No one can deny the amazing beauty and abilities of the big cats of the world. Because so many are sought after for their fur, their numbers are in decline. This is a list (which is by no means exhaustive) of 10 amazing big cats. The ten cats were selected because they either have a creative way of hunting, an amazing coat pattern, or are simply awe inspiring.
The bobcat is a North American member of the big cat family. As a predator, it inhabits wooded areas, desert edges, semi desert edges, and swampland environments. The bobcat’s diet consists of: rabbits, hares, deer, small rodents, and even insects. Similar to many other big cats, the bobcat is a solitary hunter. Each bobcat will use a single method to mark its territory. Although bobcats are hunted by humans, for both sport and fur, their population is under no immediate threat at the time. However, continuous hunting of bobcats could jeopardize their population. Bobcats will travel for the last three hours of sunlight and three hours after sunrise. They are also very skilled at adapting to a new environment. This is a very important skill for the animal because humans have a tendency to invade a their habitat. The grayish brown coat, black-tipped ears, and whiskered face resemble many species of lynx. The bobcat may be considered a “big cat” but in relation to other big cats, it is very small in size. In fact, it is only about twice as large as a domesticated cat.
The ocelot is famous for looking extremely similar to a domestic cat. Its fur may resemble that of a clouded leopard or jaguar. Regrettably this amazing coat has made them a valuable hunting target. Ocelots often hunt for lizards, amphibians, deer, rodents, and frogs. Ocelots are mostly found in South America, Central America and Mexico. Ocelots were considered endangered during the 1980s but have since been removed from the endangered species list. They are rarely seen together and enjoy resting in dense foliage. They are exceedingly territorial and will sometimes fight to the death at the invasion of land. Since ocelots are nocturnal, they have the best night vision of the big cats.
The caracal cat is also known as the Persian or African Lynx. It is closely related to the African Golden Cat. They are best known for their extraordinary climbing and jumping skills. The Caracal is distributed over Africa and Western Asia and will usually hunt alone at night. They are best known for their amazing ability to snatch birds out of the sky but their diet also consists of antelope, gazelle, rodents, and the occasional ostrich. When a caracal catches its prey, it will shear the meat off the skin so they won’t have to eat the fur of the animal. If food is scarce, it will eat bird feathers and even rotten meat. A sighting of a caracal cat is extremely rare because they are also very skilled at hiding from humans.
The Jaguarundi is found in Mexico and Central and South America. It is said to resemble an otter because the coat is a solid color (except for the spots they have at birth) and it has rounded ears. There has been no desire for this animal’s fur but the Jaguarundi is suffering due to the loss of habitat. Many Spanish speaking countries call the Jaguarundi “leoncillo” which means “little lion”. Unlike many big cats, this cat hunts during the day. They usually eat rabbits, hares, birds and sometimes fruit. Most Jaguarundis live in low brush places near running water.
Almost matching the size of a domesticated cat, the marbled cat is one of the smallest of the big cats. The cat’s 45cm tail will sometimes be used as a balance when hunting. The marbled cat’s range stretches from parts of India to southeast Asia. Their diet consists of squirrels, reptiles and birds. Unfortunately, this cat is rarely studied because they are extremely difficult to spot. Their population is said to be under 10,000 because of their shrinking forest habitat. Scientists have discovered that the marbled cat is closely related to Asiatic Golden Cats. Looking at the picture, it is obvious where the cat got its name from.
The jaguar is the third largest big cat in the world. It is the national animal of Brazil. Jaguars closely resemble leopards but are much larger. It is also one of the few big cats that enjoys swimming. They are solitary predators and are known to regulate the populations of prey species. The powerful bite of the jaguar allows them to break through shell and hard reptile skin. Sadly, their numbers are dropping quickly and are nearly threatened because they are often killed by humans. Jaguars’ short, stocky limbs make then skilled in climbing, crawling and swimming.
