#sundae the snow leopard

[emthimofnight]

Stellar's first day at school!!

#my art #stellar the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #sundae the snow leopard #sonadow #shadonic #sonic #shadow #shadow x sonic #sonic x shadow #sonadow fankid #sonadow fanchild #fankid #fanchild #sonic fankid #sonic fanart #sth #me creating a whole OC for a one-off comic #hahaha #I'm insane #sonic oc #sonic fan character #fankid au

[rinusuarez]

My art print, showcasing all big cat species (Panthera, Neofelis, Puma, and Acinonyx), is now available in my store. This includes the two Clouded Leopard species (Mainland and Sunda), which were recognized as distinct species in 2006.

This is the link in case you are interested in buying the art print: Felines Art Print

This is not AI. Every illustration took me about 10 hours. To see the process check out my Instagram here: Instagram

#lion #tiger #leopard #clouded leopard #sunda clouded leopard #snow leopard #cougar #puma #jaguar #felines #big cats #drawing animal #cute cats #cute animals drawing #illustration #drawing #scientific illustration #illo #wild animals #wildlife #artist on tumblr #animals #mammals #art print #animal poster

[catgirlkirigiri]

Literally insane to me that people will say “oh yeah the 6 big cat species: lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard, and cheetah/panther/caracal/ocelot/bobcat” (all things I’ve seen people claim is the sixth) like damn people aren’t even hiding that they hate clouded leopards anymore huh

#there are 7 big cat species btw because clouded leopards have a genetically distinct subspecies in sunda clouded leopards #panther is not a specie it’s a genus. most people say panther and mean a melanistic leopard or jaguar but sometimes they just mean a cougar #cheetahs are not big cats they cannot roar. big cat doesn’t refer to size it’s about the taxonomy and roaring #cloudies actually can’t roar either! but snow leopards also can’t and they’re never questioned as big cats. it’s weird #my gripe here isn’t as much with people not counting cloudies as big cats as it is with people throwing in something that fits even less #of the criteria in their place. like. go on tell me how a lynx is more of a big cat than a cloudie I’ll wait #sorry for rambling in the tags. can’t help it I have favorite animal disease #zoracontent

[amber-tortoiseshell]

Phylogenetic wild cat tournament

Introduction

Links

Voting period:

-

Finished:

Sunda leopard cat vs Leopard cat

Chinese mountain cat vs African wildcat

European wildcat vs Domestic cat

Sunda leopard cat vs Fishing cat

Chinese mountain cat vs Domestic cat

Fishing cat vs Flat-headed cat

Sand cat vs Chinese mountain cat

Geoffroy's cat vs Kodkod

Eurasian lynx vs Iberian lynx

Flat-headed cat vs Rusty-spotted cat

Sand cat vs Black-footed cat

Kodkod vs Southern tigrina

Bay cat vs Asian golden cat

Eurasian lynx vs Canadian lynx

Rusty-spotted cat vs Pallas's cat

Jungle cat vs Black-footed cat

Jaguarundi vs Cougar

Kodkod vs Oncilla

Ocelot vs Margay

Asian golden cat vs Marbled cat

Canadian lynx vs Bobcat

Pallas's cat vs Black-footed cat

Cheetah vs Cougar

Leopard vs Lion

Kodkod vs Pampas cat

Margay vs Andean mountain cat

Marbled cat vs Canadian lynx

Pallas's cat vs Cheetah

Leopard vs Jaguar

Snow leopard vs Tiger

Kodkod vs Andean mountain cat

Canadian lynx vs Pallas's cat

Caracal vs African golden cat

Jaguar vs Snow leopard

Clouded leopard vs Sunda clouded leopard

Andean mountain cat vs Canadian lynx

Caracal vs Serval

Snow leopard vs Clouded leopard

Andean mountain cat vs Serval

Snow leopard vs Andean mountain cat

#links #tumblr tournament #phylogenetic wild cat tournament

[little-cat-showdown]

[ID: a photo of a Sunda clouded leopard and a photo of a Eurasian lynx. the Sunda clouded leopard is a medium gray-brown cat with a rosette pattern. the photo is dimly lit and the cat's eyes are reflecting bright light. the Eurasian lynx is a big gray-yellow cat with a thick, black spotted coat. it's walking through the snow. end ID]

