Leopard | Panthera pardus

Binomial name: Panthera pardus
Common name: Leopard

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Panthera
Species:	P. pardus

Salient Features:

Length – 0.9 to 1.9 m

Height – 43 to 79 cm

Weight – 25 to 90 Kg

Gestation Period – 90 to 112 days

Longevity – 12 years, 20 in captivity

Description: Leopards have a wide geographic range and habitat tolerance as compared to any of the big cats. They are one of the most adaptable cats and can exist almost anywhere i.e., it can find enough food and cover for itself. They live in all types of habitats like forests, woodlands, swamps, savannahs and rocky mountains. This big cat is an opportunistic hunter and they will eat just about everything. Monkeys, reptiles, rodents, amphibians, birds, wild pigs, fish and ungulates form the main diet of Leopards. They are skilled enough to carry animals that are twice their body weight. Furthermore, when it kills a prey, it carries them up onto the trees to eat it and also, in fear of the other big cats.

Status: Cheetah’s IUCN status is ‘endangered’.

Cheetah | Acinonyx jubatus

Labels: Indian Cheetah, Big Cat

Binomial name: Acinonyx jubatus
Common name: Cheetah

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Subfamily:	Felinae
Genus:	Acinonyx
Species:	A. jubatus

Salient Features:

Length – 1.1 to 1.5 m

Height – 2.3 to 2.8 ft

Weight – 39 to 65 Kg

Gestation Period – 91 to 95 days

Longevity – 12 years, 17 in captivity

Description: Cheetahs are the fastest animal on land. They can reach up to 72 Km/hr in merely 2 seconds and have a top speed of 113 Km/hr. Their notably flexible spine and slim bodyline facilitates in running so swiftly. Cheetah’s enlarged nasal passages, heart and lungs make up for the essential increased air intake after sprinting. They feed on small to medium sized animals like hares, calves, gazelles, etc. A Cheetah needs almost half an hour to hold its breath after chasing a prey, to eat. However, if they do not succeed in grasping their target, they must quit, otherwise it can be fatal for them as their body temperature rises to almost 40.6°C (105°F). Females usually bear 3 to 5 cubs in a litter. The cubs stay with their mother till they are 12 to 20 months old.

Status: Cheetah is extinct in India, the last having been shot in 1951. Their IUCN status shows them as endangered.