The snow leopard lives in the mountain ranges of Central Asia, Afghanistan and many other parts of the world. Its life span is usually about 15-18 years. It is about the size of a regular leopard but has a long tail that is used for balance in rugged terrain. They may live in caves in mountainous regions. There are estimated to be about 5,000 snow leopards left, making them an endangered species. The snow leopard will occasionally kill prey three times its size. Their diet consists of ibexes, boars, and deer. A snow leopard will not fight hard for its territory.
Lions usually inhabit savannah and grasslands and will sometimes be found in forests. A group of lions is called a pride which consists of females, lion cubs, and a few male lions. The female lions usually do the hunting in groups (males will rarely ever hunt). The lion is known as a vulnerable species with a population decline of 30-50 percent. A male is recognized by its mane. The lion is the second largest feline in the entire world. The color of their coat is usually a light yellow. Lion cubs are born with spots on their body but they disappear as they mature. The diet of a lion includes wildebeest, impalas, zebras, and buffalo.
Many people classify the cheetah as the world’s fastest land animal with the ability to reach speeds of 70 miles per hour. The round, black spots on the cheetah help them to camouflage when hunting. The head of the cheetah is said to be small compared to other big cats. They will eat mostly mammals including gazelles, wildebeests, and zebras. When a cheetah sprints for its prey, its body temperature becomes so high that it would become fatal if kept at that level for a long period of time. Cheetahs are on the World Conservation Union list of vulnerable species. There are said to be about 12,400 cheetahs left in the wild.
Tigers are usually found in southern and eastern Asia. Like many big cats, they are territorial and solitary. The dark, vertical stripes that overlay the reddish orange color is one of the most noticeable characteristics of the tiger. They are featured in many forms of ancient mythology. Tigers living in the wild will usually prey on animals such as buffalo, boar, deer, and sometimes leopards and pythons. In the wild, tigers can leap up to 16 feet. They always live close to water because they enjoy bathing. Unfortunately, the tiger is one of the Big Five Game animals of Asia.