Sunda clouded leopard fun fact: Sunda clouded leopards have been classified as a separate species from clouded leopards since 2006. They are able to climb down tree trunks head first! (Source: animalia.bio)

Eurasian lynx fun fact: Eurasian lynxes are the largest of the lynxes! They are very sneaky since they make very low sounds. (Source: National Geographic kids)

#little cat showdown poll #sunda clouded leopard #eurasian lynx

[ryebreadedd]

rain world aside i need to show you some of my favorite little dudes

fishing cats :D

violet backet starling (bisexual bird....)

black footed cat... look at heem shape

bay cat!!! such a color

andean mountain cats... such fucking color.... hello. where did you ghet this color

jaguarundi

sunda leopard cat

oncilla and margay (they look very alike but!! seperate species)

sorry i love cats hehe

YES YESSSS J LOVE CATS TOO. big fan of snow leopards and tigers but i also like marbled cats and i think flat headed cats look silly. Sand cats are also super cute

[twosgays]

All my furbies

For the sake of this list staying as short as possible, I won’t be adding pictures. If you want to see what they look like, search “f: [insert furby name]” OR “f: all of them” on my blog!

Will continue to update as my furby family grows!

Furbies (1998):

Poppyseed Sundae — pink leopard, she/her

Vanilla Creampuff — snowball, she/they

Cookie Dough — snow leopard, she/they

Blueberry Muffin — special edition millennium, he/him

Fudge Stripe — tiger, she/he

Butterfly (Pea Flower) Boba — turtle, he/him

Rosé Jellybean — champagne, she/her

Furby Babies:

Wafflecake — peachy, she/her

Pistachio Mint — mint green, he/him

Scoop (of) Froot Loop — wavy stripes, he/him

Funfetti Frosting — confetti, he/him

Baby Grapes — very purple, he/him

Tangerine Supreme — fresh orange, he/him

Starburst Sorbet — special edition spring baby, she/her

Blue Raspberry — clown, he/him

Buttercream — curly, he/him

Sunny D-Lite — sunny yellow, he/him

Candy Floss — little baby blue, she/her

Happy Meal — primary, he/him (only baby without a sweet theme name)

Grape Fizzy Fanta — purple stripes, she/her

Icy Blue Slushee — purple tip, he/him

Trix Fucking Yogurt — blue change, he/she (girlfriend named him, hence the middle name)

Marshmallow Fluff — snowy, he/him

Banana Cream Pie — sunny yellow, she/her

Ube Custard — springtime, she/he

Blackberry Macaron — purple stripes, she/her (traded)

Caramel Corn — seahorse, he/him

Sugar Cookie — pink crystal, she/her

Matcha Milk Tea — lime, he/him

Strawberry Shortcake — coral, she/her

Cakepop — baby pink, she/he

Bubblegum — baby blue, he/she

Rice Krispy — customized sheep, she/her

Emoto-tronic:

Felix (05) — charcoal, he/him

Athena (baby) — sand, she/her

Others:

Strawberry Milkshake — pink leopard buddy, she/her

Rainbow Spinkle Sbeve the TERF Destroyer — long furby, any pronouns (usually it/they)

Samoa — funko pop, any pronouns

Sprite — witch’s cat, girlfriend’s furby, named after soot sprites

Flutter — blue McDonald’s furby, any pronouns

Rock’em — 2023 sonic (food chain) plush, any pronouns

Clout — 2023 valentines basket plush, any pronouns

Chachki — pink furblet, she/he/they

#furby #my furby #my furbies #furby list #furby fandom

[yourstormthlaylirahh]

#polls #animals #my polls

[ionlydidthistoscrollinpeace2022]

All my Webkinz in no particular order!!!

Hannah the Blue Googles

Waverly the Elephant

Justice the Googles (plush only)

Kisses the Pink Googles

Summer the FrooFroo Fox

Taneesha the Alpaca

Biscuit the Lil'Kinz Golden Retriever

Mystery the Hippo

Snow Princess the Persian Cat (plush only)

Rocko the Himalayan

Fluffy the Rabbit (plush only)

Dottie the Pinktastic Peacock (plush only)

Sundae the Cheer Pup

Boulder the Arctic Fox (plush only)

Beta the Portugese Water Dog

Mojo the Mini Pinscher Dog

Domino the Domino Cat (plush only)

Cream the American Albino

Legend the Lil'Kinz Chihuahua (plush only)

