| CATS The cats are one of the most established hunters in rainforest. The jaguar has in fact earn its title to be the king of the Amazon forest, for it is at the top of the food chain and eats anything smaller than itself. These cats originated from open areas such as savannas and grassland, however due to the extensive hunting for its pelt, they have turned to the dense rainforest for cover. Jaguars like many used to be abundant, but human interference has caused its population to be dwindling. Jaguars come in two colours, either yellowish brown with black spots or simply black. Though usually found on the forest floor, they are no confined there. Jaguars are able to climb trees and swim in rivers where they prey on fish and alligators. Their main diet consists of creatures that roam the forest floor, from mammals to birds. In short, they will eat anything smaller than its size that comes along its way. Its method of hunting is either stalking or ambush, it may lay on the floor and wait for a creature to walk pass, or drop itself from the branch it lying, onto the prey below. MORE INFO ON THE WEB
Smaller cats also inhabit the forest of South America. Such includes the ocelot, jaguarundi and the margay. The ocelot hunts both on the ground and trees, for it is an excellent climber. On the trees, it feeds on birds, iguanas and arboreal rats, and on the ground, pacas, rodents and ground birds. The adult is slightly smaller than the puma or jaguar. For an adult male, the head and body length is two and a half feet and the tail is half as long. The striking colour pattern on its coat has been the cause for its dwindling number. It consists of a series of dark stripes on the face, head, neck and nape, and dark rings and links on the back and flanks. Its tail is banded and limbs marked with solid spots and blotches. The ground colour is either grey or brownish orange. The margay is related to the ocelot, but smaller and rarer. They are nocturnal hunters and coat similar to that of a jaguar, yellowish brown with black spots. MORE INFO ON THE WEB
Among the three, the jaguarundi is a much more slender and streamlined hunter, also known as the otter cat. It is only slightly bigger than a domestic cat. Its coat is not spotted but comes in several colour varieties. However it is usually gray and black. The jaguarundi is both a day and night hunter. But it is mainly hunts on the ground. And unlike the other two, fruits are part of its diet. MORE INFO ON THE WEB
Cats also roam the other tropical rainforests in the world. The leopard, also known as the panther, it ranges from Korea throughout southern Asia and Africa. It is a large and powerful cat and is highly adaptable. It is able to live in a habitat as long as there is food, water and shade. Due to its adaptable nature, the leopard can be found in semi-deserts, rain forest and mountains. An average leopard is about six feet in length including tail, and weighs 34-57 kg. Its coat is usually brownish orange with black spots arranged in rosette manner. Leopards are solitary animals and usually confine themselves to an area. They avoid each other by squirting scent among bushes and emit a rasping call. Leopards are nocturnal hunters, and hunt almost anything. It hunts by stalking its prey to within a few feet and suddenly rushes towards it. Or, like the jaguar, it may drop itself from a tree branch onto a passing prey. Like many other cats, the leopards kill their prey by biting at the neck strangling it or rupturing the spinal cord. After this, the carcass is dragged up a tree and placed among branches. This is to prevent other predators from stealing its food. The leopard does not always eat its food just moments after killing. It may stock up its meat supply and rest in between meals. Leopards breed at anytime of the year. Gestation period is 98 to 105 days. One to three cubs are borne at one time. Cubs become independent at the age of one year but still have contact with their mother, until they are about two years old. MORE INFO ON THE WEB
The leopard cat is a small wild cat that inhabits the evergreen forests of southern India, southern China, Burma and Malaya. Due to its wide range of distribution, it is known by many names. Its size is of that of a domestic cat and has longer legs with a short and thick cylindrical tail. Its coat is either reddish brown or grey, with black or brown spots. It preys on birds and small mammals and steals poultry from villages. Also another cat, whose name is associated with the leopard, is the clouded leopard. It is a medium sized cat with a heavily built body and strong paws. It stands at 16 to 20 inches in height at the shoulder and 50 inches across the head and body. The tail itself is 35 inches. The upper canine teeth are exceptionally long. The coat colour is either grey or bright yellow with white underside. The face is marked with black spots and stripes, with black bands running down the neck. The back and flanks have patches of grey to brown. The clouded leopard range from Sikkim and Nepal eastwards through the Himalayan foothills to Southern China and down to Southeast Asia to Sumatra, Java and Borneo. They live mainly on trees and feed on birds and small mammals. MORE INFO ON THE WEB
The tiger is definitely a creature that ought to be respected. It is by far, the largest of the cats. Male tigers can reach a length of 10 feet including a 3-foot tail. A male weighs about 190kg, while a female weighs about 136kg. This majestic creature used to roam from eastern Turkey and Iran to India, Myanmar, Indochina, Korea and Malaya as well as over parts of China, Korea and Russian Manchuria. However the number of tigers in the word has been falling. Out of the eight races of tigers, six are endangered. Only 12 Javan tiger remains and 110 Siberian tigers remain, and the Chinese tiger is believed to be extinct. Tigers are solitary animals. Females however are tolerant of other females and males. Male tigers on the other hand are antagonistic to another male. Thus to advertise their presence, tigers roar or leave scent in bushes and trees. Tigers need 5.5 to 6.8 kg of meat per day to survive. They hunt anything they can catch, such as dears, wild pig, cattle and fish. Tigers move silently along trails during the dark. Their coat helps them to blend into their surroundings. After getting close enough to it’s prey, the tiger will suddenly rush towards it and bring it down using its strong paws. MORE INFO ON THE WEB
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