Fun Trivia » Animals » Carnivores » Felidae-Cat Family

The majestic tiger is recognizable for its black stripes, orange coat and white underside. It is the largest of all big cats, with some males reaching almost thirteen feet tall when standing on its back legs. Males typically weigh between two hundred and six hundred and sixty pounds. There is a noticeable size difference between males and females, with males being larger and heavier. Tigers can be found in countries such as India, Indochina and Sumatra and have lost over ninety percent of their historic range. They are on the Endangered Species list. Difficulty: Average.

 

Panther, Ocelot, Sand cat

I can't tell you why domestic cats might have inspired a Medieval hunting term (hopefully they weren't hunting them), but the ancient Egyptians did hunt with cats. Perhaps they even went hunting with a glare of cats, as well as a pack of dogs. There are murals of Egyptians hunting with cats that are even retrieving fish and waterfowl. The cats that the ancient Egyptians hunted with were domesticated from African wildcats. They were revered for their ability to kill pests that would otherwise eat the harvest. Difficulty: Average.

 

Medieval Europe, Purrformance, Persia

There was some debate whether to classify the bobcat as Lynx rufus or Felis rufus, but Lynx rufus won out. Although the cats resemble each other, there are differences. Their territories in North America overlap in places, but the lynx travels farther north than the bobcat and doesn't travel as far south as the bobcat. The lynx has noticeably longer legs than the bobcat, particularly its rear legs which cause its back to arch. It also has larger paws than the bobcat, a shorter tail, longer ear tufts, and its coat is usually grey as opposed to the bobcats' brown spotted coat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Darker, striped coat, Shorter ear tufts, Smaller paws

The Iriomote cat, a subspecies of the leopard cat, is found only on the tiny island of Iriomote, Japan. Since this is the only island where the species can be found, it has the distinction of having the smallest distribution of any wild cat species in the world. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea

The kodkod is a small wild cat (many domestic cats are bigger) of the Americas. It is often called the guiña, which translates to 'witchcraft' or 'bad luck'. Difficulty: Average.

 

Guinea, Guyana, Gonna

The beautiful jaguar is the world's third largest cat after the lion and the tiger. Its home range extends from the southern parts of Mexico all the way down to northern areas of Argentina. It prefers the rainforest regions, but is adaptable and has been seen in lightly forested areas as well as open terrain. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Africa and Asia, South America and Africa, Asia and Europe

A lynx's eyes are very reflective and luminescent. They are mostly active at night, and the reflectors in their eyes, along with expanding irises, allow them to hunt prey more effectively. The lynx can also be a symbol for sight and some have even said that they can see through objects. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Fur, Nose, Teeth

Lions live in prides and usually hunt in groups with the females doing most of the hunting. Cubs learn to hunt along with the adults around a year old. Lions will hunt either day or night but usually rest for up to 20 hours a day. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Tiger, Lynx, Cheetah

The Geoffroy's cat lives from Chile to Argentina and is named after the French naturalist Geoffroy St. Hilaire. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Africa, Asia, Europe

The range of the ocelot extends into Central America and the southern USA, but the vast majority live in South America. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Africa, Asia, Europe

Its short legs, elongated face and body make it look like a weasel. Difficulty: Hard.

 

a jaguar, a dog, a badger

The serval's large ears are most unusual. The ears are large and broad at the base. They rise to a point. (WildLife Fact File) Difficulty: Hard.

 

Spotted coat, The tail, Large eyes

The cheetah weighs approximately 100 to 130lbs. Cheetahs vary in weight and the males are somewhat larger than the female. (The Spotted Sphynx by Joy Adamson) Difficulty: Hard.

 

160 - 190lbs, 60 - 75lbs, 200 - 400 lbs

They were named after Lyncaeus, the sharp-eyed pilot on Jason's ship, the Argos. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Roman mythology, the last name of the person who discovered them, unknown

Lions and tigers are physically so similar, they can cross-breed, but their territories don't cross in the wild. They have been bred in zoos, though. Difficulty: Hard.

 

leopard, cheetah, jaguar

The Ragdoll is an affectionate and docile breed of cat who was named for its propensity to relax when picked up. They are compared to dogs in terms of behaviour because they follow their owners around and are not aggressive toward other pets. They also tolerate handling very well. This breed was developed by Ann Baker in the 1960s. Her white domestic longhaired cat named Josephine had a litter of kittens with a Birman like male cat. The kittens were docile and affectionate and so Baker knew she was on to something. This type of cat was selectively bred to get the traits of its large size and particular coloration (pale body with darker extremities.) Difficulty: Hard.

 

Birman, Scottish fold, Chartreux

The etymologists surmise that the meaning of 'light and brightness' was used as a reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes. Difficulty: Hard.

 

sleek, smooth, fierce, violent, hidden, secret

Adult bobcats are bigger than the average domestic cat, even Maine coon cats (although not by much). Sources vary on the exact sizes, but an adult bobcat weighs between 11 to 30 lbs, with females weighing less than males. They stand a little less than two feet tall on average. Domestic cats average between six and ten lbs and have a height of less than a foot. Cougars are larger than bobcats, with an adult cougar weighing an average of 100 to 200 lbs and reaching a height of two to three feet. Difficulty: Average.

