Tuesday 30 July 2024

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.

 

 

 

17 comments:

  1. Nature is so diverse and interesting! :)

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  2. I can understand why cats' claws help them climb trees because falling from a great height could be damaging. But tearing the prey apart with sharp claws seems so painful that the cats must treasure their best attacking and defensive tools.


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    1. Hell very painful you would think but what do I know, oh I know I don't want to meet one in a dark ally or anywhere else for that matter

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  3. Claws and teeth are a must for them to eat. I can't look at big cats killing animals to eat, or can I watch them eat. That's just me, and my father was the same.

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  4. Fascinating creatures, those "kitties".

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  5. All unique and so well-suited for their environments. I enjoyed this, Jo-Anne. Blessings!

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  6. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing this with me. I bet that James would like a book about all of these animals that you share with us.

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    1. You're welcome I am learning more as I do these posts, the book is really interesting.

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  7. The long hair on the snow leopard's belly makes sense. Wonder what that means for Misty's butt...

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