Panthera
127 creative works found
-
Critically Endangered The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis) is a subspecies of tiger primarily found in Bangladesh, India, and also Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and southern Tibet. The white bengel tiger is not an albino, it has blue eyes. The white coat and light features are caused by a recessive gene. Very few survive in the wild because they do not have the ability to camoflauge themselves in their suroundings. Sadly, there are those who breed them for their exotic looks all for money. Because they occur so rarely, many orange tigers die or are mistreated in the process. Tigers are solitary hunters. They love the water, and are not afraid to chase their prey down into the water. In fact, this is how tigers often get food. The wait for an animal to be drinking at a water hole, then scares the animal into the water, where the tiger will chase it farther into deeper waters, making it easier to catch. Tigers have retractable claws. This enables them to walk through rocky, grassy, muddy, or sandy areas without dulling their claws, which they need to hunt with. Tigers eat almost anything in their range that they can catch. Large and medium sized prey, ungulates, rabbits, wild boar, deer, buffalo, young elephants and rhinos, waterfowl, and elk, make up the majority of their diet. They stalk their prey, and pounce when they are about 30 feet from their quarry. They kill by a lethal bite to the back of the throat, which often dislocates the backbone and severs the spinal cord. Often, a lethal bite is applied to the throat, which cuts off air supply and asphyxiates (suffocates) the animal. Tigers can eat as much as 40 lb (18 kg) of meat in one sitting. Tigers, like other felines, need to eat some grass to provide nutrients and roughage. Tigers will usually avoid humans because they do not provide much meat, and they prefer the taste of wild game. However, if a tiger becomes a maneater, there is usually a reason for it. One reason is that the tiger is very old, to the point where his teeth are worn down, and cannot catch wild game anymore. Humans are much easier to catch and kill, so they prey on humans. Another, more common reason, is the tiger was injured or sick, and can no longer hunt for itself. However, many tigers, like those that live in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, seem to have a taste for humans. No one knows why they do this, as these tigers are young and healthy. Some speculate that they are guarding their territory, others think that the salty waters in the marsh they drink makes them irritable. These tigers, however, do not come into human settlements, they only kill humans that have wandered too far into the mangrove forests. People who venture into the forests to gather wood and food wear masks on the backs of their heads since tigers only attack them from behind. Since they started this, the numbers of tiger attacks have been greatly reduced. However, once a tiger becomes a man-eater, it will not cease, and has to be destroyed to protect people.
-
Snow Leopard / Endangered Species / Canon EOS 30D DSLR The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia),sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan to Lake Baikal and eastern Tibet. The taxonomic position of this species has been subject to change. In the past, many taxonomists included the Snow Leopard in the genus Panthera, with several of the other largest felids, but later it was placed in its own genus, Uncia. However, a recent molecular study places the species firmly within the genus Panthera, although the exact position remains unclear.[3] Along with the Clouded Leopard, it represents an intermediate between so-called big cats and smaller species, as it cannot roar, despite possessing an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was thought to be essential in allowing the big cats to roar. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the Snow Leopard.[4] Well known for its beautiful fur, the Snow Leopard has a whitish-tan coat with ringed spots of dark, ashy-brown and rosettes of black. Its tail is heavy with fur and the bottom of its paws are covered with fur for protection against snow and cold. The life span of a Snow Leopard is normally 15–18 years, but in captivity they can live up to 20 years. Although the Snow Leopard is internationally regarded and legally protected as an endangered species, currently there exist no effective measures to stop poaching and loss of habitat in Jammu & Kashmir. The Snow Leopard population of Jammu & Kashmir has increasingly come under pressure as a result of poaching for furs, loss of habitat caused by deforestation and dam projects, and loss of food sources caused by similar environmental pressures. In both Pakistan and India-administered Jammu & Kashmir, this threat to the Snow Leopard has developed. The armed conflict of the last 8 years in Jammu & Kashmir has further exacerbated this problem as the soldiers and armed resistance groups have shown little regard for species preservation. The instability has also allowed for an illegal trade of furs. A 1994 raid on a group of traders in Srinagar that hauled more than $1 million worth of furs and garments made from 1,366 of the world’s most endangered wild cats, tigers, snow and clouded leopards and Bengal tigers indicated that the lack of effective measures to preserve endangered species has deteriorated further as a result of the 8 year old conflict. Cases like these reveal that the poaching of wildlife in Jammu & Kashmir’s forests and in other Himalayan regions has returned with a vengeance that threatens some of the world’s most beautiful and exotic animals after a period of curtailment of such poaching in recent decades. Under this situation, the Snow Leopard is directly threatened. K.E.W.A. advocates that strict conservation measures be put in place in Pakistan and India-administered Jammu & Kashmir. Habitat protection, captive breeding, stiff penalties for poachers and international buyers of illegal furs, and public education must all be a part of such an undertaking to save the Snow Leopard. But such an effort would require major involvement of international organizations. The rarest and most beautiful of the great cats, the snow leopard…is wary and elusive to a magical degree, and so well camouflaged in the places it chooses to lie that one can stare straight at it from yards away and fail to see it. Yet the snow leopard’s talent for invisibility has not kept it safely out of the sights of hunters, who continue to kill the cat for its “coat of pale misty gray, with black rosettes that are clouded by the depth of the rich fur”. Elusiveness also has done little to help the snow leopard cope successfully with an ever-increasing influx of tourists, sheep herders, dam-builders, and other humans eager to make use of the spectacular landscape. The result is that the snow leopard, despite its remote home high in the Himalayas, has become one of the most endangered of the large cats.