Smokey the Charcoal Cat

Showoff the Pinktastic Peacock

Kiya the Porcupine (plush only)

Princess Lucy the Signature Small Black Lab (plush only)

Nibbles the Guinea Pig (plush only)

Taffy the Bubblegum Cheeky Cat

Priscilla the Pink Poodle (plush only)

Daisy the Boston Terrier

Mac the White Tiger

Spike the Signature Portugese Water Dog

Tate the Airedale Terrier

Frisk the Lion

Micah the American Cocker Spaniel

Belle the Alpine St. Bernard

Missy the Brown Dog

Vinnie the Lil'Kinz Chihuahua

Blackie the Black Cat (plush only)

Sammy the Lil'Kinz Penguin

Leo the Leopard Lizard

Leadchaser the Brown Arabian

Daisetta the Poshy Poodle

Maggie the Lioness (plush only)

Tangerine the Orange Soda Pup

Flappy the Pink Cockatoo (plush only)

Lambie the Lamb

Bucky the Cocoa Dinosaur

Kate the Rockerz Fox

Stacy the Aardvark

Hank the Beagle (plush only)

Misty the Winter Fawn (plush only)

Koda the German Shepherd

Winter the Winter Fawn

Woods the Domino Cat

Autumn the Alley Cat

Leilani the Aloha Dolphin

Lightning the American Buffalo

Willow the Signature West Highland Terrier

Lily the Lil'Kinz Horse

Morose the Black Wolf

Sangria the Signature Endangered Red Wolf (plush only)

Callie the Schnauzer

Leona the Bushbaby

Jax the Blue Whale

Tiger the Spotty Dinosaur

Electra the Spotted Frog

Toffee the Brown Sugar Puppy (virtual only)

Bambi the Cotton Candy Puppy

Buttons the Duck (plush only)

Savanna the Hyena

Jenny the Pom Pom Kitty (plush only)

Theo the Lil'Kinz Panda

Salty the Hippo (plush only)

Calypso the Tropical Island Puppy

Shortcake the Red Velvet Fox (virtual only)

Mishka the Reindeer (plush only)

Whitney the Lil'Kinz Tiger (plush only)

Nala the Brown Boston Terrier (plush only)

Stardust the Dreamy Sheep

Maxwell the Leopard

Mackenzie the Lil'Kinz Persian Cat (plush only)

Retro the Lion (plush only)

Skyler the American German Shepherd

Beatrice the Hippo (plush only)

Bianca the Kangaroo (plush only)

Haraka the Orangutan (plush only)

Buttercup the Lynx (plush only

Briar the Coyote

Lola the Cocker Spaniel (plush only)

Skye the Lil'Kinz Pig (plush only)

Star the Wintermint Husky (virtual only)

#webkinz

[revxlution-in-rxst]

⚙️🜞 Marbas was always a bit flip-floppy when it came to his desire for social interaction; some days, he was perfectly content to be cooped up within his self-made ‘kingdom’ and tinker away with whatever his heart desired. Other days, he craved the outside, the chance to ‘stretch his wings’, so to speak.

⚙️🜞 And if others didn’t tolerate his presence? Well, that was their problem, wasn’t it?

⚙️🜞 The Chimerian hummed idly as he strolled through the streets of Apotos, a Cuban cigar in his teeth and his prized hammer hefted over his shoulder, catching many a stare from others passing by.

⚙️🜞 Most of the gazes were not friendly... Chimerians were rarely seen in  favorable light, due to their often bizarre appearance. But what did Marbas care? He thought Apotos was a lovely city, judgmental assholes be damned! Maybe he’d head to Surfside Seagull Sundries and grab a kebabwich... or grab a Sundae Supreme for his sister. She loved sweets.

⚙️🜞 The sudden impact to his left shoulder gave him pause, and he seemed to freeze, gaze snapping to the culprit; a burly Mobian grizzly who was definitely taller than he was.

⚙️🜞 “They let freaks like you walk around freely, huh?” the taller Mobian huffed, casting a disdainful glare to Marbas’ form; wings, antlers, a fluffy snow leopard tail... Chimerians tended to stand out like sore thumbs, and Marbas was no exception. But he only smiled, taking the cigar from his mouth now.

⚙️🜞 “A freak, huh? I think you’re just jealous that you’re stuck with such a shallow gene pool,” he smirked. “And clearly a shallow skull, as well. Got any other thoughts rattling round in there? Or is it just racism?”

