Page 18 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

BUILT TO KILL
Cats have been transformed into skilful hunters by
millions of years of evolution
Cat anatomy is pure predator. Their hearing can
pinpoint the position of scampering prey to within
inches, be it a miniscule mouse or a wandering
wildebeest. Cat eyes are fine-tuned to notice minute
movements in their surroundings, even in low light.
Felines also have sharp teeth that inflict intense
pressure and curved claws designed to tear flesh.
Despite having all of these weapons at their disposal,
members of this subfamily don’t pick fights –
Pantherinae cats are ambush predators. A cat stalks
its prey, waiting patiently for the right moment to
strike. Some species even cut out the chase altogether
and scavenge a great deal of what they eat from
other carnivores.
Pantherinae species have muscular jaws to help
their sharp teeth penetrate prey. Jaguars in particular
have a seriously strong bite compared to their overall
body size. Their jaw bones are short, maximising the
leverage of every chomp, and their mandibles are
more muscular than any other big cat. Jaguars use
their powerful jaws to tackle alligator-like caiman in the
rivers of the Amazon rainforest. The cat either leaps
from the bank or swims up behind the crocodilian
before sinking its teeth into its tough hide.
Cats walk on the very tips of their toes, making them
sure-footed yet light on their feet. Dogs walk on the
balls of their feet, which allows speed but without the
same control. Skeletal adaptations make cats excellent
runners over short distances, enabling them to charge
at unsuspecting prey or dart away from danger.
Survival is the name of the game, and a few seconds
of lost vigilance can make the difference between life
and death. Even if a big cat is asleep, it can be up and
running very quickly. The instinct to survive at all costs
Snow leopards have enormous
paws to spread their weight
when walking on ice
SNOW LEOPARD
Panthera uncia
Lifespan 15 to 18 years
Adult weight Up to 31kg
(70lbs)
Conservation status
VULNERABLE
© Getty
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is drilled into animals of the Pantherinae family, and
they will fight to the death if cornered.
Most big cats are crepuscular, meaning that they
are most active at dawn and dusk, and sticking to
this schedule allows the predators to hunt in twilight
when their prey is vulnerable. During evolution, their
eyes became highly efficient in the dark: the pupil
dilates in low light, letting in as much light as possible,
and the light travels through the eye to the retina at
the rear. Here is a layer of opalescent crystals called
the tapetum lucidum. When light hits this reflective
structure, it bounces around within the eye and has
another chance to hit the retina. The more light that
reaches the back wall of the eye, the better the animal
can see. This is why cat eyes glow so brightly in
response to a camera flash. Some Pantherinae species
have night vision six-times better than a human.
Animals within the genus Panthera are good
climbers. Lions, tigers and jaguars all make their way to
the treetops to rest in peace and to get an aerial view
of their hunting grounds, while leopards are masters
of clambering up trees and even take their prey with
them. There is a lot of competition on the African
savannah, and these clever cats sequester themselves
up high to ensure the safety of their kill.
While dogs rely on sniffing out their prey, wild cats
don’t use their sense of smell for hunting. Tigers don’t
use their nose at all when on the prowl, instead falling
back on their incredible eyesight and hearing. Cat
sense of smell is keen, but is used most often to gain
information about other predators in the area. Wild
cats that use every sense to ensure their survival make
the entire species stronger, thus securing cats as kings
among carnivores.
“Most big cats are
crepuscular, meaning that
they are most active at
dawn and dusk”
© Getty
A jaguar emerges from the water, seconds from striking a caiman © Getty