My Science School

The Arctic fox is indeed a tough animal; it can survive the harsh and frigid Arctic temperatures. It has short rounded ears, a short muzzle, and fur-covered soles. This is an adaptation to the freezing cold climate of the Arctic region.

The behaviour of the Arctic fox depends on climate. It lives in burrows. During a blizzard, it tunnels into the snow to create shelter. During summers, it preys on rodents like lemmings. It occasionally feeds on birds as well. During the winters, the Arctic fox also preys on reindeer in addition to rodents and birds. Lemmings however, are their most common prey; a family of foxes can eat dozens of lemmings each day.

Often, it scavenges on carcasses left by larger predators such as wolves and polar bears. It also eats the eggs of many birds. When food is abundant, the Arctic fox buries the surplus as a reserve. This animal is hunted for its fur and this practice has led to a decline in its numbers.

Coyotes belong to the canine family and are smaller than wolves. They are also called prairie wolves at times. They are native to North America.

A keen sense of smell and sharp vision aid coyotes in hunting. They prey on deer, rabbits, hares, rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. The diet of coyotes is not limited to animal meat alone. They eat fruits and vegetables too. They sometimes kill lambs, calves, or other livestock, as well as pets. So, ranchers and farmers regard them as destructive pests.

The hunting habits of coyotes are not as organized as that of wolves. They hunt in groups and rely more on the number of members rather than their strength. They require more effort and cooperation to harass and pull down a large prey. Humans pose a great threat to coyote populations.

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Many of us have dogs as pets. Our beloved dogs are the descendants of the grey wolf. Also known as timber wolf, the grey wolf is the largest member of the canine family.

Grey wolves usually live in packs of up to two dozen individuals. A pack of grey wolves include the mother and father wolves, their pups, and several other subordinate or young animals. The parents are known as alpha wolves. A pack typically consists of six to ten wolves.

Grey wolves are designed for a predatory way of life. They have a strong build, large canine teeth and powerful jaws that equip them for hunting. They can run at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour as well. They feed on large hoofed mammals, like elk, deer, moose and caribou. In fact, grey wolves roam around most of the time, in search of large prey, but they do not eat humans.

Grey wolves eat as if there is no tomorrow. A single animal can consume around nine kilograms of meat at a sitting!

Red wolves are carnivores whose diet varies a great deal depending on the available prey. Mostly, they hunt smaller mammals like raccoons, rabbits, rodents and white-tailed deer. They hunt both at dusk and dawn and generally avoid human contact.

Red wolves are social animals and they live in packs. They are strictly territorial in nature and will not hesitate to fight other wolves to maintain their territory. They travel up to 32 kilometers within their territory in search of prey. These wolves communicate using body language, scent marking, and a series of vocalizations including howls, barks and yaps.

The size of a red wolf is somewhere between that of a grey wolf and a coyote. They weigh between 20 and 36 kilograms. Male red wolves weigh more than their female counter-parts; an average male weighs about 27 kilograms while females weigh about 22 kilograms. Red wolves are endangered and their numbers are diminishing.

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Servals and caracals are similar in size, but servals hunt in wetter habitats, whereas caracals stick to the drier areas of Africa and the Middle East. Servals are medium-sized wild cats with a heightened sense of hearing. In fact, their hearing is way better than all other small cats and greatly aids them in hunting.

Servals can pounce on an invisible rat, just by using their sense of sound. Servals use a high leap to strike and kill their prey, preventing its escape. They prey on rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, and insects.

Their robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, and long canine teeth distinguish caracals from the other cats. They are also known as the ‘African lynx’ or ‘desert lynx’. Apart from their good sense of hearing, their speed and agility make them good hunters; they can hunt an animal thrice their size!

Caracals are nocturnal and it is hard to spot them. They either live alone or in pairs. They have been known to leap up into the air to successfully catch and kill birds.