Contributor: Hope
译文:
十大令人惊叹的大型猫科动物
没有人能够否认世界上大猫的绝美与技能。但是因为其皮毛而被大量捕杀,它们的数量正在下降。这里列出十种令人惊叹的大猫（当然远远不够详尽）。这十种大猫被选上是因为他们不是在捕食方式上独特新颖，皮毛花纹美妙，就是很让人敬畏。
10
美国山猫
美国山猫属于北美大型猫科动物，食肉，栖居于林区，沙漠与半沙漠边缘和沼泽地。其通常所吃食物包括家兔，野兔，麋鹿，小田鼠，甚至昆虫。与其他大猫相类似，美国山猫是单独捕猎的。每个山猫都会用一种独特的方法把自己的领地标上记。人类为了运动和山猫的皮毛会去捕杀，不过其数量暂时未受威胁。然而，对山猫无休止的捕杀将严重威胁到其数量。美国山猫会在太阳下山前三个小时与日出后三个小时出来走动。它们也非常能适应新环境，这对动物很重要，因为人类不断侵占它们的栖居地。灰棕色的皮毛，黑耳尖以及胡须脸使得其与许多猞猁狲相似。美国山猫可视为一种“大猫”，但相对于其它大猫来讲，其体积非常小。实际上，它只有家猫的两倍大。
9
豹猫
豹猫出名是因为它看起来极像家猫。它的皮毛与云豹或美洲豹有点像。可悲的是，这张精美绝伦的皮毛使它们成为价值不菲的捕杀目标。豹猫常捕食蜥蜴，两栖动物，麋鹿，田鼠以及青蛙。豹猫大多分布于南美洲，中美洲和墨西哥。二十世纪八十年代，豹猫被列为濒危动物，但从那以后就从濒危物种名单上移除了。很少见到它们群体活动，喜欢在叶子繁茂地区休息。它们有强烈的领土意识，有时会为领土侵占打斗而死。因为豹猫是夜行动物，它们在众多大猫中有最好的夜视力。
8
狞猫
狞猫以波丝猫或非洲猞猁著称。它与非洲金丝猫有着密切的联，都以超凡的攀爬和跳跃技术出名。狞猫分布于非洲和亚洲西部，常常在夜间单独捕食。它们有种最为人知的非凡技巧，就是抓住天上的鸟，不过，它们也常以羚羊，瞪羚，田鼠和鸵鸟为食。狞猫捕到猎物时会将肉从兽皮上撕下来，因此它们不必吃到动物的皮毛。如果食物很少，就会吃鸟的羽毛甚至田鼠肉。极少看见狞猫，因为它们非常擅长隐藏。
7
小豹猫
小豹猫可见于墨西哥以及中南美洲地区。据说像水濑，因为其皮毛都是单一颜色（除了出生时有的斑点）和一队圆圆的耳朵。这种动物的皮毛没有人想要，但是小豹猫正面临着丢失栖息地的威胁。许多说西班牙语的国家称之为“leoncillo”，意思是“小狮子”。不像许多大型猫，这种猫在白天捕食。通常吃家兔，鸟，有时也吃果子。大多数小豹猫都住在低洼的有活水的灌木丛地方。
6
大理石条纹猫
与家猫差不多同等体积，大理石条纹猫是大型猫科动物中最小的。其尾巴有45厘米长，捕食时可用来保持身体平衡。大理石条纹猫的分布于印度某些区域至东南亚，其食物包括松鼠，爬行动物以及鸟类。不幸的是，很少有人研究这种猫，因为它们极难被发现。据说由于森林不断减少，它们的数量已少于10，000只。科学家发现这种大理石条纹猫与亚洲金丝猫很接近。看看图片,很明显就知道这种猫名字的由来.
5
美洲虎
美洲虎是世界上第三大猫，是巴西的国家动物。它与云豹非常相似，但比云豹大很多。也是为数不多的大猫中喜欢游泳的一种。它们是单独的肉食动物并且知道控制猎物的数量。美洲虎的咬劲非常大，能咬破硬壳以及爬行动物坚硬的皮肤。悲哀的是，由于人类经常捕杀，它们的数量正急剧下降，几乎到了受威胁的地步。美洲虎短小结实的四肢使得它们很擅长攀爬，爬行和游泳。
4
雪云豹
雪云豹栖居于中亚，亚富汗以及世界其他地区的山区。它的寿命通常有15到18年，是一只普通云豹的体积，但尾巴很长，通常是用来在崎岖的地形保持平衡作用的。它们主宰山区的洞穴里，世界上大约只剩5，000只，已是濒危物种。云豹有时会捕杀比它大3倍的猎物。它们捕食野山羊，野猪和麋鹿。云豹不会为了自己的领地而去苦战。
3
狮子
狮子通常栖息于热带草原和草地，有时在森林也可见其身影。一群狮子叫狮群，由母狮，幼狮以及许多雄师组成。 在群里通常由母狮捕猎（雄师很少捕猎）。众所周知，狮子是濒危物种，其数量已下降了30-50%。雄师根据鬃毛识分。这种狮子是世界上第二大猫科动物，皮毛的颜色常常是浅黄色。幼狮出生时身上有斑点，但日渐成熟后便会消失。狮子以角马，大羚羊，斑马以及水牛为食。
2
猎豹
许多人把猎豹分为世界上跑得最快的陆上动物，因为其速度达到了每小时70英尺。猎豹身上的圆黑斑点能够帮它们在打猎时伪装。据说猎豹的头部与其他大型猫比相对小。它们大多吃哺乳动物包括瞪羚，角马和斑马。猎豹在捕食时，体温会升高，如果长时间如此就会毙命。猎豹作为濒危物种已被列入了世界自然保护联盟的名单。据说，野外只有大约12，400只猎豹。
1
老虎
老虎常见于东南亚。像其它大型猫科动物，它们有自己的领土意识，单独生活。其红橙色身上的黑色垂直条纹是最显著特征之一。有许多关于老虎的古老传说。野外生活的老虎常常捕捉动物为食，比如水牛，野猪，麋鹿，有时是云豹和蟒蛇。在野外生活状态下，老虎能够跳跃至16英尺高。因酷爱游泳，它们通常居住在水边。遗憾的是，老虎属于亚洲五大比赛动物。
投稿人：Hope