⚙️🜞 He laughed as he put the cigar out on the grizzly’ bear’s jacket, causing the other to growl in anger. A large paw brutally gripped the front of Marbas’ shirt, and now a crowd was starting to form around the two.

⚙️🜞 “Know your place, you genetic misfit!” the bear spat, shoving the smaller male up against a wall; it was somewhat obvious that Marbas was allowing his assailant to do this, however, since he was still grinning.

⚙️🜞 “My place? My place is at the forefront of my revolution,” he smiled. “The revolution of my people.”

⚙️🜞 The burnt out cigar was discarded now, and Marbas suddenly slammed the bear to the ground in one ferocious action, a clawed paw on the other’s chest as he was hunched over him.

⚙️🜞 “And if I need to bring about that revolution in blood, then I will.”

⚙️🜞 He seemed to delight in the bear’s startled and rather frightened expression, his grin widening. But he didn’t attack any further, letting go and standing up straight. The hammer had remained hefted over his shoulder for the entire time.

⚙️🜞 “You have a good day, now,” he smirked, tipping his hat at the bear. And with that, he turned and began to walk away, humming once more as his tail swished idly; the crowd was quick to part for him, and his smile grew.

#⚙️🜞 freedom or fire! freedom or fire! 🜞⚙️🝓 open starter (marbas) 🝓⚙️ #⚙️🜞 i am the way // prepare for salvation 🜞⚙️🝓 marbas interacts 🝓⚙️

[eukaryotesrool]

Pantherinae

Today we're doing an overview of Pantherinae

(From top left to bottom right: clouded leopard, Sunda clouded leopard, leopard, snow leopard, tiger, jaguar, lion)

All these fine felines are members of the subfamily Pantherinae, one of the two main subfamilies of Felidae (true cats), along with Felinae, which includes cheetahs, house cats, and more.

The animals listed above also happen to be all 7 species of the subfamily, split across two genuses (Panthera and Neofelis) so, a much smaller group than antelope, we went over last time.

(Leopard and cub being adorable, oh-ma-gosh!)

So, that's a lot of leopard, huh? Well, leopard is kinda a meaningless term, the cuties above (Panthera pardus) are more closely related to lions! (Panthera leo) than they are to snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and all those animals are more closely related to eachother than P. pardus is to either clouded leopard, who are both members (and the only members) of the genus Neofelis.

Pantherinids have a unique hyoid bone, and elastic tendons which gives their larynx (AKA the 'voice box') extra mobility, further modifications allow most members of Panthera to roar, whereas Neofelis and Pantherinae's sister subfamily, Felinae, cannot.

Alright, enough about the subfamily, lets get into the notable individuals real quick!

The best scientific name

(Inspite of their name the genus Neofelis predates most extant members of their sister genus (Panthera) such as tigers or snow leopards)

Neofelis ('neo' meaning new and 'felis' meaning feline, or, cat) nebulosa (couldn't find a reputable explanations, so my source is Google translate, fuck it, they claim 'nebulosa' means foggy, most likely referencing the cloud/fog like pattern.) But why do I like this name... well, it's so fucking cool! I can't really explain it in words, but Neofelis nebulosa just sounds so spacey and sci-fi in a way I REALLY dig.

The littlest baby

(Even though I used an image of a baby, this category is determined by adult sizes and the name is a misnomer)

Oh, that cat again, Neofelis nebulosa sweep!?

Topping on average out at- holy hell! 78.5 inches (199 cm) how is this the littlest baby!? Well, because they have long tails and tails, as we all know, are neat but, don't count.

TRULY topping out on average at a respectable 42.5 inches (108 cm) and 51 lb (23133.2 grams) not tiny by any means, but this arboreal sweety is up against the likes of lions and jaguars, tough competition.

N. nebulosa is also slightly smaller than its sister species N. diardi, which grows up to 43 in (108 cm) and 57 lb (26 kg)

The weirdest

(I don't care if it mauls me, I shall hug it)

The snow leopard or Panthera uncia.

Uniquely adapted for the cold, such as broad paws for snow-walking and minimizing heat loss, as well as thick, warm, fur.

They are the only member of Panthera (the genus) which cannot roar, they have some of the necessary adaptions (such as a partialy ossified hyoid bone) but its vocal folds lack the proper size. Its general facial structure also differs from other Panthera animals.