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Found in the Americas, a margay is a spotted wild cat with thick and soft fur. It is a solitary animal and is completely dependent on the cover of the treetop canopy in its territory. Sometimes, a margay hunts, sleeps, and even raises its young ones on trees.

A margay hunts small mammals, including monkeys, birds, eggs, lizards and tree frogs. While hunting, a margay often mimics the call of its prey to lure them. It also eats grass, fruit and other vegetation, which helps with digestion.

Though margays depend heavily on trees, they hunt on the ground too. When it gets down a tree, it walks slowly head first down the trunk, unlike most cats that rush down or descend hind feet first. If it ever falls from a tree, it uses its hind legs to catch hold of a branch and break the fall. Margays were hunted illegally until the 1990s. This led to a sharp decline in the number of margays.

The margay has been listed as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List.

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Ocelots have pointed fangs which they use to deliver a killing bite. They have sharp scissor-like back teeth that can tear food, but are not appropriate for chewing. So, they swallow their food after tearing it down. An ocelot is a largely nocturnal spotted cat adapted to eating meat. It is twice the size of an average house cat. It feeds on rabbits, rodents, iguanas, fish, and frogs.

Populations of ocelot are found in lowland areas of the Americas from Texas to northern Argentina. Ocelots are also found in tropical forests, grasslands, or bush-covered regions.

Ocelots are largely terrestrial, but they are good climbers and often occupy treetops. The ocelot population is declining globally. Margays and oncillas closely resemble ocelots in general appearance and range. Ocelots however, are larger. Also, their tails are shorter than their hind legs.

A tuft of black hair on the tips of its ears and its short tail makes a lynx distinct from other big cats. A lynx is much larger than a housecat and can weigh up to 38 kilograms. There are so many varieties of lynx including the Eurasian lynx, Canadian lynx, and the Iberian lynx.

Lynx are rarely spotted during the day; they hunt stealthily at night. Their vision is so sharp that they can spot a mouse from as far as 76 metres. The tufts on their ears act as a hearing aid, which is not any poorer than their sense of vision. They are good climbers and swimmers too.

Unlike many other big cats, a lynx does not chase its prey. Instead, it waits for a prey to come by, after hiding behind a bush or a tree. It usually sneaks around its prey and pounces on it while the prey is busy eating.

A lynx either lives alone or in small groups. Populations of lynx are found in the remote northern forests of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Snow leopards are considered to be of high value; found in the mountains of Central Asia, they are hunted for their beautiful, warm fur as well as organs that are being used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Their wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes. They use their long tails for balance, and as blankets to cover sensitive body parts against the severe mountain chill. Snow leopards are most active during dawn and dusk. They can outrun their prey over snow and make leaps of up to 13 meters over rocks. They usually prey on blue sheep, markhor, marmots and domestic livestock.

Clouded leopards are found in the forests of Indonesia and the foothills of the Himalayas. They usually weigh around 11-20 kilograms and are named after their distinctive skin. Their tails are as long as their body and help in balancing the body weight.

Clouded leopards are great climbers; they can climb while hanging upside-down under branches and descend tree trunks head-first.

Cougars have a distinctive manner of hunting larger prey. The cougars catch a large prey, drag it up to 350 metres from the place of capture and bury it under leaves and debris. They return later at night to feed.

Cougars use both stealth and power to hunt animals. They prey on different species of hoofed animals, including moose, elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, and caribou. They will also eat smaller creatures like squirrels, muskrat, porcupine, beaver, raccoon, striped skunk, coyote, bobcats, rabbits, birds, and even snails and fish.

Cougars are native to the Americas. They are solitary animals and hunt either at night or during the early morning hours. They can run at a speed of 55 kilometres per hour and can leap over a distance of nine metres!

Cougars are known by many names including puma, mountain lion, panther, and catamount. Many of you may be familiar with the famous sports brand, ‘Puma’. A full-grown puma weighs up to 90 kilograms.

