IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Emmons, L.H. | |
| Cat Family (Felidae) | |
| 1997 Book Chapter | |
Dental formula: 13/3, C1/1, P2 or 3/2, M1/1 = 28-30. Four weight-bearing toes on all feet and a fifth, non-weight-bearing claw on the forefoot (the first digit); forefeet with retractile claws (except in cheetahs). Cats have teeth that are highly specialized for killing and man-eating, and their sharp, retractile claws and strong shoulders allow them to single-handedly grasp and drag down large prey, which they kill either by a powerful bite to the head or neck or by throttling with a bite to the throat or muzzle, but most species eat small prey. Cats see and hear well; their vision is binocular, and they see colors. They are purely carnivorous. Cats are major predators in tropical rainforests worldwide. Most species are solitary hunters that capture their prey by surprise, either by stealthy approach or by patient waiting in ambush, followed by a short charge or pounce. They prey on almost anything they encounter that is not too large, including mammals, birds, snakes, turtles, caiman, fish, and even large insects. Some are territorial; others appear to share their home ranges but avoid an area where another cat is hunting. They communicate their presence to each other with marking their behavior that includes spraying urine, scratching the ground and trees, and leaving their scats in prominent places. The Neotropical cats scratch fallen logs, and logs with scratch ,arks can be been wherever cats are common. The litter size is about one to four. The kittens are sheltered in a den and raised by the mother alone, who brings them prey as they are weaned. Mothers must leave their young and hunt for many hours to find food; healthy kittens found alone have not been abandoned and should not be touched. Cats can be active at any time of the day or night, but rainforest species are most active nocturnally; the best time to see them is after nightfall, when they walk on trails and their bright eye-shine makes them visible. There are about 35 species in 4 genera worldwide, with genera and 6 species in Neotropical rainforest. There is entrenched disagreement about the classification of cat genera: the 28 species of felis are sometimes divided into as many as 8 genera. |
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