Though, they use similar adaptions (such as a large tail) as their arboreal sister and cousin species to maneuver rocky terrain.

The most Pantherinae-y

(Can't think of unique commentary, cute, okay, lets move on)

Could the mascot of PANTHERinae be anything but a black panther? Well, yeah, it kinda has to be, black panthers are simpy Pantherids (mostly the leopard or jaguar) with a rare disorder known as melanism.

(So precious)

So I think the most Pantherinae-y is the leopard! It just feels the most Pantherinae-y to me, here, have a pic of a melanistic leopard and their mate, because I'm generous.

The biggest baby

(So majestic...)

Tiger (Panthera Tigris), measurements come from the largest subspecies, the Bengal tiger (P. t. tigris)

Truly earning the title of big cat, males can grow up to 112 in (285 cm) in main-body length

Since we were just talking about melanism, I might as well show you these special lads with leucism, white tigers!

My favorite

(Daww, what a lovely dad!)

Lions! Or Panthera leo, I've adored this fluffy apex predators since I was but a wee boy. If I had a nickel for every franchise centered upon a lion character or characters I enjoyed, I'd have two nickels (The Lion King, Jungle Emperor Leo) so, uh, what can that get me in this economy?

Lions are a keystone species, meaning they have a uniquely strong affect on their environment, they are highly skilled hunters with a 25% success rate in hunts, being much more successful when working in groups than when lone, they will also scavange and steal from other predators, such as lycaons and hyenas.

The most threatened

Tragically, the jaguar (ranked at near threated by the IUCN) is the only member of Pantherinae to be ranked below vulnerable.

The tiger is the most threatened of the subfamily, the IUCN classing it at the well known rank, endangered.

Poaching and habitat fragmentation/loss have devestated this species, but conservation efforts are vast, and proving rather effective.

India achieved its goal of doubling tiger populations of 2011, in 2019.

Russia's Siberian tiger came from a terrible population estimate of 40, but in 2015 estimates showed a population of 480 to 540! Over a 100 times bigger, not perfect, but MUCH better!

More and more reserves are popping up to protect this wonderful lifeform, and in the process they protect numerous other species who share the tiger's habitat.

#panthera #Neofelis #pantherinae #animal photography #animals #animal facts #cute animals #wild animal #animal fact #zoology #TaxonOverview #Please point out any typos or erroneous information.

[hedoughnism]

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Every Species of Kitten

To celebrate the USA’s win--and it is a win, in spite of all the very real concerns--I thought I’d make another cat post, because they make people happy and it’s a happy day! Going to try to find three images per species, but some are pretty hard to find as many of these cats are rare and/or elusive!

First off, the subfamily of roaring kittens! Pantherinae:

Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa):

Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), not common:

Leopard (Panthera pardus):

Tiger (Panthera tigris):

Snow leopard (Panthera uncia):

Lion (Panthera leo):

Jaguar (Panthera onca):

Second and final (and much bigger) extant subfamily in Felidae, which is the purring kittens! Felinae:

Marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) does not want you to see its babies!:

Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii):

Bay cat (Catopuma badia), babies are elusive to say the least:

Serval (Leptailurus serval):

Caracal (Caracal caracal):

African golden cat (Caracal aurata), this is literally all I could find in the way of kittens:

Pampas cat (Leopardus colocola):

Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobita), very elusive baby:

Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis):

Margay (Leopardus wiedii):

Kodkod (Leopardus guigna), when the adult already looks like a kitten, the kitten looks...exactly the same as the adult, just smaller:

Geoffroy’s cat (Leopardus geoffroyi):

Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus):

Souther tiger cat (Leopardus guttulus):

Bobcat (Lynx rufus):

Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis):

Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx):

Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus):

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus):

Cougar (Puma concolor):

Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguaroundi):

Pallas cat (Otocolobus manul):

Rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus):

Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis):

Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus):

Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps), couldn’t even find any photos, had to screenshot a video:

Sunda leopard cat (Prionailurus javanensis), another not easy to find kitten!:

Jungle cat (Felis chaus):

Black-footed cat (Felis nigripes), just remember this species has one of the highest kill rates of any cat:

Sand cat (Felis margarita):

Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti):

European wildcat (Felis sylvestris):

African wildcat (Felis lybica):

and finally, Domestic cat (Felis catus)!:

