My Science School

      The sun bear and the moon bear get their curious names due to the markings and colour of their body. Apart from the fact that they have names of two celestial bodies, there are hardly any common features between them. Although they both belong to the bear family, they have very different appearances.

      The moon bear gets its name from the crescent mark it has on its chest. This crescent mark is unique for every bear. Their colour and shape differ from bear to bear, from pale cream to deep orange-gold. Moon bears are also known as black bears.

      The sun bear has jet black, short and sleek fur with some under-wool. Some sun bears are reddish or grey. This bear species is found in the tropical forest habitats of Southeast Asia. The sun bear is also known as the honey bear. This animal has a voracious appetite for honeycombs and honey.

      Both moon bears and Malayan sun bears are experts in constructing feeding platforms in trees.

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      Have you ever seen a bear? You may have met one in a zoo, perhaps. Bears belong to the family Ursidae. Their population is distributed largely in the northern temperate regions and they are widely found in North America, Europe and Asia.       Do you know that there are no bears in the forests of Africa and Australia?

      There are mainly eight types of bears. They are the American black bear, brown bear, Asiatic black bear, polar bear, sun bear, sloth bear, spectacled bear, and giant panda. They are powerful animals, and most are very dangerous. Never get too close to a bear; some of these species, such as polar bears and grizzlies, are notorious attackers of people.

      Do you know that the koala bear of Australia is not really a bear? It belongs to the marsupial family, which include kangaroos and opossums.

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      Although both these animals have similar-sounding names, they do not have much in common. While both these animals are found commonly in the Americas, they have very contrasting appearance and features.

      The cougar, also known as puma, comes in varying sizes according to their habitat. However, they are mainly found near the mountain areas. They also live in grasslands, rainforests and swamps. Pumas are smaller and therefore are not counted among the big cats. However, sometimes they grow well over two metres in length. They are so athletic, that they can cover the length of a bus in one leap when chasing their prey. A puma can jump up almost five metres from the ground on to trees and rocky mounds.

      Jaguars, on the other hand, are larger and heavier. The jaguar is, in fact, the third largest animal among the ‘big cats’.

      Have you observed your pet cat? Cats are generally smart animals; the smartest among them is the leopard.

      In comparison with the tiger and the lion, the leopard is smaller and less fierce. However, they have the ability to adapt to the conditions in the wild better than other cats. Leopards are found in varied locations from the deserts of southern Africa, to the boreal forests of Russia, and even the busting suburbs of Mumbai.

      Leopards are known for their agility. They can climb trees with skill and grace. The langur monkey is a favourite food for the Indian leopard. In Africa, leopards face the threat of lions, who are lazy to hunt, and therefore, steal the food of the leopards,

      Although leopards are smaller than the tiger or the lion, they are brighter than both of them, and are gracefully proportioned. These cats have beautiful rosettes of black spots on their yellowish fur coat. Another characteristic feature of the animal is its cylindrical tail.

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      Expect that they both belong to the same family, and that they both are called leopards, there is hardly any resemblance and close relation between a snow leopard and a clouded leopard.

      While both of them are found in parts of Asia, they live in diverse conditions. Mountains areas are the natural habitat of snow leopards. In order to fight the extreme cold, snow leopards grow long fur. Their fur is dark silver in colour with black markings. They move to the lower ground in order to keep warm. In summer, they rest in the shade. They have flat paws, which are designed to carry the weight of their bodies. This helps the leopard to stay steady while walking on snow.

      On the other hand, clouded leopards are mid-sized. They have very long canine teeth, which are only slightly smaller than a lion’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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      Unlike other members of the feline family, snow leopards live as their name suggests, in the snow. They can with stand extreme conditions in the cold, barren mountains of Central and South Asia.

      Snow leopards are found in the entire Himalayan mountain system, as well as areas in Bhutan, Nepal and the Siberian region of Russia. No other cats can live in such heights.

      A snow leopard has the longest tail among the big cats. It reaches up to one metre in length. It helps them to balance when they chase their prey. Another interesting fact about their tail is that they wrap it around their necks like a scarf while they are resting in the extreme cold weather. Since they have to roam about in barren, snow-laden lands where food is scarce, they are sometimes referred to as the ‘ghosts of the mountains’.

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      Jaguars and leopards have differing styles and body language when it comes to finding their meal, or protecting themselves. A jaguar will bravely defend itself if it is confronted by another, bigger, attacking animal.

      However, a leopard tends to be shy and will try avoiding confrontation. If a lion or hyena comes in its way, jaguars, in all probability, will stand their ground. They will attack even if the opponent is an anaconda or a large caiman. Jaguars are good swimmers too. They will spend a lot of time in water, if they find a convenient water body.

      Leopards, on the other hand, are more athletic. They can swiftly climb up to tree, and get hold of an impala for a meal. While jaguars love water, leopards will try to avoid it, although they can swim well.

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      Which is the fiercest animal? We might consider a tiger or a lion due to its size. However, in reality, jaguars have the strongest jaws in the cat family. They can break the skull of their prey with amazing force and strength.

      With their strong teeth, jaguars are able to pierce the shells of a turtle and crunch the bones of other animals with ease. Between a lion and a jaguar, the latter’s bite is twice as strong as that of the former. Only one animal is stronger than the jaguar in this aspect the hyena!

