Felidae, a carnivorous feline mammal[19]。Cats have muscular bodies, long tails that help balance, strong and powerful limbs that are good at running, and sharp teeth and claws;When running, the claws of cats stretch out of the sheath, and when walking, the claws shrink in the sheath, except for cheetahs;There is a pair of light-sensitive eyes. When they feel different light, their pupils will change.[20]
Cats are distributed all over the world except Antarctica, Oceania, Madagascar and some other marine islands,[21]It mainly inhabits deserts, grasslands, jungles, humid forests or mountains.[19]Cats are aggressive and cruel by nature. They are good at climbing and jumping. They run fast and often kill other animals by ambush;Most cats like to live alone, without fixed nests, and have a certain range of activities.More activities in the morning and evening, hiding in the forest during the day.[21]Most cats eat meat.[22]
In the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 20 species of cats, including caracal, clouded leopard and tiger, are classified as Class I protected animals, and all other species are classified as Class II protected animals.China lists the clouded leopard, leopard, tiger and snow leopard as the first level protected animals in the country, and the lynx, grassland spotted cat, desert cat, jungle cat, rabbit cat, golden cat and fishing cat as the second level protected animals.Due to the impact of modern civilization, human beings continue to develop forests and turn them into farmland, causing large-scale destruction of the natural ecological environment, taking away the environment on which cats rely for survival, and shrinking the habitat;In addition, in order to get their beautiful furs, people carried out crazy large-scale poaching activities, especially in some remote areas.[18][21]
Get the oldest real feline through fossil research（Primordial cat）They lived in the Eocene.In Eocene, it evolvedFalse cat。The pseudocat is believed to be the common ancestor of the two existing subfamilies and the extinct saber tooth subfamily.This group of animals, better known as saber toothed cats, became extinct in the late Pleistocene, including saber toothed tigersDagger toothed tiger、dinofelis And like saber toothed tiger.The first kind of feline appeared about 30 million years agothe oligocene epochIt was thousands of years ago that the household cat that people are more familiar with began to be connected with human beings.Felidae originated from the primitive type similar to cat hunting, which is similar in morphology and sex to today's felines and is more primitive. Previously, it was a subfamily of felines, but now it is more independentNimravidae Nimravidae 。
Nimravidae It occupies an ecological position similar to that of cats, and is relatively diversifiedCanine toothIt is relatively developed, and some members such asShijian tigerEusmilus and others have developed classesLike saber toothed tigerThe developed upper canines were the main predators of pachyderms at that time.
catamount
After the birth of real cats, they developed in two directions: the upper canine teeth gradually extended, and the other canine teeth tended to become smaller and more flexible.The branch with gradually extended upper canine teeth is classified asSisyphodontidae（Machairodontinae），Among them, the late saber tooth tiger (Smilodon) is the representative.The saber toothed tiger is probably the most eye-catching of all prehistoric mammals. It has a huge body and well-developed upper canine teeth. It may feed on pachyderms and disappear with the decrease of pachyderms.
The 36 known felines all originated from a common ancestor 18 million years ago.These species originated in Asia and spread across continents via land bridges.
According to published in《science》On, Warren Johnson and Stephen O'Brien of the National Cancer Institute of the United States conducted research on the mitochondrial gene and nuclear gene, and determined that the ancestors of cats had evolved eight main lineages between at least 10 continent to continent migrations (two-way) using the Bering Land Bridge and the Isthmus of Panama.
Among them, Leopard is the oldest, while Cat is the youngest.They estimate that about 60 percent of existing species have evolved in the last million years.Most felines have 18 or 19 chromosome ploidy.There are 18 cats in the New World (Central and South America)chromosomePloidy, which may be due to the combination of two smaller chromosomes into a larger chromosome.Before this discovery, most biologists could not establish a cat classification tree from the fossil records, because the fossils of different species looked very similar, mainly due to the different scales.