-
Lion at Melbourne Zoo / The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of 30 to 50 percent over the past two decades in its African range; populations are untenable outside designated reserves and national parks. Although the cause of the decline is not well understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern. Lions have been kept in menageries since Roman times and have been a key species sought after and exhibited in zoos the world over since the late eighteenth century. Zoos are cooperating worldwide in breeding programs for the endangered Asiatic subspecies. / Traditionally, twelve recent subspecies of lion were recognised, the largest of which has been recognised as the Barbary Lion. The major differences between these subspecies are location, mane appearance, size, and distribution. Because these characteristics are very insignificant and show a high individual variability, most of these forms were debatable and probably invalid; additionally, they were often based upon zoo material of unknown origin that may have had “striking, but abnormal” morphological characteristics. Today only eight subspecies usually are accepted, but one of these (the Cape Lion formerly described as Panthera leo melanochaita) probably is invalid. Even the remaining seven subspecies might be too many; mitochondrial variation in recent African lions is modest, which suggests that all sub-Saharan lions could be considered a single subspecies, possibly divided in two main clades: one to the west of the Great Rift Valley and the other to the east. Lions from Tsavo in Eastern Kenya are much closer genetically to lions in Transvaal (South Africa), than to those in the Aberdare Range in Western Kenya. / Wikipedia FZ20 Panasonic
-
THE LEOPARD – Panthera pardus CAPTURED LOCATION: “The Kruger National Park”, South Africa. These solitary cats are the largest of the spotted cats of Africa. The weight of an adult male is about 60kg and the female about 30kg. The leopards of the mountains of the southern and South Western Cape tend to be smaller. There is considerable color variation over their range from India to Southern Africa. / The so-called ‘black leopard’ is more common in India, Somalia, Ethiopia and Zaire and has also been encountered in South Africa. / Leopards are silent, secretive animals, whose vocalization is a hoarse, rasping cough, repeated at intervals. They move in a casual loping stride, or they may make off at a bouncing gallop, changing to a frost trot. All of their senses are well-developed as their efficient hunting reveals. They like to lie out on high vantage points in the mornings or late evenings, where they may watch for prey. They have a wide habitat tolerance, but prefer forest and the more hilly areas with rocky prominences and hiding places, bushy areas, and tall grass with associated rocky places. They are also found in arid areas, where they will hide up in deserted Ant bear holes. True desert areas are unsuitable, but they may penetrate these areas along treed water-courses. / They are sometimes killed by Lion, Hunting dogs, Spotted Hyenas and crocodiles. The young by hyenas and jackals. Litters of one to six, usually three to four, altricial cubs are produced in caves or other sheltered places with plenty of cover. After about four months they will begin to accompany their mother and make their first kill at about five months. / An extremely wide range of animal food is utilized. They are notorious man-eaters in certain parts of the world, but this is very rare in this sub-region. The major prey taken seems to be small and medium sized antelope, such as adult kudu, wildebeest and hartebeest. Baboons are a favored fare, although leopards have serious trouble with the baboon troops if they foolishly attack a member of the clan too openly. Such animals as bush pigs and warthogs are taken as are jackals. Their liking for the domestic dog is notorious and places, such as the town of Kariba in Zimbabwe, have a distinct absence of these domestic pets. Unusual fare is snakes, porcupines, fish, domestic stock, birds such as guinea fowl, rats, mice and also carrion. / The strength of the leopard is clearly shown in their habit of dragging a very heavy kill up into high branches of a tree to protect it from other scavengers.
