A Feline Festival Trivia Quiz

Answer: Siberian tiger

Though classified in the past as a subspecies with the name of Panthera tigris altaica, the Siberian tiger is a population of Panthera tigris tigris. As its common name suggests, this magnificent animal lives in the Russian Far East, as well as parts of Northern China; however, in the past it was also commonly found in the Korean Peninsula. Poaching and habitat loss have driven down the numbers of Siberian tigers, and it is estimated that around 800 individuals are left in the wild.

Tigers are on average larger than lions, and Siberian tigers tend to grow larger than other populations as a form of adaptation to a colder climate. In the wild, a male Siberian tiger has an average weight of about 176.4 kg (389 lb) and body length of 195 cm (77 in). A wild Siberian male killed in 1943 was reportedly 3.5 m (140 in) long, and weighed 300 kg (660 lb). There is, however, a record of a specimen captured in 2019 that weighed 384.09 kg (846.8 lb). In addition, the Guinness Book of Records mentions a captive Siberian male named Jaipur that, at the age of nine (1986), was 3.32 m (10 ft 11in) long and weighed 423 kg (932 lbs).

Answer: rusty-spotted cat

Though not all sources agree on the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) being the smallest member of the cat family, this native of the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka) is definitely a tiny creature. It is Asia's smallest feline species, rivalled only by Africa's smallest wild cat, the black-footed cat (Felis nigripes), in terms of diminutive size. The rusty-spotted cat grows to a length of 35 to 48 cm (14 to 19 in), with a maximum weight under 2 kg (4.4 lb) - both shorter and much lighter than the average domestic cat. As its common name suggests, this wild cat has short, reddish-grey fur with darker, rust-coloured spots.

The rusty-spotted cat occurs in much of India and Sri Lanka, favouring forest habitats with dense vegetation. Classified by IUCN as Near Threatened (2014), it enjoys protected status: however, its numbers are decreasing, impacted by habitat loss due to human activity, as well as illegal hunting.

Answer: snow leopard

The name ounce for the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) has nothing to do with the unit of weight, but is derived from the Old French word "once", which originally denoted the Eurasian lynx. This magnificent wild cat (called "irbis" in Russian) is the smallest member of the genus Panthera, to which lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards also belong. As its common name suggests, the snow leopard is a denizen of the high mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Not surprisingly, it is adapted to life in a cold climate and at high elevation: it has thick, whitish-grey fur with black spots and rosettes, small, rounded ears, broad paws, and an exceptionally long, thick tail that the cat uses as a sort of blanket to protect its face.

The snow leopard is classified by IUCN as Vulnerable (2016), as its numbers are decreasing across its range due to poaching, habitat loss and the effects of climate change. This beautiful animal is a powerful cultural symbol for the peoples of Central Asia, and appears on the emblems of various cities and states of that region - including the coat of arms of Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan.

Answer: cheetah

The sixth-largest species of wild cat, as well as the fastest land animal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is built for speed - which accounts for some characteristics that differ from those of other cats. The most remarkable of these unique features are a streamlined body, reminiscent of a greyhound, unusually long, slim legs, and partly retractable claws lacking a protective sheath. These claws, which are shorter and blunter than those of other felines, provide traction and grip while running, and help the animal achieve the stunning acceleration for which it is known. The cheetah's generic name, Acinonyx, means "motionless claw" in Greek. Like cougars and smaller cat species, cheetahs cannot roar, but have a wide range of vocalizations.

Classified by IUCN as Vulnerable (2021), the cheetah occurs in most parts of Africa (including mountains in the Sahara Desert), though its range has severely dwindled since the late 19th century, and populations are fragmented. Once common in Western, Central and South Asia, now it is only found in Asia in the central deserts of Iran.

Answer: jaguar

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the only member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. The third-largest wild cat, it can grow as long as 1.85 m (6.1 ft), and as heavy as 158 kg (348 lb). Compared to the leopard, which it resembles, the jaguar has a stockier body, a shorter tail and a somewhat darker coat with larger rosettes with a spot in the middle. The black (melanistic) variation of the coat of both jaguars and leopards is often found in individuals that inhabit dense rainforests, where the dark colouration provides extra camouflage.

Once found in much of the southwestern US, as well as Central America and most of South America, the jaguar (classified by IUCN as Near Threatened in 2016) has dwindled in much of its historic range, due to poaching and habitat loss. The bite force of the jaguar's powerful jaws is the third-strongest of any wild cat: jaguars kill their prey by biting through the skull through the ears. These beautiful cats - a major cultural symbol in Mesoamerican civilizations - also love swimming and playing in water.