Of the 36 recognized felines, tigers are most closely related to lions, leopards and jaguars.These big cats evolved from a common ancestor similar to modern leopards or jaguars and lived more than 5 million years ago.Fossils found in Central Asia, China, Siberia, Japan and Sumatra and Java in Indonesia are clearly identified as tigers about 2 million years old.[1]
Lions and cheetahs are found only in the wild in Africa and Asia.Wildcats are found in the savannah and shrubbery of North Africa, Arabian Peninsula and Southwest Asia.The territory of puma and lynx extends from Yukon, Canada, to parts of South America and Asia.They are named after the territory where they live, the puma in the Rocky MountainsMountain lion, but in Florida, they will be calledFlorida leopard。
The most ferocious animals on the land -- tigers, leopards, lions, and people's cats -- were brothers of the same family.In zoological classification, they are collectively called cats, but cats are the smallest.In terms of adaptation to survival, they have their own characteristics: tigers can swim, lions can't swim, leopards can climb trees in addition to swimming, and are agile, not inferior to apes.They are mainly meat eaters, and there is no big difference in their feeding objects.[2]
All modern felines can be traced back to the catlike animals in ancient meat eating. In the future evolution, they gradually differentiated into several branches, one of which is the ancient cheetah. After a long process of evolution, they finally evolved into today's cheetah.The ancient saber toothed tigers and the pseudo saber toothed tigers were extinct respectively around the Tertiary, and only the ancient cats survived.Later, the ancient cats were divided into three branches, namely, the famous phobic cats, the true saber toothed tigers and the real cats, especially the phobic cats and the true saber toothed tigers, which bred the prehistoric beasts with extremely high popularity and fierce personality on the earth.[3]
However, in the subsequent development process, these two branches were also extinct during the Quaternary Ice Age, and only the real cats survived. After several differentiation, they finally formed two major categories of cat and leopard, which is the embryonic form of the modern feline subfamily Felinae and Leopard subfamily that we know well.With the continuous development of scientific cognition, the classification of cats has been improving and changing.[3]
According to some characteristics of cheetahs in the past, for example, its paws can not stretch freely like other cats. The scientific name of cheetahs, "Acinonyx", means "immovable paws" in Greek, so people classified cheetahs as cheetahs, independent of felines and leopards.Later, when we entered the field of molecular science, we looked at the cheetah again from the genetic level. People found that it was closely related to the puma and the slim waisted cat, which together formed a pedigree, so we canceled the cheetah subfamily, and the cheetah was also classified into the feline cheetah genus.[3]
Illustration of Feline Evolution History
morphological character
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overview
Felidae, a carnivorous feline mammal,[19]Cats have muscular bodies, long tails that help balance, strong and powerful limbs that are good at running, and sharp teeth and claws;When running, the claws of cats stretch out of the sheath, and when walking, the claws shrink in the sheath, except for cheetahs;There is a pair of light-sensitive eyes. When they feel different light, their pupils will change.[20]
Body fur
Most cats have spots, stripes or rose patterns, but some of them, such as cougars and lions, have a single and uniform coat color.Some species are black or nearly black.[4]
Whenever an elegant feline walks, the powerful muscles in its slender and soft body flow under the soft and beautiful fur.When they stop, each curve of the body bends into a beautiful arc.As a result, they sometimes leave an impression of laziness.When they put their ears flat and jumped up, showing their sharp teeth and claws to attack, the impression immediately disappeared.
If compared with the rest of the body, the head of the cat is slightly larger.Because the nose and jaw are relatively short, its face looks flat compared with other animals, so their ears appear large and eye-catching.Ears are gradually reduced from the root upward, and the ear tip is round or sharp, and upright upward.[5]
Cats lack sweat glands on the body surface, and there are developed sweat glands between the toe pads, palm pads, lips, larynx, nipple area and anus area.The fat glands are small, only in the upper jaw.The male is more obvious at the prepuce of the penis and the upper part of the tail.The female has fat glands and sweat glands around the anus.Males also haveAnal glandThe anal gland is mainly used to mark the field and attract the opposite sex.
