Q What is special about the claws of a
big cat?
A All big cats – except the cheetah – have
retractable claws. These claws can be drawn
into the paw when the cat is not using them.
This prevents the cat from getting hurt while
grooming. The cheetah has short claws. It
uses them to get a good grip on the ground
while chasing its prey at high speeds.
Big cats
A big cat is a cat that can roar! This group includes the lion,
tiger, jaguar and leopard. They have large eyes, sharp teeth,
excellent hearing and powerful limbs with sharp claws. Most
have long tails and coats that are either striped or spotted. Big
cats are found in all continents except Australia and Antarctica.
The Living Planet
46
Quick Q’s:
1. What do cats use
their tongues for?
A cat’s tongue is rough
and covered with
sharp, hook-like
projections called
papillae. Cats use their
tongues to clean the
flesh from the bones of
their prey and to
groom themselves.
2. How does a jaguar
kill its prey?
The jaguar uses its
powerful jaws and
sharp teeth to pierce
the skull of its prey
between the ears.
Its strong teeth can
even break open
turtle shells.
3. Are white tigers
albinos?
White tigers are not
albinos. A true albino
would not have stripes,
but white tigers have
prominent stripes.
They are not a separate
species, but differentlycoloured
members of
the same species. Their
colour is caused by a
mutation in their
genes, which rarely
occurs naturally. In
recent times, the first
pair of white tigers was
found in a forest in
central India. Since
then, most white tigers
we know of have been
bred in captivity and so
can usually be seen
only in zoos.
Q Why do the eyes of a big cat glow in
the night?
A The eyes of a big cat – or any other cat,
for that matter – have a mirror-like tissue in
them that gather even the faintest light and
focus it on an object, making it clearly visible
to the cat. It is this mirror-like structure that
causes the cat’s eyes to glow in the dark.
Hidden weapons
Big cats usually draw their claws into the paw (left)
and extend the claws (right) when about to jump
on their prey.
Q Is the cheetah a big cat?
A The cheetah is not actually a big cat as it
cannot roar, but purrs like our domestic cat.
However, it has many other characteristics of
a big cat, and is sometimes regarded as the
smallest member of the big cat family. It is
the fastest of all land animals, and can run
at a speed of up to 110 kilometres per hour
(70 miles per hour) over a short distance.
Roaring apparatus
The flexible hyoid bone of the big cats allows them to roar.
Living in a pride
Lions are the only big cats that live in prides. Each pride
has one adult male with three or four lionesses and their
cubs. Male cubs are thrown out of the pride as soon as
they become semi-adults.
Q How are big cats different from
other cats?
A Big cats are similar to our pet cats in
many ways. However, only big cats can roar.
This is because of a difference in the
structure of a bone that is present in the
mouth of all cats. This bone, called the hyoid
bone, connects the tongue to the roof of the
mouth. In small cats, the hyoid is hard, while
in big cats the hyoid is flexible, helping them
open their mouths really wide and roar aloud.
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