No Cats in our Dog Household
Jeez Traci! Here we go again. Not a very easy obvious blog today. Today's BloPoMo prompt is all about Caturday. And seriously, I have nothing against this. On the contrary. Caturday is a wonderfully cute initiative, and especially great if you have cats. But in our dog household, there are no cats. And although I find cats very fascinating, I haven't taken very many pictures of cats.
To properly participate in the #HiveBloPoMo, I decided to dive into my photo collection and broaden Caturday a bit. Finally, there are also larger cats to be found, and through my visits to zoos I have photographed quite a few felines over the years.
The Lynx
Let's start with the Lynx. Doesn't this look cute too? A Lynx is a medium-sized predator. And it should occur in parts of Europe, in fact, I heard a while ago in a news report that wild Lynxes have been spotted in the Netherlands. Whether this can go well in a country that is as densely populated as the Netherlands, I seriously wonder, but personally the Lynx can be 'at home' here.
Now you should know that there is not just 1 Lynx, there are 4 types of it. You have a Eurasian Lynx, a Canadian Lynx, the Iberian Lynx and the Red Lynx, the latter species is also called the Bobcat. The most characteristic thing about the Lynx is of course those feathers on its ears. As a result, you immediately know that you are looking at a Lynx. What those plumes do? They help the Lynx to hear better and improve its field of vision!
Lynxes are not the most social cats out there, they are solitary, and their habitat can be "HUGE". It can vary between 10 and 400 square kilometers. The reason why there can be such a difference has everything to do with the availability of prey, and the population density also plays a role in this. Speaking of prey, Lynxes are great hunters just like any big cat. Lynxes prey mainly on the small to medium sized mammals. Hmmm, of course I understand that a Lynx has to live too, and that you can't just bring them a bowl of cat food. But somewhere in my sensitive heart I don't like the idea that a Lynx comes to chase the deer here in the woods. Although I must immediately admit that I would rather see a Lynx hunt them to survive themselves, if a hunter comes to shoot them for 'fun'. And that unfortunately happens far too often here.
As with many animals at the moment, there is also a species of Lynx threatened with extinction. And that is the Iberian Lynx. In fact, it is the most endangered feline species in the world. ouch! Hopefully the hard work of many zoos will be rewarded and this species can be saved. Yes, you read that right. Many people are against zoos because it is pathetic to keep animals in captivity. If you fall into that category, scratch your head because it is precisely because of the zoos and their breeding programs that some animal species are still alive. Zoos keep their animals in captivity yes, it is unnatural for the animals, yes it is. But what better alternative, keeping an animal in captivity with a CHANCE of survival of the species through special breeding programs and subsequent rehabilitation programs that bring them back into the wild, or the total extinction of this species? The reason for the extinction of many animals is really due to: Man! And that is something that many people should think much more about. Humans are, in fact, the greatest threat to animals and nature. Lynxes don't, they help regulate prey populations and they help maintain biodiversity.
The Clouded Leopard
The next feline I want to show you today is the Clouded Leopard. This animal is aptly nicknamed "Woodleopard" and is mainly found in the mountains of Central and Southeast Asia. But don't hesitate to book a trip to photograph this animal in its natural habitat, because once again humans are a major problem for the survival of this animal. Due to human actions, this animal is losing more and more of their habitat and poaching is also a major threat to their survival.
It is estimated that there are only about 6,500 Clouded Leopards left in the wild. This feline is also solitary, and because they live at such high altitudes and in remote areas, they are normally rarely seen. It is perhaps the best climber of all cats and can even move completely vertically along trees and rock walls.
Clouded leopards are not small cats, they can grow up to 1.3 meters long and their tail counts no less than 80 centimeters. It will become clear that you cannot handle them without gloves and if you know that their diet consists mainly of mountain goats and some other small animals. They need strong jaws for that!
Of all the BIG cats, clouded leopards are the most unique in something they CANNOT do, while all other big cats can. A Clouded Leopard cannot roar! His hyoid bone is made entirely of bone. And that is a big difference with all other BIG cats, which have a hyoid bone that consists only partly of bone. However, this difference means that the Clouded Leopard can purr just like your house cat. And that purring is something that the other big cats cannot do. You almost want to bring the Clouded Leopard into your home, right?
A fun fact is that in some cultures the Clouded Leopard is seen as a symbol of strength and protection. It is a pity that these beautiful cats are also threatened with extinction.
For the third picture, we jump straight to the next big cat. And for many people I think the most beloved of the big cats.
The Tiger
What else should I tell you about Tigers that you didn't already know? I think there is not much to tell about these beautiful unique majestic animals. It goes without saying that I find them beautiful.
They are the largest cats on this planet. And of all the different subspecies that still exist, the Siberian Tiger is the largest. I don't think you take a 300 kilo kitten on your lap that quickly.
The fact that Tigers are really good swimmers also makes them quite unique among all cats. Tigers also live a solitary life, but they are also very territorial. Fortunately for the Tiger, their habitat is smaller than that of a Lynx, for example. Where a Lynx can have a habitat of 400 square kilometers, the male Tiger is satisfied with a maximum of around 100 square kilometers. Which, incidentally, is still very large.
And yes, unfortunately, the tiger is also threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction and poaching. This applies even more to the Tiger than to the Clouded Leopard. It is estimated that we now have less than 4000 Tigers in the wild in this world.
White Tiger
Of those less than 4000 Tigers in the wild, about 200 are White Tigers. Oops, so little? Uhm yes, so little! The White Tiger is not a separate subspecies of the Tiger, but usually a rare Bengal Tiger with a special color form as a result of a genetic mutation that suppresses the formation of pigment.
The Lion
For today's last Caturday photo, I wanted to show you this cute young male lion. The king of the jungle, of course. And also about lions I can't tell you much that you didn't already know, but some thorough research on the internet gave me some information to tell about without having to fall back on the most general facts. Or just write about how beautiful I think these big cats are.
So, did you know that lions can produce as much noise as a fighter jet taking off when they roar? Yes, serious! They can produce 114 decibels when they roar, the loudest of any big cat. The Clouded Leopard will be very jealous of this art, he can't even roar, though the lion might be jealous again that the Clouded Leopard can purr and he can't. You never know huh!
The mane of a male lion is very important. The darker and longer a male's mane is, the more interesting the females find him, and the higher he can rank in the pack. Fortunately for lions, the hairs on their manes have a longer growth cycle than our hairs. Where our hairs can grow for a maximum of about 7 years before they fall out and make way for new hairs, this takes about 8 years for the lion. You could almost get jealous of it.
And what is perhaps known to everyone is that lions actually have a fairly traditional division of roles in the pride. The women and older children provide the food, and the men protect the troop. Well, the way in which the food has to be arranged there differs somewhat from what we are used to. A lion does not just walk into the supermarket to do some shopping, on the contrary. Hunting is hard work! However, the idea is still the same. The woman fills the man's stomach.
Sometimes if you look a little further, and think a little deeper, you can find quite recognizable patterns within the animal world. And with these words I conclude my Caturday and the eighth day of the #HiveBloPoMo!