Leopard Cat

The leopard cat is a small species of wild cats. It is about the same size as a house cat, and has similar   patterns to the leopard or ocelot. The leopard cat has tan to brown fur and black stripes down its head that turn into spots. 

They have a slight webbing in their feet which makes them a good swimmers, they are also good climbers. They live in Southeast Asia, in a jungles, scrubs, and woodlands. They are solitary cats and are nocturnal. 

The leopard cat preys on smaller animals such as rodents, birds, lizards, and frogs. It's natural predators are tigers, leopards, wild dogs, and large snakes. 

The mother leopard cat gives birth to 2 to 4 kittens which leave her at 10 months old. They will live for about 10 to 13 years. 

They are listed as least concern but they are being hunted for their fur. 

Credits: 

"Leopard Cat." A-z Animals. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/leopard-cat/>.

Clouded Leopard

The clouded leopard is the smallest of the big cats and one of the beautiful. They are not closely related to the leopard even though it shares it's name with it. The clouded leopard has a tan to brown coat with big spots that are brown with a dark ring around them. They have a long tail used for balance and they have one of the longest canine teeth (2 inches). They live in Southeast Asia and they live primarily in dense rain forests. 

Clouded leopards are very secretive in the wild so we do not know much about their usual behavior. They are nocturnal and are great climbers, and will rest in the trees during the day. Not much is know about their hunting techniques, and only some species are confirmed prey of the clouded leopard. They are porcupine, deer, ground squirrel, pangolin, and monkeys. 

Clouded leopards have a life span of about 11 years in captivity, their life span is not known in the wild due to their reclusive nature. Mother clouded leopards have about 3 kittens and they leave their mother when they are about 10 months old. They have a difficult time reproducing because the male is aggressive towards the female when they are mating. If the kittens are born the female is usually aggressive towards the kittens. In captivity zookeepers watch the clouded leopards very carefully to make sure everything goes alright. 

Recently it was discovered that there are two species of clouded leopards, the clouded leopard and the sunda clouded leopard. They look alike but genetically they are very different. The sunda clouded leopard is rarer then the clouded leopard. They also live in different places, the clouded leopard lives on the mainland of Asia while the sunda clouded leopard is from Borneo and Sumatra. 

Clouded Leopards are considered vulnerable and their numbers are decreasing. People are cutting down the rain forest that it lives in. Poachers hunt the clouded leopard for their coat and their canine teeth and bones, which are used in medicine. 

Credits:

"About the Clouded Leopard." The Clouded Leopard Project, 2011. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://cloudedleopard.org/about_main>.

"Clouded Leopard." A-z Animals. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/clouded-leopard/>.

"Clouded Leopard." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Dec. 2013. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clouded_leopard>.

         

Caracal

The caracal is a median sized cat with a dark red to golden coat. It has tuffs on its ears which are black. They have long legs and a relively short tail. They are solitary, like most cats. What is remarkable about these cats is that they have 20 muscles in their ears! 

Caracals prey on birds, rodents and even larger animals like antelopes and ostriches. Since ostriches and antelopes are fast caracals must quick enough to catch them and bring them down. I think the most intresting hunting technique that the caracal uses is jumping 2 meters strait up into the air to catch a flying bird. That would so cool to watch!

Caracals will live about 12 years in the wild. Mother caracals give birth to 1 to 6 kittens. The kittens will stay with the mother for about one year. 

Their habitat is being destroyed becuase of agricultural growth. Caracals are also a threat to livestock and owners of the livestock are free to kill the caracals, this is another threat to them. Caracals are at least concern so their population is stable. 

Credits:

"Caracal." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracal>.

"Caracal." A-z Animals. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/caracal/>.

           

Leopard

The leopard is a quiet ninja like cat. They have a yellowish fur and a dark rosette pattern on their coat. They have a long tail which helps them balance. They have a muscular body and long whiskers. They have the biggest range of any big cat, they we found in sub Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. 

Leopards are solitary cats and nocturnal. Their rosette markings on their coat act as camoflage. Their long whiskers, which are sensitive, and their good hearing make them great night time hunters. They will eat large animals such as antelopes and warthogs. They will also prey on smaller animals such as birds, reptiles, and rodents. Leopards are excellent climbers and will sometimes drag their prey high in the tree for safe keeping. 

Leopards can live for 10 to 15 years. Mother leopards give birth to 2 to 6 cubs. The cubs stay with their mother for 18 months. Leopards do not have a high mortality rate during their first year. That is due to large predators finding the young while the mother is away. 

A leopard's natural predators are lions, tigers, bears, hyena, big snakes, and other leopards. The sad thing is leopards are declining in population becuase of habitat loss. They are also hunted by humans for their coats and for sport. Like all big cats, leopards do not deserve to be killed for sport, and unfortunately it is legal to hunt them for trophies. Leopards are near threatened but since it has a large range most places it is stable. 

Leopards are beautiful cats that are hidden in the jungles. They are very threatened now but can be in the future. 

Credits:

"Leopard." (Panthera Pardus). A-z Animals, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/leopard/>.

"Leopard." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard>.