Answer: Asiatic lion

Once lions ranged over much of Western Asia, as well as Pakistan and central India. However, by the end of the 19th century they had gone extinct in Turkey, Mesopotamia and Saudi Arabia, and by the early 20th century they had died out in other parts of their range. Though here are records of lion sightings in various parts of Iran as late as the 1940s, by the mid-20th century Asiatic lions were restricted to a small area of the western Indian state of Gujarat - in particular Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, which was declared a sanctuary for lion conservation in 1965. The good news is that this small population of Asiatic lions has been steadily increasing, and by 2025 it counted almost 900 individuals.

The Asiatic lion is a population of the subspecies Panthera leo leo (also known as the northern lion) which is also present in West and Central Africa, and also included the extinct Barbary lion. On average, Asiatic lions are smaller than African ones, especially those from East and Southern Africa (Panthera leo melanochaita). Males also have relatively sparse manes that leave their ears uncovered.

Answer: ocelot

The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a native of the Americas, where it is found as far north as the southwestern US (namely southern Texas, where only a few individuals survive). It occurs in various types of forest habitats, preferably close to water sources and away from both humans and other predators. The ocelot (whose name comes from Nahuatl) is a slender, medium-sized cat that can grow up to 50 cm (20 in) in height and 15.5 kg (34 lb) in weight. Its fur is marked with elaborate black markings on a pale-coloured background: each individual is distinguished by a unique colour pattern.

The ocelot is listed by IUCN as Least Concern (2014), as its numbers have rebounded since prohibitions on the trade of ocelot skins (as well as those belonging to other spotted cats) were implemented in the early 1980s. However, these beautiful animals are still threatened by habitat loss and human activity - including the illegal pet trade.

Answer: cougar

Unlike their relatives of the subfamily Pantherinae, the members of the subfamily Felinae have a fully ossified hyoid bone, which allows them to purr but not to roar. They are also known as small cats, even though - especially in the case of the cougar (Puma concolor) - this may well be a misnomer. In fact, this native of the Americas is the fourth-largest of all wild cat species - on average larger than the leopard, which belongs to the genus Panthera. Adult males can reach a length of 2.75 m (9 ft) from nose to tail tip, and weigh up to 72 kg (159 lb), while females are generally smaller. Cougars are slender but powerful animals, with a solid tawny coat.

The cougar (which is also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther) is found in western North America and most of Central America and South America. It is the only member of its genus, and has two subspecies, Puma concolor concolor (South America) and Puma concolor couguar (North and Central America). The only isolated population in eastern North America is known as Florida panther, and is found in south Florida (including Everglades National Park).

Answer: leopard

The fifth-largest member of the cat family, the leopard (Panthera pardus) has eight living subspecies. The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), the nominate subspecies, is also the most widespread, found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. The Indian leopard (P. p. fusca) occurs in the Indian subcontinent and nearby Myanmar, as well as southern Tibet (part of China). The critically endangered Indochinese leopard (P. p. delacouri) is found in southern China and parts of mainland Southeast Asia, while the Javan leopard (P. p. melas) is endemic to the island of Java, Indonesia. The Sri Lanka leopard (P. p. kotiya) is also endemic to the island that lies south of India.

Two subspecies of leopard occur in Western Asia: the Arabian leopard (P. p. nimry), the smallest subspecies, endemic to the Arabian peninsula, and the Persian leopard (P. p. tulliana) - which, conversely, is the largest - found mainly in the Iranian Plateau and parts of Anatolia. Finally, the northernmost leopard subspecies, the Amur leopard (P. p. orientalis), is native to the Russian Far East and northern China, and is sympatric (i.e. it inhabits the same geographical area) with the Siberian tiger.

Answer: Eurasian lynx

Of the four extant species in the genus Lynx, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is by far the largest, with males reaching shoulder heights of up to 75 cm (30 in) and weights of up to 32 kg (71 lb). This wild cat occurs in forested areas of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, Central and East Asia, with populations also found in the Himalayan region, the Caucasus and the mountains of Turkey and Iran. The Eurasian lynx's six recognized subspecies reflect this geographical distribution. The largest specimens are found in Russia, particularly Siberia.

Though differing in size and habitat, lynxes share a number of distinctive features - including ears tipped by tufts of black fur, a short tail and a neck ruff. Being a denizen of colder regions, the Eurasian lynx has particularly large paws, padded and webbed, that enable the cat to walk on snow. The name lynx, of Greek origin, is derived by an Indo-European root meaning "light", which refers to this animal's light-reflecting eyes and ability to see in the dark.