WILD ANIMALS

THE WOLF IS A SHY ANIMAL AND TRYS TO KEEP CLEAR OF MAN THEY LIVE MOSTLY IN NORTH AMERICA CANADA, AND ALASKA. THEY ARE ABOUT 30 INCHES IN HIEGHT FORM THE SHOULDER. WOLVES HOWL IN LOUD MOURNFUL TONES THAT SOUND SINISTER, ACTUALLY, THEIR HOWLS INDICATE LIVELY INTEREST, AND VIGOUR, RATHER THAN SADNESS OR DISPAIR.WOLVES GENERALY HUNT IN PACKS, TRACKING THEIR PREY FOR MILES, UNTILL IT BECOMES EXHAUSTED AND THEN CAN BE EASILY KLILLED.

THIS BIG SPOTTED CAT IS ONE OF THE FASTEST LAND ANIMALS,ITS ABLE TO RUN AT A SPEED OF 45MILES AN HOUR, FOUND IN THE GRASS LANDS OF AFRICA AND SOUTHERN ASIA. THE LONG LEGGED CHEETAH CAN BE TRAINED FOR HUNTING, AND IS. THEREFORE KNOWN AS THE HUNTING LEOPARD.IT IS THE ONLY CAT THAT DOSE NOT RETRACT ITS CLAWS.

THIS IS THE LARGEST MEMBER OF THE CAT FAMILY KNOWN AS THE KING OF THE BEASTS. HE LOOKS THE PART, IN HIS SIZE, DIGNIFIED AND NOBLE FACE, AND LONG STATELY MANE.UNLIKE THE OTHER BIG CATS THE LION HAS A COMPARTATIVELY FRIENDLY DISPOSITION, LOVES COMPANY AND MOVES ABOUT IN GROUPS OF 5 OR 6. LIONS KILL ONLY WHEN THEY ARE HUNGRY, NEVER NEEDLESSLY. THEY SHARE THEIR MEAL IN FAMILY GROUPS. THE ONLY TIME A LION TURNS ON ONE OF ITS OWN KIND IS DURING THE BREEDING SEASON, WHEN HE MUST WIN HIS MATE. SINCE THE LION MOSTLY INHABITS COMPARTIVELY OPEN COUNTRY, OVER WHICH CIVILISATION IS ADVANCING IT IS SUFFERING FROM THE INAVATIONS OF MANS GREED. STATUS ENDANGERED!!!!!!!!

THE LEOPARD IS A SAVAGE MEBER OF THE CAT FAMILY, AND IS FOUND IN BOTH AFRICA AND ASIA. THE MOST FAMILIAR IS THR YELLOWISH BLACK SPOTTED LEOPARD, BUT THERE IS ALSO A BLACK LEOPARD SOMTIMES KNOWN AS A BLACK PANTHER . BOTH BLACK AND SPOTTED CUBS CAN BE BORN IN THE SAME LITTER. THE LEOPARDS FONDNESS FOR DOG FLESH SOMETIMES BRINGS IT CLOSE TO HUMAN DWELLINGS. CLIMBING AND LURKING UP TREES, IT IS MOSTLY ACTIVE AT NIGHT.THIS VERY INTELLIGENT HUNTER HAS BEEN KNOW TO RESORT TO TRICKERY TO MAKE A KILL. STATUS VARIOUS.

THE SNOW LEOPARD ALTHOUGH SHARING ITS NAME WITH THE COMMON LEOPARD, THE SNOW LEOPARD IS NOT BELIEVED TO BE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE LEOPARD OR THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PANTHERINS GROUP AND IS CLASSIFIED AS THE SOLE MEMBER OF THE GENUS UNCIA DUE TO THE UNDERDEVELOPMENT OF THE FIBRO-ELASTIC TISSUE THAT FORMS PART OF THE VOCAL CORDS THE SNOW LEOPARD CANNOT GIVE A FULL DEEP ROAR AND THIS ALONG WITH DIFFERENCES IN SCULL CHARACTERISTICS HELP TO SEPERATE IT FROM ITS FELLOW BIG CATS. WEIGHT 50kg LIFE SPAN 15 TO 18 YRS. STATUS ENDANGERED!!!!!!!!!!