      The way the jaw muscles are arranged in jaguar’s mouth is the reason for the strength of its bites. Other cats do not have such powerfully packed muscles and that gives an edge to the jaguar. With such strong jaws, the cat can bite through the skulls of any animal with ease and pierce the thick hide of a crocodile or a caiman.

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      Although the jaguar and leopard look very similar to each other, they are two different animals. Both cats are spotted; however, if we examine them carefully, we can understand that the way the spots are arranged varies. A close look will reveal that the ring of spots of the jaguar, known as rosettes, have another spot inside.

      However, leopards do not have these. While the jaguar’s tail is shorter, the leopard’s is longer. There is a difference in size too. While both animals are smaller than lions and tigers, a jaguar is slightly larger in South America. Leopards are aplenty in Africa and Asia.

 

      It is not very common to see a fight between the two biggest cats. Moreover, in such an event, who is likely to win is dependent several factors. In terms of size, bite force, brain size and intelligence, the tiger is superior to the lion. Therefore, on paper, it is highly likely that the tiger wins. The teeth of a tiger are exceptionally strong and are the longest among all animals. Therefore, its bite force is higher than a lion’s.

      Tiger are heavier than lions and can beat them in power. The social nature of lions is another factor. Lions hunt in prides and may not be a force to reckon with when alone. It needs the support of the other members of its pride. The group mentality might work to the advantage of the tiger, which is a solitary animal. It needs no help to hunt and take care of its well-being. Therefore, the tiger is better equipped to take on the lion.

      However, on a given day, anything may happen. Better fighting skills may work in favour of the lion and it may beat the tiger after a tough duel.

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      It is highly unlikely to see cats living and hunting in groups because they are not social animals. However, this does not hold true in the case of the lion. The lion is a family animal. Lions live in communities, and depend on one another for sustenance.

      A community of lions is known as a pride. Normally, there will be 15 or more lions in a pride. However, a pride can be as small as three and as big as 40 in memberships. They hunt for food, bring up their litter and defend their territory as a community.

      Do you know that females in the pride do most of the hunting? They take up the responsibility of raising cubs too. However, when there is a kill, the male lions take the ‘lion’s share and the lionesses and cubs get only the remainder.

      Tigers, however, prefer to live alone, although they do sometimes socialize. Both lions and tigers prey on humans. However, we have more man-eating tigers than lions!

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      Do you know that the tiger is the largest feline species in the world? Native to the mainland of Asia, this big cat reaches a body length of up to 3.38 metres. The biggest cats in the feline family, they weigh up to 420 kg in their natural habitat. The Siberian tiger, a subspecies, can reach up to 320 kg in weight and 3.3 metres in length!

      Lions come only second in size. However, they have an exceptional ability to use their mane to look bigger than they really are. During confrontations, the lion uses this strategy to frighten off its opponent. A normal adult lion male weighs up to 250 kg, and a female, up to 182 kg. From head to body, lions have a length of 1.4 to 1.9 metres, and their measure up to 1 metre. African lions tend to be bigger than their Asiatic cousins.

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      Cheetahs are big; and therefore, many include them in the ‘big cats’ category. However, experts are of the opinion that they cannot be considered big cats, as their body is very different from that of other cats. Unlike lions and tigers, cheetahs cannot let out a deafening roar. All they can manage to produce are shrilly yelps that sound much like the meows of a cat.

      Leopards and lions are also found in the grasslands where cheetahs live. While the big cats hunt during night also, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the day alone in order to avoid confronting fierce rivals during night. Leopards and lions are stronger than cheetahs, and competing with them for food is not easy for these cats.

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      If there was a race among the big cats, the indisputable winner would be the cheetah. The cheetah, however, is the fastest animal not just among the cat family alone. There is hardly any animal in the entire world that can beat the cheetah in a race.

      When running at full steam, the cheetah can reach speeds of about 96.6 km per hour in just three seconds. In a few strides, the animal can reach speeds of more than 95 km/h. The most modern cars will struggle to match such power. However, the animal can run only for short distances. The cheetah will soon run out of steam, and give up eventually after about 180 meters if the prey seems to be getting away.

      The big cat has extraordinary manoeuvrability skills, and this gives the animal an advantage over the rest of the cat family. A beautiful spotted coat is the cheetah’s distinguishing characteristic among other cats. The back tear marks on the sides of its face also make the animal distinct from others.

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      Do you like the company if a cat? Its soft fur coat, sweet meow and purr will endear it to anyone and that is why the cat is one of Man’ favourite pets.

      Do you know that other than the domestic cat, there are many species that belong to the cat family such as tiger and cougars? There are about 37 species in the cat family, which is known as Felidae. Five of them, namely the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and snow leopard are considered ‘the big cats’.

      Sometimes other cats like the cougar, clouded leopard, sunda clouded leopard and cheetah are also referred to as ‘big cats’. Each of these species has certain qualities that make it different from the rest. For example, the tiger is the strongest among them and the cheetah is the fastest.

      Ocelots and lynxes that are endangered belong to the medium sized cats. They are too big to be called wild cats, and too small to be counted among the big cats. Some species which resemble the domestic cat are found in the wild too. The fishing cat, flat-headed cat, and the black-footed cat are some among them.