Among felines, animals living in the coldest places have the longest fur (such as snow leopards). Tigers have a wide range of fur colors, from black to orange to white. Many species have dull fur colors, with rose knots, spots and stripes inside, which can camouflage when looking for prey.Although some variants (pure black) are common in many species, completely white individuals are rare.A large number of color changes may occur in a single species, and the color of newborn cubs is often different from that of adults.For example, adult pumas rarely have spots, while cubs almost always have spots.Generally, the ventral surface of the cat tends to be pale, while the face, tail and back of the ears usually have black or white stripes.[3]
Head Senses
The skulls of felines are characterized by short snout and wide cheekbones, more than half of the full length of the skull.The skull outline is approximately circular.The nasal bone is short, sloping, the premaxilla is narrow, and the maxilla is tall and short.The mandible is also short with high coronal prominence.The frontal bone is towering, the zygomatic arch is thick, and it expands strongly to both sides to attach and accommodate the thick masticatory muscles.The short snout is also used to strengthen and adapt the occlusal action.Most species have large orbits, frontal bonesParietal boneBoth are relatively wide.The skull is approximately round, with well-developed herringbone ridge and obvious anamorphic ridge.There is no pterygoid sphenoid groove on the skull.The auditory vesicle is high and enlarged. The tympanic bone only forms the outer edge of the auditory vesicle, with a bone septum inside. The auditory vesicle is divided into internal and external parts.Small clavicle, hypoplasia, noShoulder strapAnd sternum.Male penis bones degenerate or have only traces.Female has 2-4 pairs of nipples.
Listening:Cats have keen hearing and can hear many sounds that humans cannot hear.When sound comes, they usually turn their head to the direction of the sound source, which is helpful for hearing and vision.Like humans, the inner ear of cats is composed of bony, lymph filled semicircular channels. It maintains body balance through a complex mechanism, and makes them land safely when falling through this mechanism rather than the tail.[5]
eye:The eyes of cats are large and prominent, located in the front of the head, and face forward like the eyes of humans.In addition to owls and apes, cats are closer to human binocular vision than other animals.Cats have a wide perspective, which is also color vision.In different light, the pupil of their eyes can quickly change size, but they can still not see objects in a completely dark environment.But in dim light, their eyesight is better than that of most animals.When the light is bright, the pupils of cats' eyes can be narrowed into narrow vertical slits or very small pupils, but when the light is dim, these slits or small pupils will be enlarged to ensure the maximum amount of light is emitted.
Their eyes seem to glow in the dark (which is also misunderstood by many people). In fact, they are just reflecting the light of external light sources. Therefore, it can be imagined that when there is no light, this "light" will no longer exist.ServalOur eyes look red in the dark because their retinas lack pigment. Those red eyes are actually blood vessels.[5]
Nose:The skin on the tip of the nose of cats is generally black, red, or pink. They are usually cold and wet.All cats have a keen sense of smell, and can smell out prey or their favorite food from an amazing distance.[5]
Beard:The whiskers or tentacles of cats are preciseTactile organThey have whiskers or tentacles on both sides of their nose, above their eyes, on their cheeks and on the back of their front feet.Shaving will not only affect their appearance, but also weaken their sense ability.[5]
tooth:Cat teeth are used not only to attack, but also to bite food.They have 30 teeth, of which four big sharp curved canines are the sharpest.Thus cats can rely on such teeth to grasp and tear their food or enemies.The smaller incisors (upper incisors) are mainly used to aid in tearing, and their lateral teeth (premolar and posterior notch) are less than most mammals.The lateral teeth of most mammals are used to grind food.Cats only use them to cut off food.[5]The muzzle and tooth row of cats are very short, which increases the biting force.The shedding or reduction of portal teeth is particularly obvious in cats. The typical tooth order of cats is 3/3, 1/1, 3/2, 1/1=30.In most species, the number of upper premolars is significantly reduced, while in lynx, it has been completely lost.[3]
tongue:Cats have rough tongues.Domestic catYour tongue is like rough sandpaper.The larger wild cats, such as tigers andlion, it is rougher.Their tongues are full of barbsLingual processSo that they can peel meat from the bones of their prey.Of course, all cats also use their tongues as their main cleaning tools to brush their beautiful hair.[5]
Jaw:The jaws of cats are short but very powerful, capable of clamping prey and crushing its bones with enough force.However, because the upper and lower jaw are connected by joints, the jaw can only move up and down without moving left and right, so cats cannot grind their teeth.When cats close their jaws, their teeth fit together like cogs.Therefore, cats can only tear or crush their food, but cannot chew it.As a result, many foods are swallowed whole and finally digested by gastric juice.[5]
