Big Cats Fur

 

Time for a bit more about big cats as in their fur, their claws and tongue.

These big cats are covered in fur to protect them in all kinds of weather.  More importantly, is the pattern of the fur as it can help them camouflage in some case it can make them near invisible.

The snow leopard has long woolly fur, which is longer then on its belly, this is to give it extra protection as that part of the body closest to the snow-covered ground.  Cats in warmer areas have short, bristly fur.

A cat’s coat is like its surroundings, the base cover of the fur is like its habitat. The lion’s fur is yellow/brown, so it matches the colour of the savannah grasslands, the stripes on the tiger’s coat make it difficult to spot among the tall grasses.  The spotted coat of the leopard helps it blend with the patchy sunlight of the forest.

Now let’s look at their claws, these are super important for hunting, their claws stay covered in their paws, this keeps them safe and sharp, except for the cheetah.   Their claws help them climb trees as well as being handy while attacking a prey or defending themselves.

The tongue of big car is much rougher than that of a domestic cat, the surface is covered in tiny black hooks which help them with cleaning and combing their coats. As well helping them strip the flesh of the bone of their food.

Long fur is not just to protect against the cold, the black footed cat and sand cat both have fur coving their feet and pads, both cats live in desert areas and the fur protects against the heat of the ground.  

A cheetah’s coat has dark spots like dalmatians.

A tiger’s coat has black stripes

A leopard’s coat has circular ring like spots

A lion’s coat has no spots or stripes, though cubs may have spots that fade away as they age

 A jaguar’s coat has similar rings as a leopard, although the outlines may be irregular.