Remember, there is only one species of kitten on this list that belongs as a pet, and that is our beautiful domestic cat. Some of the wild species are endangered, and as precious as all these babies, the wild ones are best left to the wild. :)

#kittens #cute animals #wild cats #every cat species #all known cat species #baby animals #long post #cat family #felidae #rare cats #felids

[feralist]

PANTHERIHUNTIK [pan-thee-ri-hunt-ick] — a gender that feels like a pantherinae* cat on the hunt; or a gender that can only be understood as a hunting pantherinae cat. this gender is intrinsically tied to pantherinae cats, stalking and hunting prey. *pantherinae is the broader grouping for panthera and neofelis subfamilies. these cats are; lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, jaguars, clouded leopards, & sunda clouded leopards.

FELINAHUNTIK [fe-lin-ah-hunt-ick] — a gender that feels like a felinae** cat on the hunt; or a gender that can only be understood as being a hunting felinae cat. this gender is intrinsically tied to felinae cats, stalking and hunting prey. **felinae is the broader grouping for any other subfamily of cats that aren't under the pantherinae subfamily. (basically every other cat other than the ones listed above this.)

#[coins ur gener] #pro mogai #mogai safe #mogai heaven #mogai real #mogai genders #xenogenders #pantherihuntik #felinahuntik

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

Big Cats, Big Personalities

You may have heard the phrase “big cat” before. No, it doesn’t refer to a particularly large house cat, but rather to a category of cats. “Big cat” is a term typically used to describe any member of the genus Panthera, though it can mean different things to different people.  

Some consider every member of the larger subfamily Pantherinae to be big cats—for example, clouded leopards (genus Neofelis). Sometimes, the phrase “big cat” just refers to any member of the cat family (Felidae) that is large, such as the cougar (genus Puma), the cheetah (genus Acinonyx), and the Eurasian lynx (genus Lynx, species lynx).

Tigers, Lions, Jaguars, Leopards, and Snow Leopards are the extant (or currently living) members. You may be wondering how leopards and snow leopards are members of genus Panthera but clouded leopards are not. Clouded leopards are not true leopards—they branched off into their own genus roughly six million years ago; they are in the larger subfamily of Pantherinae, but not Panthera specifically.  

One feature sometimes used to distinguish big cats from other cats is the ability to roar, but that ability is only found in the Panthera genus, not the additional species. Roaring itself is an important vocalization, but it isn’t a surefire way to distinguish what a “big cat” is. For example, snow leopards, in the family Panthera, cannot roar. 

So, big cat can mean something different to everyone, but let’s learn a little bit more about each of the cats listed above:

Tigers

Tigers are the largest cat species on the planet! There are several subspecies and they are easily recognized by their orange color with black stripes (though Bengal tigers are occasionally white with black stripes). 

They are solitary and territorial animals; cubs (big cat offspring are not called kittens) stay with their mother for 2 years. These cats are found throughout Asia—although they are endangered—and their population is dwindling.  

Lions

Lions are a social species of large cats found in the grasslands and savannas of Africa. Males are recognizable by their long hair surrounding their necks, called manes. Lionesses do the hunting for the pride (social group of lions), which is comprised of several adult males, related females, and cubs. These animals are listed as vulnerable, which means they are close to becoming endangered.

Jaguars

Jaguars are the only member of the Panthera genus found in the Americas. Individual cats can be found in the Western United States, but they have had a reduced range in Central and South America since the early 20th century. They are solitary animals and ambush predators, hunting in tropical and subtropical forests and swamps. They are recognizable by their spots, which are black rosettes with spots in the middle. However, melanistic (or all black) jaguar occasionally appear; these cats are informally known as black panthers—although they are not a separate species—and the phrase “black panther” has been used to describe melanistic leopards as well. Jaguars are near-threatened, which means their numbers are decreasing and their populations are being closely monitored.

Leopards

Leopards have a wide range and are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, in parts of Western and Central Asia and on the Indian subcontinent. They are recognizable by their spots; they look like jaguars with their spotted fur, but leopards are shorter with a smaller head, and their rosette-shaped spots do not have dots in the middle. Leopards are opportunistic hunters, hunting mostly on the ground at night; though in the Serengeti, they are known for attacking prey by leaping from trees. Leopards are listed as vulnerable, meaning they are potentially on their way to the endangered species list.