reproduction organs
Mating brings pain to all felines, not because of biting but because of the penis of male felines. The reproductive organs of male felines are covered with numerous small hooks (for example, there are more than 100 small hooks on the penis of male tigers, each about one millimeter long).These hooks are made of keratin, a tough fibrous protein commonly found in nails and claws.The small hook has two functions, one is that it can scrape off the sperm left by other males during previous mating, and the other is that it can urge female cats to ovulate.The pain caused by the small hook scraping the vagina can stimulate the brain of female felines such as female lions or cats, and the brain will therefore secrete a special substance to promote the maturation of eggs in the ovary. You must mate at least four times, and the concentration of this hormone will be high enough to make the eggs fully mature, so that you can have more opportunities to breed new life.Although the mating process is very painful, the sex life of most cats is still very active.[5]
Limbs and toes
The strong muscles of the legs can enable cats to quickly generate power to jump on their prey, or generate huge explosive force when they chase their prey.When they suddenly run, climb or jump, the knees and heels of their hind legs bend, providing great strength.Their forelegs are also powerful and extremely flexible. They can stretch out their forelegs when they are a certain distance from the prey in the process of hunting, catch the body of the prey and firmly grasp it.[5]
The cat with the largest claws is the tiger. The cat has five toes in its front paw and four in its back paw.Their front paws are also powerful weapons for defense and hunting, which is also the best tool when climbing or standing on the swaying trunk.Each of their toes has sharp claws, which grow from the last bone of their toes and are hook shaped.In order to ensure that these claws remain sharp and not broken in the process of moving, and to keep their steps silent, their claws are closed under the soles of their feet most of the time.Cats also often scratch rough surfaces or bite with their teeth to keep these claws sharp.However, cheetahs are felines that cannot fully retract their sharp claws. Their claws are similarcanineIn that way, because the claws are blunt and the curvature is relatively small, they are always exposed outside.Feline animals have plum shaped meat pads under their palms, which are generally flesh colored or black to prevent them from making noises when walking, but they cannot walk on sharp roads, or they may be punctured.[5]
Habitat environment
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Cats mainly live in deserts, grasslands, jungles, humid forests or mountains.[19]Cats are found in all terrestrial habitats except treeless tundra and polar ice.Most species are generalists in habitat and can be found in a wide range of environments.There are also individual species that can adapt to extreme environments.For example, the best habitat for sand cats is sandy and rocky deserts.Domestic cats and wild cats are ubiquitous worldwide, especially in cities and suburbs.[3]
Life habits
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Hunting
The first is the lion, such as the African lion, which is a feline. When they get close to their prey, the first way is to bite it offthroat, kill the prey.The second is to jump on the back of the prey andvertebraBite off, so that the animal dies.
The second isjaguarIt simply does not bite the neck and never bites the neck of the prey. It directly bites the skull of the prey. It can pierce the skull of the prey, that is to say, it bites through, so its upper and lower jaws are very powerful.
The third way of hunting cheetahs, cheetahs, is just to bite animals' throats.Because its canine teeth are thin and small, it can only chase and bite the animal's throat in this way, and then suffocate the animal to death.Another method is the leopard. It uses animals, tigers and lions. It often drags its prey to the tree and hangs it up to prevent other animals from plundering.
food
Cats are very smart, that is, they will never catch those potentially dangerous, very large prey.Except when this method will give it huge benefits, for example, when it is not very hungry, it will never provokeelephantNever provoke the kindAfrica bisonDon't provokegiraffe。When the group is really short of food, and the group is large, there is not enough food, it will take great risks.Because this meal may meet the food needs of one of my lions, it may take this risk.But in general, as long as there are potentially dangerous prey, the trick it uses is that I will avoid, and I will not catch you.But this is true when living in groups. For many cats living alone, they have a natural way to avoid danger, that is, they can catch their prey well and not be hurt by it.The most typical ones here are pumas and tigers. They both have the ability to catch prey without being hurt.