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The jaguar is the only big cat in America. In fact, it is the third biggest cat after the tiger and the lion. Like many cats, the jaguar too lives alone. Its skin is similar to that of a leopard.

Though jaguars are good climbers and swimmers, they usually hunt on the ground. Jaguars usually attack their prey by pouncing on it. Their powerful jaws and teeth make it easy for them to kill the prey.

Jaguars usually prefer large animals to hunt like tapirs and deer. They can kill a cow that weighs about 450 kilograms! They also hunt small animals like armadillos turtles and porcupines. Like many other big cats, jaguars too drag their kill to a secluded spot before eating it.

Jaguars are worshipped in many cultures that originated in native South America. They are often seen as a symbol of strength and power.

A leopard can rarely be seen and never be heard. This ferocious cat sprints at a speed of 60 kilometres per hour in no time and can leap to a height of three metres. With spotted skin, it looks much like a jaguar, but is smaller in size. In fact, it has smaller legs than many other big cats, but has a bigger skull.

A leopard hunts at night. It usually hunts alone. While hunting, a leopard moves in a slow, crouching walk. Its advanced sense of vision and hearing helps it hunt in dense forests. When a leopard sights a potential target, it stalks forward with head low and legs bent, making clever use of cover. Within the range of about 10 metres, it dashes forward and with the help of sharp, hooked claws, kills its prey. It mainly hunts antelope, deer, and pigs. A leopard can also hunt from the trees. Its spots allow it to blend with the leaves until it springs with a deadly pounce. It usually drags its kill onto tall branches.

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The cheetahs are the smallest of the African big cats. A fully grown cheetah weighs around 58 kilograms. Cheetahs are known for their unbeatable speed. Long legs, a slender body and a long tail help the cheetah to run fast. It is its speed that aids a cheetah in hunting.

A cheetah hunts during the day. In a burst of speed, it tries to get as close to the prey as possible, outruns the prey and knocks it down. Because of their speed, their body overheats in about twenty seconds! If the prey can stay ahead for longer than 20 seconds, it stands a good chance of escaping. If the kill is successful, the cheetah drags the prey to a safe hiding place, protecting the kill from being stolen.

Cheetahs are native to Central Iran and Africa. Earlier, they were tamed and were used for hunting. It is said that Emperor Akbar kept a thousand trained cheetahs for hunting!

Humans view the golden and black stripes of a tiger with awe and terror. This ferocious animal is admired for its beauty, swift-yet-silent movements and the grace with which it catches its prey. The tiger is the biggest of all cats. It is a territorial hunter; a tiger marks its territory either by clawing on trees or with its faecal matter.

Tigers need plenty of space to thrive. They prey on many species of deer, antelope, wild pigs and porcupine. They are also known to kill animals as large as wild bulls and buffaloes. Tigers follow a strategy to hunt. They stalk their prey, sometimes for hours, and try to get as close as possible. At the right moment, they pounce on the prey from behind, biting the neck or throat. When the prey is dead, it is dragged to a safe place to be eaten. Tigers are brilliant swimmers; they catch fish and turtles as well.

There are six different species of tigers that live in a variety of habitats ranging from the forests of Southern Asia to mangrove swamps and snowy mountains.

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Perhaps, our first knowledge of lions comes from bedtime stories that feature the lion as the king of the forest. Let us however, now talk about lions outside these stories.

Lions hunt at night or early in the morning. Out of the forty species of cats around the world, only lions hunt in groups. They either stalk the prey like tigers do, or find a spot close to places like a waterhole. A lion fights the prey and brings it down before killing it. An adult lion eats around 18 kilograms of meat at a time. After a sumptuous meal, a lion can sleep up to 24 hours!

Lions generally live in grasslands and savannahs. Almost 90 per cent of the hunt is carried out by female lions. The male lions have the duty of patrolling their territory and protecting the group, known as a pride. A mature lion weighs up to 250 kilograms.

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