 

The same height as an average domestic cat, The same height as an adult cougar, Twice as tall as an adult cougar

Brazil might be huge, but the kodkod's habitat does not typically reach that far. The majority of the kodkod's range is in southern Chile, which is why it is often called the "Chilean cat". Its habitat also extends into Argentina a little ways, but for the most part the kodkod lives in Chile. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Ecuador, Guyana, Brazil

The jaguar is a solitary hunter who prefers a stalk and ambush style of hunting. Many of its habits are similar to the tiger, both of which are apex predators, meaning that they are at the top of the food chain. The jaguar is known to hunt many kinds of large animals including caimans, tapirs, deer and anacondas. Its opportunistic nature means it will also eat turtles, fish, mice and birds. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

It will eat only one type of animal, It does not hunt but rather scavenges the kills of others, It hunts only at night

According to Theophrastus, the best lyngurium came from wild male lynx and the stone possessed unusual power. It was thanks to Theophrastus that this myth was passed down through the Middle Ages. Another name for the lynx-stone is Lapis lyncurius, and the stone Theophrastus described could be amber or tourmaline. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Hair, Saliva, Teeth

Cheetahs are found in Africa and in the Middle East. The heaviest populations are in the southern African grasslands and prairies. It is the fastest land animal and can reach speeds of 70mph or more. Cheetahs primarily hunt smaller mammals like gazelles and impalas but have been known to go after larger animals like wildebeests when advantageous. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Caracal, Hyena, Jaguar

It has a big range, from the Middle East to most of Asia. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Persia, Greece, India

Although it is well known for climbing trees, the ocelot has a wide range of habitats. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Forest, Swamp, Grassland

Claws that don't retract give the cheetah more traction on the ground. More traction means more speed, and the cheetah is built for speed. Difficulty: Easy.

 

It is hard for the cheetah to extend its claws at the right moment, It scares away other predators, It's handy for fighting

Its elongated cattish face and weasel-like appearance also make it look like an otter. Difficulty: Hard.

 

"dog cat", "small jaguar", "vole cat"

This species has never been studied in the wild. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Kodkod, Margay, Puma

A serval can weigh anywhere between 20 and 40lbs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

60 - 80lbs., 10 - 15lbs., 120 - 140lbs.

Cheetahs make a chirping sound. The sound is something like bird calls. When in distress, the cheetah will make a Warbler call. (Pippa's Challenge by Joy Adamson) Difficulty: Hard.

 

Chipping sounds, Buzzing sounds, They sound like people

The female matures in 21 months and the male matures in 33 months. Difficulty: Hard.

Cougar habitat ranges from the Yukon territory of Northern Canada to the southern Andes. It has many names including catamount, puma, mountain lion, panther and painter. The variety of names is because of the vastness of its range. It is a secretive, solitary and typically nocturnal animal and acts as an ambush predator. Adult cougars stand as tall as thirty five inches at the shoulder and adult males can be almost eight feet long from nose to tip. This agile, slender cat is also a fantastic jumper, being able to jump up to eighteen feet high. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Margay, Lynx, Jaguar

Bobcats are very adaptable and live in a variety of habitats including forests, swamps and deserts. They are found throughout the U.S. although most sources state that they aren't found in areas of the Midwest such as northern Illinois and Indiana and southern Michigan (although there have been sightings in those regions). But while bobcats are found in southern Canada, they don't venture as far north as the arctic regions. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Southwest U.S., U.S. Gulf states, U.S. Atlantic coast

If there are less than 250 animals left in the wild, the number is declining, and consists of a single subpopulation, that animal becomes "critically endangered". Unfortunately for the Iriomote cat, it fits the bill, as it is constantly on the decline.

When the status was given, the Iriomote cat still lived in the wild, and therefore was not considered "extinct in the wild" (which means there are only animals in captivity of the species, and have no wild populations). Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Extinct in the Wild, Vulnerable, Near Threatened

The kodkod actually is most prevalent in southern Chile because of the lack of larger predators that would compete with the kodkod for food, or otherwise eat the kodkod itself. In fact, one of the biggest issues in the decline of the kodkod is the diminishing food source. As a kodkod's prey decreases in population, the kodkod's food source is therefore reduced. Without the main prey of the kodkod in the region, it has nothing to eat!

Logging also has a great impact on the kodkod's declining rate, due to its habitat being destroyed. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Hurricanes wiped out entire populations, Trees are being cut down, destroying kodkod homes, Puma populations increase, and kodkods are easy prey

The word jaguar comes from the Tupi language and means "beast that kills its prey with a single bound". The word was brought to Europe by Portuguese explorers at the beginning of the 17th century. The name comes from the fact that the jaguar rarely chases. It simply waits in ambush for something edible to walk by and in one long or short leap, it pounces on the surprised prey animal. Unlike the lion, cheetah, or leopard, there are no hyenas around to try and steal their kill. Difficulty: Hard.

 

He that stalks at night, Snake eating cat, Jungle ghost

The Iberian lynx is native to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Though it was once considered to be a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx, it is now considered to be its own species. The Iberian lynx was considered critically endangered until 2014, when its status was changed to endangered. Conservation efforts, like habitat conservation, maintenance of their food supply, and reintroduction have been effective in increasing the Iberian lynx population. Difficulty: Average.

 

Bobcat, Eurasian lynx, Canada lynx

It is an unusual feline about half the size of a large domestic cat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

jaguar, ocelot, puma

Puma concolor is the scientific name for the puma; Pardofelis marmorata for the marbled cat; and Felis wiedi for the margay. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Felis wiedi, Puma concolor, Pardofelis marmorata

Jaguarundis aren't being poached because they aren't very commercially valuable, though they do sometimes get caught in traps set for more commercially valuable animals.
Pollution of course affects them a little (doesn't it affect everybody?), but isn't their main problem.
Jaguarundis are very good at staying away from humans, so therefore they don't usually cross the road. Difficulty: Hard.

 

poaching, pollution, getting hit by cars

This little cat is making a comeback now that there are strict hunting regulations. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Snow Leopard, Jaguar, Puma