, foxes, mice, birds, monkeys, turtles.
Reproduction: Females reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age, males at 3 or 4. Mating can take place at any time of the year. Females provide all the parenting. Gestation period lasts 93-105 days, resulting in up to 4 cubs.
Cubs: Cubs are weaned at three month, remain in birth den until 6 months of age before accompanying mother on hunts. They will leave their mother after a year or two. Young males are nomadic at first. Life span is 12-15 years.
Behavior: These are another solitary feline. They keep territories, of which Females may overlap, but they generally try to avoid each other. They use scrape marks, urine, and feces to mark their territories.
Jungle Cat:
Description: Coat color ranges from sandy yellow to reddish brown, and may have faint stripes on the legs and tail. Adult males reach up to 16 kg in weight. A very abundant species, adaptable to new environments.
Habitat: Grasslands, marshy grounds, rivers, forests. They tend to stay away from Rain forests.
Diet: Rodents, hares, small mammals, fowl, reptiles, pigs, small deer, fish.
Reproduction: May mate all year round. A gestation period of 65 days will result in a litter of 3-6 young.
Cubs: Kittens are born heavily spotted but lose these spots as they age. They are weaned at 15 weeks of age, are independent of their mother at 8-10 months, and will reach sexual maturity at around 18 months.
Behavior: .They are not a very shy species, their curiosity leading them places other wild cats might not go. They may take up abandoned human establishments. They are more active during the daylight hours. They are terrestrial. They may jump into rivers or lakes to fish.
Leopard:
Description:. They are able to easily adapt to new habitats. Can run at speeds near 36 mph. They can climb trees even while carrying a heavy carcass. They have big heads and strong jaw muscles. They are between 18 to 31 inches tall at the shoulder. Males are larger, with weight between 66 to 200 pounds, with females at 51 to 130 pounds. Coats range from yellow, to cream, to gray, to dark gold. They are powerful swimmers.
Habitat: Rain forest, desert, grasslands, woodlands, rivered forests, savannas.
Diet: Opportunistic hunters. May eat bugs, monkeys, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, foxes, jackals, antelopes, gazelles, deer.
Reproduction: Can mate all year round. Female is in heat for about a week, and gestation lasts for 90 to 105 days (A little more than 3 months). Litters are usually about 2-4 cubs. Females give birth in a cave, or a crevice among boulders, or a hollow tree or thicket den. Spots aren't defined much at birth.
Cubs: Cubs begin to follow their mother on hunts at 3 months of age, can fend for themselves at one year of age, but remain with their mothers for around 18-24 months.
Behavior: They are solitary and nocturnal, but that can vary. Home ranges of males vary in size between 12 to 30 square miles, with females having even smaller home ranges of 5.8 to 6.2 square miles. Same-sex home ranges do not over lap, though males home ranges may overlap females. Males are territorial.
Lions:
Description: Males are easily distinguished from females with a mane (color varies from blond to black). Coat colors vary from yellowish, reddish, or brown. Males weight ranges from 330 to 550 pounds; for females, it is 264 to 400 pounds. Males can be up to 4 feet at the shoulder (height), whereas females are a bit shorter at around 3 feet. When a male takes over a new pride, he typically kills all cubs less than two years old. To protect their cubs, females may group together and attack a usurper male.
Habitat: Savannah, grasslands, bush, forest.
Diet: Impalas, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, boar, deer, gazelle. Can be scavengers.
Reproduction: They can mate at any time of the year. A female may mate with more than one male while in heat. A couple will mate twenty to forty times a day for several days while the female is in heat. Gestation period lasts around 110 days (almost 4 months). A female will give birth to 1 to 4 cubs in a secluded den such as a thicket or cave, away from the rest of the pride. Females may synchronize their births to help each other is suckling the cubs and hunting, as they tend to hunt separately from the pride immediately after giving birth. Females will not become fertile again until their cubs mature or die.
Cubs: Cubs are born with brown spots, that fade as they age. They begin walking at around 3 weeks of age, and are not integrated into the pride until 6 to 8 weeks old. Face dangers of jackals, hyenas, leopards, eagles, and snakes. Weaning occurs after 6 to 7 months. Male lions reach maturity at about 3 years of age, and are able to challenge another male lion at 4-5 years of age. Male cubs must leave the pride at around 2-3 years of age. Lifespan of ten to fourteen years.