habit
Cats are aggressive and cruel by nature. They are good at climbing and jumping. They run fast and often kill other animals by ambush.Most cats like to live alone, without fixed nests, and have a certain range of activities.More activities in the morning and evening, hiding in the forest during the day.[21]Most cats eat meat.[22]
Living in the North American Rocky MountainsSMThere is a cluster of hair on the ears and feet, and the tail is short. These shape characteristics can help it maintain its temperature in the long cold winter. The thick soft fur on its feet is like snowshoes, allowing it to move in the snow.[6]
jaguarIts long tail and strong limbs can make it keep balance when jumping and galloping in the rainforest environment;Whether on the ground or among the branches of trees, the spots on its body can be mixed with the light spots of the sun, so that it can approach the prey without being noticed.
SaharanDune CatThere is also a tuft of hair on the foot, so that it will not be burned by the hot sand, and it can also move quickly on the sand without sinking.Its big ears have a large surface area, which not only helps heat dissipation, but also can keenly determine the location of prey.[6]
leopardIt is another excellent hunter in Africa. This cat has evolved a skill to drag its prey to the tree after catching it.A leopard can drag an antelope of its own mass to the branches to avoid being found by other predators or scavengers.[6]
LeggyCheetahIt is the only cat that can not retract its claws. Its claws are similar to the toenails of dogs, so it has amazing explosive power when it jumps on prey.After the cheetah threw its prey to the ground, it gripped its throat with its powerful jaw and sharp teeth.[6]
On the vast African prairie, there are many animal populations and mysterious predators,Africa lionIs one of them.They have strong muscles, highly elastic spines, sharp claws and teeth to catch prey.African lions can also be integrated with the tan environment they live in, so even if they are close to their prey, they are not easy to be detected.[6]
Snow LeopardThe thick white fur and gray spots on the body can not only protect it from being invisible in the ice and snow environment, but also keep it warm.The lungs of this feline have developed relatively large, which enables it to obtain more oxygen on the Himalayan Mountains with thin air. Its wide feet make it stronger when jumping, and also help it to cross the thick snow more easily.[6]
Siberia tigerLiving in the dense forest area of northern China, its stripes can help it camouflage when hunting.When this predator shuttles through the jungle, its stripes will break the contour of the forest shadow reflected on it, and its coat color can also help it camouflage at night.
This vast, rocky grassland stretching from southern Russia to China is very suitable for rarePallas CatFor survival, their petite size and long and thick fur can keep them warm in winter and prevent them from being exposed to the sun in summer;The head of the Pallas cat is flat, and its eyes are high on the skull. This shape can prevent it from being found when it is hiding behind the rocks in search of prey.[6]
Distribution range
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Cats are distributed all over the world except Antarctica, Oceania, Madagascar and some other marine islands.Cats are native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica.In addition to the global domestic cats and wild cats (Felis catus), cats can be found anywhere except Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Madagascar, polar regions and many isolated marine islands.[3][7][21]
Subordinate classification
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Traditional classification
be-allcatThey are carnivores, even the cute tabby cat.All cats have forward eyes, sharp teeth and lean and strong bodies, all from the same ancestor, "Little Ancient Cat".Little Gucci looks a little like todayPine marten。Modern people can see that the whole cat family has a wide variety of cats along with the diversity of living environment.[6]
Different environments have different challenges. Cats that are particularly prosperous in a certain place must have special advantages suitable for survival here. Their size, coat color, pattern and body shape must be different.In short, a cat living in the desert and a cat living in the jungle, or a cat living at the edge of a forest belt and a cat living on a cold mountain must have different needs.[6]
Cheetah subfamily:The claws can not be retracted, like dogs, different from other cats.There is only one genus and one species.
