DID YOU KNOW? The name ‘jaguar’ is from the Native American word ‘yaguar’ meaning ‘he who kills with one leap’
“Lions can even take down the largest animals on land: elephants” Back on the savannah, it’s the lions that have the edge. When they’re feeling really plucky, these cats can even take down the largest animals on land: elephants. They can do this because they have evolved to work together. Hunting as a group allows lions to take on much larger animals, surrounding and overwhelming them. It’s thought that this ability to hunt cooperatively is due to a highly developed frontal cortex – the part of the brain that deals with problem solving and social behaviour. This is particularly evident in lionesses, the pride members that do the majority of the hunting. These amazing creatures stake a claim to be the most intelligent of the big cats. Competition is vast, though. As the largest of the big cats, tigers are supreme predators. Found in swamps, grasslands and rainforests throughout Southeast Asia, China and the mountains of far-east Russia, these striped heavyweights hunt alone, relying on their camouflage and stealth to track down prey and catch it with the element of surprise. Read on to get under the skin of all of these fierce felines, and find out more about the physiology of a big cat attack. WWW.HOWITWORKSDAILY.COM
What’s on the menu? Each giant feline has a taste for something different
Lion
The ‘king of the jungle’ can essentially eat anything it can catch, but given that lions are found on the plains of sub-Saharan Africa, they commonly eat the animals nearby. Like all big cats, lions need a high-protein, all-meat diet.
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Hunting alone, leopards search out mostly smaller, hoofed animals although they will occasionally prey on monkeys and other smaller creatures if the pickings are slim. In general these smaller prey are easier to catch single-handed and drag into the treetops for eating.
Tiger
The largest of the big cats, tigers need their fill of meat. Their favourite prey depends on their habitat, but they primarily eat larger mammals as they have more fat and protein to sustain the tigers’ needs. However, when times are tight, tigers will tuck into anything, from fish to rodents.
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Jaguar
Not shy of a challenge, jaguars have a very varied diet. Their amazing hunting ability allow them to take down large forest-dwelling mammals and their willingness to take to water provides a whole other selection of prey items.
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Cheetahs
While not officially a big cat species of the Panthera genus, cheetahs are formidable felines. They use speed and strength to catch their main prey, ungulates, but can also supplement their diets with smaller creatures such as hares and even birds.
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he world’s big cats are majestic powerhouses of muscle and strength, with acute senses and killer instincts. The true big cats are the four largest species of the genus ‘Panthera’: lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards. However, there are also many other large cat species that have incredible hunting abilities, one of which is the mighty cheetah. Mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, cheetahs are super-streamlined and built for killing on the fly. They have specialised muscle fibres to power their long limbs, black ‘tear lines’ to help counteract glare from the African sun and a spotted coat to keep them camouflaged in the long grasses. Although their spots may look similar at first glance, a closer look reveals that leopards (which often share the cheetah’s habitat) have very different markings. Leopard spots are more detailed, featuring clusters of black and brown rosettes rather than the cheetah’s simple black ovals. These markings mimic the shifting shadows of trees and leaves, allowing the cheetah to blend into the background. If one’s stalking you, you won’t know about it until it’s too late! Leopards have a wider range, and can be found in forests, deserts, mountains and grasslands throughout Africa and Asia.