Snow leopards

Snow leopards live in the mountain regions of Central and South Asia, living at elevations from 3,000 to 4,500 feet. Their fur is whitish grey, with black rosettes, distinguishing them from other leopards which are yellow or brown in color. Snow leopards have large nasal passages which helps warm the cold, dry air they breathe. Their tails are covered thickly with fur and provide fat storage; sleeping snow leopards use their warm tails like blankets to protect their faces when they sleep. They are listed as vulnerable, meaning they may appear on the endangered species list in the future.

Clouded leopards

There are two species of clouded leopards—the mainland clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi). The mainland clouded leopard is found in the Himalayan foothills in Southeast Asia and southern China and the Sunda clouded leopard is found in Borneo and Sumatra. They are considered an evolutionary link between two cat families Pantherinae and Felinae. Their fur is dark grey with a black blotched pattern. Clouded leopards are solitary and hunt by stalking or ambushing prey. They are excellent climbers and use trees as rest sites.  Both species of clouded leopards are listed as vulnerable, meaning they can potentially end up on the endangered species list.

Cougar

The cougar (also known as a puma, mountain lion, red tiger, or catamount) is the only cat on this list that you may see in the wild around Pittsburgh; however, their populations are severely reduced in the eastern half of North America. These cats are adaptable to a wide variety of habitats, which is why they are found all throughout North and South America. This wide range is the reason people living in different regions have different names for them. They are ambush predators, preferring to hunt deer, though they will eat insects and rodents. While cougars are large, they are not always the apex (or top) predator and will occasionally give food they caught away to jaguars, grizzly bears, or even alligators! Cougars are listed as least concern, meaning their population is holding steady, though their range has shrunk.

Cheetah

Cheetahs are known for their speed; as the fastest land animal, they are capable of running up to 80 miles per hour! Cheetahs can be found in the Serengeti, Saharan mountain ranges, and in hilly areas of Iran. Cheetahs separate into three kinds of social groups—females with cubs, all-male groups, and solitary males. Females are more likely to travel further distances while males will establish and stay in smaller territories. They are active during the day and spend most of their time hunting for things like impala or springbok. Cheetahs are listed as vulnerable, with one of the main threats being a lack of genetic diversity, which makes it difficult for the species to adapt and evolve over generations, reducing the chance for individual animals to survive.

Eurasian lynx

The Eurasian lynx is found from Europe into Central Asia and Siberia, living in temperate or boreal (snow or Taiga) forests. They have short, red-brown coats, and are more colorful than most animals sharing their habitat. In the winter, their fur grows in thicker and greyer. These cats have relatively long legs and large webbed and furred paws that act like snowshoes, allowing them to walk on top of the snow. They have bobbed (or short) tails, much like one of their cousins you might see around Pittsburgh—the bobcat. They hunt small mammals and birds but will occasionally take down young moose or deer. The Eurasian lynx is listed as least concern, with a stable population.

Jo Tauber is the Gallery Experience Coordinator for CMNH’s Life Long Learning Department, as well as the official Registrar for the Living Collection. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

#Carnegie Museum of Natural History #Big Cats #Meowfest #KidsBurgh #Eurasian lynx #Cheetah #Cougar #Clouded leopard #Snow leopard #Leopard #Jaguar #Lion #Tiger

[bigcatswildlife]

CATS EYES 😳🧐🤓😻!!!

📷 Tiger @jignesh04_jd

📷 Lion @valentinpacaut

📷 Jaguar - unknown DM credit

📷 Cougar @etpic

📷 Leopard @rianboshoff

📷 Snow Leopard @ondrejchvatal

📷 Cheetah @itsmesubhash

📷 Clouded Leopard - Jason Brown Photography.

📷 Sunda Clouded Leopard @charles808

📷 Lion @nickkleer

🐯 Caption by 🦁 @bigcatswildlife

Cats have some of the most unique eyes on earth 🌍 with vision 6 to 7 times better than us at night.

Instead of having circular pupils like humans, the black parts in the centres of their eyes are vertical - which can adapt quickly and can open and close like the aperture of a camera 📷.

#tiger #lion #jaguar #cougar #leopard #snowleopard #cheetah #cloudedleopard #sundacloudedleopard #puma #mountainlion #bigcat #bigcats #bigcatswildlife #cateye #cateyes #eyes #eye #vision #nightvision #pupil #pupils #photographylovers #wildlife #wildlifephotograpy #catphotos #bigcatsofinstagram #feline #cats_of_the_world #aperture