Behavior: Very social. Live in prides consisting of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of females hunt together. They spend much of their day (up to 20 hours) simply resting. Sometimes pairs of males or a lone female may become nomads. Males patrol the edges of their territory, while Lionesses to the hunting. Both sexes defend the territory against intruders. Lionesses do not typically tolerate outside females.
Predators: Giraffes and Rhino's are dangerous to them. No natural predators, though many lions die from attacks from other lions. Crippled lions may fall victim to smaller predators.
Marbled Cat:
Description: This are similar in size to a domestic cat. Weights very between 4.4 and 11 pounds. They are good at climbing trees, using their tails (which are usually longer than their body) for balance.
Habitat: Tropical forests, grassy hills,
Diet: fowl, rodents, reptiles
Reproduction: Gestation period lasts between 66 to 82 days, resulting in up to 4 kittens.
Cubs: Kittens can take solid foods at two months of age, around the time the begin actively climbing. They reach sexual maturity at 21 or 22 months of age, and have a life span of around ten years.
Behavior: The have home ranges that they travel, and are mainly nocturnal, but may me active at dusk and dawn.
Ocelot:
Description: They can have a body length of up to four feet. They weigh in at between 18 to 40 pounds, though may get larger. They swim well, and are decent but not great at climbing.
Habitat: Forests,
Diet: small deer, hare, rodents, reptiles, fish.
Reproduction: They tend to breed only once a year, though a female may mate again shortly after losing a litter. This mating can occur at any time of the year. Gestation lasts 79 to 82 days, and a litter of usually one (two or three for points) is born, in a den such as a cave or rocky bluff, hollow tree, or thicket.
Cubs: Cubs begin to leave the den at three months, but will remain with their mother for up to two years. They live 12-14 years.
Behavior: They are mostly active during the night. They may sleep in the lower branches of trees in a forested habitat. Males and females will often share territories of up to 3 square miles, and are fiercely territorial and may fight to the death in territorial disputes. They mark their territory with urine.
Snow Leopards
Description: The snow leopard cannot roar. Snow leopards have long thick fur, and their base color varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with whitish underparts. They have dark gray to black open rosettes on their body with small spots of the same color on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tail. Unusually among cats, their eyes are pale green or gray in color and normally live for 15–18 years
Habitat: Alpine, rocks, mountains, snow.
Diet: Opportunistic feeders, eating whatever meat they can find, including carrion and domestic livestock. They can kill animals three to four times their size, such as the Bharal, Himalayan Tahr, Markhor and Argali, but will readily take much smaller prey such as hares and birds.
Reproduction: Snow leopards become sexually mature at two to three years. They usually mate in late winter. Snow leopards have a gestation period of 90–100 days, so that the cubs are born between April and June. Males tend not to seek out another partner after mating, probably because the short mating season does not allow sufficient time. Paired snow leopards mate from 12 to 36 times a day.
Cubs: The cubs leave the den at around two to four months of age, but remain with their mother until they become independent after around 18–22 months.
The mother gives birth in a rocky den or crevice lined with fur shed from her underside. Litter sizes vary from one to five cubs (for Stones), but the average is 2. The cubs are blind and helpless at birth, although already with a thick coat of fur. When they are born they have full black spots and turn into rosettes as they grow up.
Tigers:
Description: Height at shoulder ranges from 35 to 43 inches. Males weigh around 488 pounds while females weigh around 308 pounds. Coats range from yellow to light orange, with stripes from dark brown to black.
Habitat: evergreen forests, tropical dry forests, mangroves, deciduous forests, grasslands, rivered forests.
Diet: Buffalo, boar, deer, porcupines, hares, fowl. May take on wolves and foxes.
Reproduction: General mating throughout the year. Males reach maturity at 4-5 years of age, with females at 3-4 years. Tigresses come into heat at intervals at about 3-9 weeks. Gestation period lasts 104-106 days. 1-4 cubs are born in a shelter of tall grass, brush, or caves. Mother goes into heat immediately after cubs are gone.
Cubs: Cubs suckle for 3-6 months, beginning to eat small amounts of solid foods at 2 months of age. They follow their mother around after 2 months, taking part in hunting at around 5 months. After 2-3 years, cubs slowly begin to separate from family group (mother and siblings).
Behavior: Tigers lead solitary lives, hunting individually on their home ranges that may overlap for reproduction. Home ranges rely on each other for this reason, so if one Tiger moves his home range, the females that associate theirs with his will move theirs also.