Only one, i.eCheetah(Scientific name:Acinonyx jubatus）。The stripes are deep, with black stripes on the back. It is a variety caused by gene mutation, not a subspecies.Cheetahs are 100-150cm long, 70-90cm long and 35-72kg in weight.The male is slightly larger than the female.It lives in dry areas with jungle or sparse forest. It usually lives alone. It only couples in mating season. There are also groups of 4-5 young leopards led by mother leopards.It is the fastest mammal running at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour.They feed on small and medium-sized animals such as antelope.In addition to high-speed pursuit, ambush method is also used to hide in the grass or bushes, and when the prey is close, suddenly rush out to hunt.2-5 babies per litter.The service life is about 15 years.Listed as IUNC vulnerable,CITESAppendix I.It is distributed in most of Africa and Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and adjacent areas in Asia.[8]
Felinae:The claw can be retracted. It is generally small and does not roar.There are 13 genera.In the past, except Lynx, other species were placed in Felis and have been divided into different genera.
Only one, i.esteppe cat（Otocolobus manul）。It is short and thick, similar in size to a domestic cat, and weighs 2-3 kg. It lives in desert, desert, grassland or Gobi area, and can adapt to cold and barren environment.They often live alone in rock crevices or use the burrows of marmots. The access road is curved and more than 2 meters deep.It is nocturnal, and usually starts activities and hunting at dusk.The vision and hearing are well developed, and in case of danger, they quickly flee or hide in temporary earth caves.The long hair and fuzz on the abdomen have a good warming effect, which is conducive to lying on the frozen land or snow for a long time, waiting for opportunities to hunt.Cry likeDomestic cat, but it is rough.They mainly feed on rats, and also eat hares, pikas, sand grouse, etc.It is distributed in Central Asia, North China, Northwest and Southwest China.[7]
There are 4 types:Ocelot、Flat-headed Cat 、Rusty-spotted cat 、Fishing Cat。The body length is about 100 cm, the tail length is about 40 cm, and the weight is about 4 kg. It is arboreal, with strong climbing ability and nocturnal;The offspring of its cross breeding with domestic cats are called "Bengal leopard cats", which are very popular pet cats.The leopard cat with a flat head is rare in Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo, and likes to eat fruits, plant tubers and fish.The rusty leopard cat is distributed in southern India and Sri Lanka, with a body length of about 45cm, a tail length of about 22cm, and a weight of about 1.3kg. It is the smallest feline.Leopard cats are widely distributed in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia.[7]
Only one, i.eServal（Leptailurus serval）There are about 19 subspecies.The body length is about 67-100 cm, and the limbs are nearly 100 cm, which is the longest proportion of limbs in cats.Ears are big and hearing is developed.It lives in the high grass grassland with sufficient water resources, is good at climbing and jumping, and catches various small vertebrates, even small antelopes.The longest life in captivity can be 20 years.He was killed in large numbers because of his gorgeous fur.It is distributed in most areas south of the Sahara Desert in Africa.[7]
The inner upper corner of the eye has two white lines with black edges.There are 2 types:Borneo Bay Cat andGolden Cat。The Borneo Golden Cat is only distributed in Kalimantan Island, Indonesia, with a body length of about 53-67cm and a weight of about 2.3-4.5kg.The wild population is extremely scarce (CITES Appendix II).There are three subspecies of golden cat: the designated subspecies are distributed in the Himalayas and Southeast Asia;South China subspecies are distributed in southeast China;Southwest subspecies is distributed in southwest China.The body length is about 90cm, the tail length is about 50cm, and the weight is about 12-16kg.Body color varies greatly, including yellow and black.Generally, they live alone except in pairs during the breeding period.It is nocturnal, with more activities in the morning and evening. It lives in caves on trees during the day. In winter, it often has daytime activities.[7]
Only one, i.eAfrican Golden Cat（Profelis aurata）。It is distributed in tropical rainforest areas of West and Central Africa.The body length is 61-100 cm, the tail length is 16-46 cm, the shoulder height is about 39-55 cm, the male weight is 11-14 kg, and the female weight is about 6 kg.In Africa, the African golden cat is considered as the "son of the leopard" or "brother of the leopard", because local people believe that the African golden cat is always accompanied by the leopard.People regard the African Golden Cat as a fierce animal and are afraid of it. In many areas, the African Golden Cat is a totem of local tribes.[7]
