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BIG CATS

Believe it or not, tigers, jaguars and leopards are all giant cats (and not only Macintosh operating systems). Elizabeth, age 12, wanted to learn more about thses giant meat-eating kitties, so we went online for our own big cat fact hunt.

Big cat or small cat -- What's the difference? At http://www.lairweb.org.nz/tiger/big.html, you can learn that there are three differences, or traits, between your pet cat and a big cat. The first is the eyes. Small cats have slits for the pupils, and big cats have round pupils like ours. The second is the way they eat -- big cats tend to eat lying down, while house cats stand up. Finally, big cats can roar, while little cats can purr.

Which is bigger, a lion or a tiger? At http://www.africapoint.net/general/lion-plus-tiger-equals-to-liger, you'll learn that while the Siberian Tiger is the largest big cat (bigger than a lion), there is still a bigger cat out there. It happens when you cross a father lion and a mother tiger. Their baby - called a "liger", looks like a lion, but has faint stripes.

Is it easy being a tiger? Visit http://www.kidsfortigers.org/savingtigers/threattotigers.php and you learn that the answer is no. A lot of people want to hunt you for your beautiful fur. In Asia, where tigers live, people are cutting down trees and putting up factories. Because tigers need lots of space to live and for the chance to meet other tigers, they are decreasing in numbers. At http://www.worldwildlife.org/fun/quizzes/tigers/ you can test your knowledge on tiger conservation.

How many wild tigers are there in Africa? Visit http://www.tigerfdn.com/home/world.html and you learn that the answer is zero! In the United States and Africa, the only tigers are in zoos. In Africa you can find lions, leopards and cheetahs in the wild. Tigers are strictly Asian cats.
Who can see better -- a big cat or a human? According to http://www.cathealth.com/CatEyes.htm, the eye of a cat can perform eight times better in low light than ours. They have more light-collecting receptors, or cones, than we do. And as the light decreases, cats begin to rely on their whskers for feeling their way around.

Which cat is the fastest? Find out at http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/04/13/cheetah.race/index.html. If a cheetah were running on a freeway, it could get a speeding ticket. That's because it can reach a top speed of 70mph. Last year, a conservation group in Africa sponsored a race between the fastest human and a cheetah. The winner? The cheetah.

Hey Teachers! This column is available as an 8 1/2 x 11-inch handout, in PDF form.

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