Lions aren’t the only kings of the animal kingdom! In honour of AFRICAN CATS, due out in theatres on April 22, we’re introducing you to the world’s biggest cats.
Snow Leopard
HABITAT: While many big cats live in hot, sunny places, the snow leopard prefers the frigid temperatures of the mountain ranges of South and Central Asia.
DIET: Like the other big cats, snow leopards are carnivores, but because they live in dangerous environments, food can be hard to come by. Their diet is constantly changing based on the time of year and what kind of prey is available.
DID YOU KNOW? The animal has symbolic meaning for the Turkic people of Central Asia.
Lion
HABITAT: Lions can be found in hot, dry climates like the savannah grasslands of Africa and the dry scrub forests of India.
DIET: They tend to make a meal out of large, free-roaming mammals. In Africa, they enjoy wildebeest and zebras, and in India, they favour many species of deer. Lions frequently hunt in groups, a tactic that allows them to prey on large mammals with quick success.
DID YOU KNOW? Lions have the loudest roar of any of the big cats. Their roars can be heard up to 5 kilometers away!
Jaguar
HABITAT: Unlike the majority of the big cats, jaguars reside in the Western Hemisphere. They can be found throughout South America, in countries like Brazil and Venezuela, up through Mexico and to the borders of the United States. While jaguars tend to prefer dense jungle environments, they have also been known to settle in a wide range of forested and open regions.
DIET: Out of all the big cats, jaguars have one of the most diverse diets. They are still carnivores, but their diet can consist of up to 87 different species, including mammals, amphibians, fish and reptiles. Similar to lions, they often prefer larger prey, such as deer, fox, and even anacondas and armadillos.
DID YOU KNOW? The Mayan civilization believed jaguars could communicate between the living and the dead!
Cheetah
HABITAT: They are found throughout Africa, India and South Asia, preferring grasslands, savannahs, forests and mountains.
DIET: Compared to some of the other big cats, a cheetah’s diet can seem fairly limited. They mainly eat small mammals like gazelles and impalas, and have been known to go after young wildebeests and zebras.
DID YOU KNOW? The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal. It has been known to run at speeds up to 120 kilometres per hour!
Small Cats!
Compared to tigers, which are the largest wild cat and can weigh up to 227 kg (500 lbs.), see how these small wild cats measure up:
FLAT-HEADED CAT
1.5 to 2.5 kg (3 to 5.5 lbs.)
ONCILLA
2 to 3 kg (4 to 6.6 lbs.)
SAND CAT
2 to 3.4 kg (4 to 7.5 lbs.)
LEOPARD CAT
2.5 to 7 kg (5.5 to 15 lbs.)
PALLAS’ CAT
3 to 4.5 kg (6 to 10 lbs.)
PAMPAS CAT
3 to 7 kg (6 to 15 lbs.)
GEOFFROY’S CAT
3 to 8 kg (6 to 17 lbs.)
MARGAY
3 to 9 kg (6 to 20 lbs.)