Only one, i.ePuma（Puma concolor）There are 6 subspecies.Its body length is 105-196 cm, tail length is about 67-78 cm, shoulder height is 55-80 cm, and weight is 34-72 kg, making it the largest one in felinae.The male is nearly twice as big as the female.The whole body is single gray, reddish brown or red.It lives in various environments except tropical rainforestsforest、jungle、hill、Grassland, semi desert andmountainIt can adapt to various climates and natural environments.Pumas are animals that like to live in a secluded and peaceful environment.He is good at climbing and jumping, lives alone, can move all day, and feeds on various vertebrates.Widely distributed in America.[9]
Only one, i.eThin waist cat（Herpailurus yaguarondi）。The body is slender, like a weasel, with a head length of 50-77cm, a tail length of 33-61cm, and a weight of 4.5-9kg.The coat color has three color types: black, grey brown and brown red.It lives in low-lying areas below 2000 meters above sea levelnearThe lowland shrub area at the source of flowing water lives alone and feeds on various small vertebrates.Its prey includes fish and small mammalsanimal, ReptilesanimalAnd birds.The number is small, CITES Appendix II, and CITES Appendix I of some subspecies.It is distributed in South America and has been introduced into southern North America.[10]
There are 8 kinds:Tigress、Tabby、Tigress。The tigress has a body length of 30-90 cm, a tail length of 30-40 cm, a shoulder height of about 45 cm, a weight of 11-16 kg, and a slightly larger male.It is distributed in America, from Texas to northern Argentina.Tabby kitty is the smallest of the genus, and the largest is only 2.8 kg, which is rare.It is distributed in South America.The long tailed tiger has a long tail and is very good at climbing. Its ankle can rotate 180 degrees. Its hind foot can hook branches or even hang upside down on trees.It is distributed in America, from Mexico to Uruguay.[7][11]
There are 3 types:Pampas cat 、Joe's Cat、South American forest cat。The prairie cat is distributed in the southern and western plateau areas of South America.Joe's cat is distributed in the forests and jungle areas of Bolivia, Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay and other countries in South America.The South American lynx is distributed in the narrow region of southwest South America, including central and southern Chile, as well as some areas near the Andes Lake in Patagonia, Argentina.They are all like domestic cats.The number of people killed for fur has decreased.[7]
Only one, i.eYamahara Cat（Oreailurus jacobita）。It is one of the most beautiful wild cats.The total length is 74-85cm, the body length is 57-64cm, the tail length is 35-48cm, the shoulder height is 36cm, and the weight is 4kg.The appearance of Yamahara cat is like a snow leopard, about the size of a domestic cat, but its tail is long. It has a silver gray shiny fur with stripes and spots.It lives in cold and windy mountain areas with sparse vegetation above 5000 meters above sea level.It is distributed in the Andes Mountains of South America, including southwest Bolivia, south Peru, northwest Argentina and north Chile.[12]
Only one, i.eCaracal（Caracal caracal）。It includes 7 subspecies with body length of 60-95 cm.It lives in dry wilderness, and also has traces of activities in mountains, trees and deserts.Lying in caves during the day and going out for food at midnight, they mainly feed on birds and small animals.It has strong jumping ability and can catch birds when landing or taking off.In the form of a small family, they have a certain territory and mark the territory with urine.2 years old, sexually mature.The breeding period is not fixed, and the pregnancy period is about 70 days, with 1-4 offspring per fetus.The service life is about 17 years.They are hunted for their fur and their number is reduced. They are distributed in central and western Africa, southwest Asia and northwest India.[13]
There are 4 kinds.Medium size, thick body, short tail, with hair clusters at ear tips.Canadian lynx 、Lynx、Spanish Lynx 、Short tailed cat。Canadian lynx is distributed in northern North America. It is small, with dark and light hair, mainly gray and reddish brown, and occasionally grayish blue varieties with light spots.Lynx is distributed in Eurasia, with 8 subspecies, 90-130 cm in length and 18-32 kg in weight, which is the largest of the genus.The Spanish lynx is distributed in the Iberian Peninsula in the southwest of Europe, including Spain and Portugal. It is small (only half the weight of the lynx), light in color and dark in spots.The short tailed cat is distributed in most parts of North America. It has 11 subspecies, and its body length is 72-98 cm.Lynx mostly lives in cold forest shrub areas, lives alone, has no fixed nest, is good at climbing and swimming, nocturnal, has strong hunger resistance, and feeds on various small mammals and birds. It is a precious fur animal.[7]
Leopard:The claw can be retracted. It is generally large and can roar.There are 3 genera.
