Felines:

Small, wild and beautiful

Elusive and shy by nature, the smaller members of the feline family that are mostly nocturnal, are ideal for the creation of legends just like the legendary unicorns.

Presently, around 37 species of wild cat have been identified and most people (including you) may be familiar with the big five; the tiger, lion, leopard, jaguar and cheetah.

About 30 species of small, wild cats are listed, but most of them have not been studied in their natural habitats because they are hardly seen. Lately though, much attention has been focused on these small cats. Surprisingly, some of these small cats are large in size, like the mountain lion, which is also known as a puma or cougar.

Even though there are differences of opinion about the classification of certain species of the feline family in the group of small cats, such classifications are not done merely by their size. Zoologists and researchers take into consideration many other features such as their ability to roar and purr and the appearance of their eyes and noses.

The throat structure of the cats (big or small) enables them to roar or purr. For example, if you have a pet cat, you will know how it continuously purrs when being petted or is content.

Big cats however cannot purr continuously like your pet cat or other 'small' cats. They can purr only when they breathe out. Purring gets interrupted when they breathe in; the sound gets distorted, coming out more like a grunt or 'chuffle' as zoologists call it. On the other hand, small cats cannot roar like the big cats.

This is because the bones in their throats are hardened and are close together. This enables the small cats to produce only smaller vibrations and so, the small cats can only mew, scream or growl, but, never roar.

Even though the power of the roar among big cats may be different, their roaring, especially that of lions, could send a chill down the spine of any person who happens to be anywhere near enough to hear it.

Going by this powerful roar, don't you think that only the cats which really could roar should be classed as the 'big cats'? Now, let's check out the other factors that differentiates the big cats from the small - the eyes and noses.

You'll be surprised to learn that there are marked differences even in these instances. Did you know that the eyes or pupils of small cats closes to a vertical (up and down) slit while those of big cats closes to a circular, like that of humans? May be you should observe your pet cats more closely the next time you notice them reacting to light.

When it comes to the nose too there's a difference; some small cats have a strip of leathery skin across the top of their noses, directly above the wet tip, but in big cats, this particular area is covered with fur.

Big or small, all members of the feline family are indeed fascinating creatures, and today, we thought we'll introduce you to two of these beauties. We hope to familiarise you with as many small wild cats as possible.

There are small wild cats that are endemic to (only found in) our country. The two cats we feature today are the Oncilla and the Ocelot.

More next week...

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Fact file

* Small cats are found in habitats ranging from icy mountains to steamy tropical jungles, to even scorching deserts.

* Like humans, cats have forward facing eyes, but cats can open their pupils three times wider and see in the dark six times better than people can.

* Without moving their heads, cats can detect movement within a visual field of 280 degrees. That means they can see from the corner of their eye a lot better than we do.

* Good hearing is important. Each ear is controlled by more than 20 muscles and the ears move independently of each other. Their ears can quickly turn to catch sounds in all directions.

* Cats have very sensitive whiskers called vibrissae, on their lips, cheeks, chins, eyebrows and forelegs that give them information about their environment. The whiskers are deeply embedded in the skin and connected to nerve endings that transmit information to the brain. A cat can feel its way as it moves.

* Small cats are on the decline due to the fur trade and loss of habitat.

* Some of the small wild cats are the pampas cat, bay cat, black-footed cat, Andean mountain cat, fishing cat, sand cat, clouded leopard, Canadian lynx, African golden cat, rusty spotted cat, bobcat, leopard cat, marbled cat and Asian golden cat.

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Oncilla

The Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) is also known as the tiger cat, little spotted cat, rigrina or tigrillo (Spanish). It is the smallest Latin American cat with three sub-species described. It is closely related to the Ocelot and the Marga. In French, it is called Oncilla and in German, Onzille.

Found mostly in Costa Rica, South to northern Argentina, to northern Peru, the Oncilla lives in Montane, clouded or humid lowerland forests about 100 mts. in altitude.

It's slightly larger than the Asian flat-headed cat with a head/body length of 40-55 cm, and a tail of 25-42 cm. It is 4-8 lbs. in weight, the Oncilla has an exquisitely beautiful fur coat which is typically tan to tawny in colour.

Symmetrical spotted patterns - brown spots fading to black blotches are found throughout the length of the body including the feet. The underparts of the body are almost white and less spotted. About 10-11 rings circle the black-tipped tail.

The spots are more or less in rows. The Oncilla's eyes are round with golden to brown coloured irises. Though petite in frame, it is an excellent hunter and an agile climber.

A solitary animal which is nocturnal, the males are territorial. Females give birth to one or two kittens after a gestation period of 74-76 days.

Unlike the kittens of a domestic cat, the kittens of an Oncilla are rather slow in development. They are born blind and would open their eyes only after 17 days, that is about one week later than the kittens of a domestic cat.

Oncilla kittens weigh 80-130 grammes at birth and take solid food when they are 55 days old. The mother nurtures the kittens for 12 weeks. The kittens stay with her until they are an year old. The diet of both kittens and adults consists of small rodents, primates, birds, reptiles, squirrels and insects.

The Oncilla's silhouette (dark shadow or outline against a lighter background) and footprints closely resemble those of a domestic cats. It also closely resembles the margay and so, it is rather hard to differentiate the two species in the wild.

Very little is known about the present status of the Oncilla population, but it is believed that they live 12-15 years in the wild.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species (CITES) have listed Oncillas as 'vulnerable' and trade of any kind is now banned.

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Ocelot

Like the Oncilla, the Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is also small, but striking. It is distributed over South and Central America, Mexico, and also seen in areas as far as Texas and in Trinidad in the Caribbean. About 10 subspecies have been recognised.

At one time, they were hunted nearly to extinction for their coats, which are similar to a jaguar's and beautiful with chain-like blotches, boarded with black and lighter coloured centres covering the entire length of the body.

The ground colour of the body is tawny yellow through reddish or grey with a whitish underside heavily marked with spots, rings, blotches and short bars. The back of the ears are black with a central yellow spot.

The Ocelot is up to 100 cm (32 inches) in length, with a tail of 45 cm (16 inches). It weighs about 10-15 kg (20-33 lbs).

The Ocelot is a nocturnal creature and is very territorial. In fact, the males are known to fight fiercely, sometimes to their death, in territorial disputes.

As they are solitary animals, they hunt for their food alone. Their prey include small animals such as reptiles, birds, rodents and some domestic animals like tiny piglets and poultry. Squirell monkey opossums, lesser anteaters and land tortoises are some of the larger prey.

They have very keen vision, including night vision. However, they hunt by smell, mostly following odour trails.

Ocelots generally rest on trees or thick foliage during the day. Even though they are solitary animals, sometimes the females share their 'spot' or resting place with another female.

Ocelot kittens, which are rather similar to the domestic kittens, are born blind after a gestation period of 70 days. They have a thin covering of hair on their bodies. Usually there are 2-4 kittens in a litter. The kittens are about 8.5 ounces in weight. They become independent by one year.

Like many wild cats, Ocelots too are kept as pets, but as they are highly strung and unpredictable, it's best to let them live in their natural habitats which are very diverse and include rainforests, montane forests, thick bush, semi deserts, and coastal marshy and river banks.

Even though their lifespan in the wild is short, not exceeding 10 years at times, in captivity they live longer, sometimes up to 20 years.

Facts and pix: Internet