THE MALE SIBERIAN TIGER WITH A TOTAL BODY LENTH IN EXCESS OF 10ft AND WEIGHING UP TO 300kg IS BY FAR THE LARGEST AND MOST POWERFUL MEMBER OF THE CAT FAMILY.WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LION THE TIGER IS PROBABLY THE MOST EASILY RECOGNISED OF ALL THE WILD CATS. IN GENERAL THE TIGER IS A FORREST DWELLER BUT IT CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN GRASS LAND AND SWAMP MARGINS BEYOND WOODLAND AREAS, THEY ARE NEVER FAR FROM A SOURCE OF WATER , ARE STRONG SWIMMERS AND HAVE A PARTICULAR LOVE OF BATHING. BODY WEIGHT IS 100 TO 300kg LIFE SPAN15 TO 20 YRS. STATUS CRITICALY ENDANGERED!!!!!!!!

IN APPEARANCE THE JAGUAR IS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH THE LEOPARD, BOTH CATS HAVE A SIMILAR BROWNISH/YELLOW BASE FUR COLOUR WITH DARK ROSETTES HOWEVER THE JAGUAR CAN BE DISTINGUISHED BY THE PRESENCE OF A SMALL BLCK DOT WITHIN THE LARGER ROSETTE MARKINGS AND THE JAGUAR IS MORE STOCKY AND HAS A MORE MUSCULAR BODY. THE JAGUAR IS PREDDOMINANTLY A FORREST DWELLER DRY WOODLAND AND GRASSLAND ALSO SERVE AS A SUITABLE TERRAIN. WEIGHT 70 TO 120kg LIFE SPAN 12 TO 16 YRS. STATUS NEAR THREATENED.

A CAT OF MANY NAMES, THE PUMA IS ALSO KNOW AS THE COUGAR,MOUNTAIN LION, PANTHER. IN GENERAL THE SIZE AND COLORATION OF THE CAT VARIES GREATLY ACROSS ITS RANGE,, WHICH STRETCHES FROM THE SOUTH WEST OF CANADA DOWN THE WESTERN STATES OF NOTH AMERICA AND THROUGH OUT MOST WESTERN PARTS OF SOUTH AMERICA. IN THE NORTH OF ITS RANGE AND IN HIGHER MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS THE PUMAS COAT IS GREATLY LONGER TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION AGAINST THE EXSTREMES IN TEMPERATURE THE COLOUR OF THE FUR VARIES FROM SLATE GREY THROUGH YELLOW BUFF TO LIGHT REDDISH BROWN. IN APPEARANCE THE PUMA HAS A SMALL BROAD HEAD WITH SMALL ROUNDED EARS, A POWERFUL BODY WITH LONG HIND LEGS AND TAIL, WHICH IS TIPPED WITH BLACK. WEIGHT 30 TO 85kg LIFE SPAN 10 TO 15 YRS. STATUS ENDANGERED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DESPITE ITS NAME THE BLACK BEAR VARIES FROM BLACK TO BROWN IN COLOUR. ALTHOUGH IT IS AFRAID OF PEOLE IT LOVES TO INVESTIGATE THEIR BELONGINGS, QUITE OFTEN STEEL FROM CAMPERS, IN WESTERN USA AND CANADA.

THIS BEAR HAS ALMOST DISAPPEARED FROM THE USA. ONLY ABOUT 500 ARE SURVIVING IN NATIONAL PARKS. IT IS EXSTREMELY STRONG, IT CAN BREAK THE NECK OF AN OX WITH ONE STROKE OF ITS PAW. THE GRIZZLY OWES ITS NAME TO THE GRIZZLED APPEARANCE OF ITS SILVER TIPPED FUR.

THIS HUGE BROWN BEAR, NAMED AFTER AN ISLAND OFF ALASKA, EXCEEDS 1,000 POUNDS IN WEIGHT, AND IS 8 FEET TALL. BUT IT IS NOT AN AGGRESSIVE ANIMAL. THE KODIAK BEAR FEAST ON SALMON WHEN THE FISH ASEND THE RIVERS TO SPAWN.

SCIENTIFIC NAM ( THALARCTOS ) MEANS SEA BEAR, THOUGH IN GREENLAND IT IS KNOWEN AS THE" ICE BEAR" THIS BEAR IS VERY MUCH AT HOME SWIMMING AND DIVING IN THE ICY WATERS OF THE FAR NORTH. IT STALKS SEALS AND WALRUS CUBS FOR FOOD. THEN POLAR BEAR IS ONE OF THE LARGEST MEAT- EATEING ANIMALS. ITS SLENDER BODY MAY REACH UP TO 9 FEET IN LENTH, AND WEIGHS UP TO 1,500 POUNDS. THE DENCE WHITE FUR OVERLIES A THICK INSULATEING LAYER OF FAT. FEMALES CARE FOR THEIR YOUNG IN HOLES DUG OUT IN THE SNOW. THEY ARE STILL HUNTED BY THE EXIMOS FOR ITS , BONES, FLESH AND FUR.