Only 2 types, namelyclouded leopard（Neofelis nebulosa）AndMalay clouded leopard（Neofelis diardi）。There are three subspecies of clouded leopard, with a head length of 61-106 cm, a tail length of 55-9 cm, and a weight of 16-23 kg.It is the smallest of Leopard subfamily.There are 6 cloud like dark stripes on both sides of the body, hence the name.The pupils are rectangular.Canine teeth are sharp, and the gap between canine teeth and premolar teeth is large. The length ratio of canine teeth is the highest in cats.Malay clouded leopard was once one of the subspecies of clouded leopard, which was upgraded to an independent species in 2006.She is good at climbing trees at night, jumping off trees to prey on small mammals such as monkeys, birds, mice, rabbits, deer, and occasionally steals chickens, ducks, and other poultry.[14]
They are all large cats, including 5 species:lion、jaguar、leopard、tiger、Snow Leopard。The lion is distributed in the African savannah. The male is 260 cm long, weighs 200-300 kg, and has a mane on its neck. It is the only cat that is hermaphrodite and social.The leopard is distributed in the southwest of North America and South America, with a body length of 150-230 cm, a tail length of 60-90 cm, a shoulder height of 75-90 cm, and a weight of 39-160 kg. It is the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere, living alone and nocturnal. It is different from the leopard in that there are black spots in the ring of its fur.Leopard is widely distributed in Asia, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. There are more than 20 subspecies, with a body length of 100-150cm and a weight of 50-100kg.Tigers are distributed in Northeast, South Asia and Southeast Asia. There are 8 subspecies, of which 3 subspecies are extinct, with a body length of 140-350 cm. They are the largest cats.[7]
Only one, i.eStone Cat（Pardofelis marmorata）。Head length 45 – 62 cm, tail length 36-55 cm;Weight 2.4-3.7 kg.It lives in the subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, the mid subtropical deciduous broad-leaved forest and the coniferous broad-leaved mixed forest at 1500-2900 meters above sea level. It mostly moves on trees and riverside cliffs. It can quickly run, prey on and live alone among branches. It mainly feeds on rodents, birds, eggs, lizards, frogs and insects (especially hornets).It is distributed in South Asia and Southeast Asia.[15]
In the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 20 species of cats, including caracal, clouded leopard and tiger, are classified as Class I protected animals, and all other species are classified as Class II protected animals.[21]
China lists the clouded leopard, leopard, tiger and snow leopard as the first level protected animals in the country, and the lynx, grassland spotted cat, desert cat, jungle cat, rabbit cat, golden cat and fishing cat as the second level protected animals.[21]
Due to the impact of modern civilization, human beings continue to develop forests and turn them into farmland, causing large-scale destruction of the natural ecological environment, taking away the environment on which cats rely for survival, and shrinking the habitat;In addition, in order to get their beautiful furs, people carried out crazy large-scale poaching activities, especially in some remote areas.Although this situation has aroused strong opposition from relevant departments and wildlife experts, poaching and smuggling activities have not been effectively stopped.As a result, the wild number of cats declined sharply after the 20th century.On《Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora》All wild cats are listed in Appendix I and II.In addition, the governments of the countries of origin of felines have also established laws and reserves to protect felines everywhere.[18]