-
Lion Panthera leo. A Lion and Lioness quenching their thirst at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia. / . / African wildlife / Desert Elephants of Namibia / Humpback Whale cards / Australian mammals / Black and whites / Landscapes / Reptiles / Other stuff / Australian birds / – Waterbirds / – Birds of prey / – Small passerines / – Cockatoos and parrots / – Kookaburras and kingfishers / – Honeyeaters and miners / – Miscellaneous species
-
Critically Endangered / Canon EOS 30D The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis) is a subspecies of tiger primarily found in Bangladesh, India, and also Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and southern Tibet. The white bengel tiger is not an albino, it has blue eyes. The white coat and light features are caused by a recessive gene. Very few survive in the wild because they do not have the ability to camoflauge themselves in their suroundings. Sadly, there are those who breed them for their exotic looks all for money. Because they occur so rarely, many orange tigers die or are mistreated in the process. Tigers are solitary hunters. They love the water, and are not afraid to chase their prey down into the water. In fact, this is how tigers often get food. The wait for an animal to be drinking at a water hole, then scares the animal into the water, where the tiger will chase it farther into deeper waters, making it easier to catch. Tigers have retractable claws. This enables them to walk through rocky, grassy, muddy, or sandy areas without dulling their claws, which they need to hunt with. Tigers eat almost anything in their range that they can catch. Large and medium sized prey, ungulates, rabbits, wild boar, deer, buffalo, young elephants and rhinos, waterfowl, and elk, make up the majority of their diet. They stalk their prey, and pounce when they are about 30 feet from their quarry. They kill by a lethal bite to the back of the throat, which often dislocates the backbone and severs the spinal cord. Often, a lethal bite is applied to the throat, which cuts off air supply and asphyxiates (suffocates) the animal. Tigers can eat as much as 40 lb (18 kg) of meat in one sitting. Tigers, like other felines, need to eat some grass to provide nutrients and roughage. Tigers will usually avoid humans because they do not provide much meat, and they prefer the taste of wild game. However, if a tiger becomes a maneater, there is usually a reason for it. One reason is that the tiger is very old, to the point where his teeth are worn down, and cannot catch wild game anymore. Humans are much easier to catch and kill, so they prey on humans. Another, more common reason, is the tiger was injured or sick, and can no longer hunt for itself. However, many tigers, like those that live in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, seem to have a taste for humans. No one knows why they do this, as these tigers are young and healthy. Some speculate that they are guarding their territory, others think that the salty waters in the marsh they drink makes them irritable. These tigers, however, do not come into human settlements, they only kill humans that have wandered too far into the mangrove forests. People who venture into the forests to gather wood and food wear masks on the backs of their heads since tigers only attack them from behind. Since they started this, the numbers of tiger attacks have been greatly reduced. However, once a tiger becomes a man-eater, it will not cease, and has to be destroyed to protect people.
-
......another wonderful and beautiful creature under threat. When I was a little girl and read about Leopards, I used to believe they are forever. Sadly today they are a threatened specie. / My biggest fear, is that what today we assume to be a common creature, will tomorrow be no more. Even our little common Foxes will one day be on the endangered list. My heart weeps at the worlds tragedy, due to mankind’s ignorance.
-
Sincerity can be defined as “freedom from deceit or hypocrisy”. “S I N C E R I T Y” appeared as the Avatar for the group “African Art & Writings”. / This image has been featured by the group “Endangered Species” 6/08. / This image has been featured by the group “Exotic Mammals” 5/08. / Award Leopards are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Felidae. The leopard is a large carnivore of the cat family, Panthera pardus, widely distributed in Africa and Asia. It is commonly yellow, buff, or gray, patterned with black spots and rings. The rings, unlike those of the New World jaguar, never have spots inside them. Black leopards are commonly called panthers, a name sometimes used for all leopards. They are not a distinct species but merely a color variant caused by melanism, or excessive pigmentation. Close inspection reveals the typical spotting, which is obscured by the darkness of the background. Leopards are somewhat smaller than lions and tigers; the largest males are about 7 ft (2.3 m) long, including the 3-ft (90-cm) tail. Leopards are solitary, largely nocturnal, and good climbers; they hunt both on the ground and in trees. They prey mostly on small animals such as monkeys, rodents, and birds. Leopards are found in much of Africa south of the Sahara and in parts of Asia from Israel to Korea and Indonesia. They are listed as threatened or endangered throughout their range, owing primarily to loss of their natural habitat and to illegal killing for Oriental folk medicine. Click on any button to view my other work:
-
This beautiful creature is now being added to the endangered species, as hunters relentlessly pursue the leopard for its skins. Human invasion into the Leopard’s domain, has had an impact on the Leopards population, The population once spanned across Africa and Asia, sadly now you can find this big cat only in Sub Sahara terrain of Africa. This link to Wikipedia will give more information, than I have space for here. / “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard” ©Copyright 2008 / This image is text and ideas are the ‘intellectual property’ of C Hummel/Foxfire Gallery® and are therefore protected by the United Kingdom’s Designs and Patent Act 1988 and international copyright laws. No part of this property may be used without the written permission of CHummel / Foxfire Gallery® to include copying, duplicating, publishing (even on a website), reproducing, storing in a retrieval system or transmitting by any means what so ever.
-
Lion at Melbourne Zoo Australia / Panthera Leo / Family : Felidae Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the most strictly carnivorous of the sixteen mammal families in the order Carnivora. The most familiar felid is the Domestic Cat, which first became associated with humans about 10,000 years ago, but the family includes all other wild cats including the big cats. Panasonic FZ20
-
Sumatran Tiger taken at Melbourne Zoo Australia / The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a subspecies of tiger found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The wild population is estimated at between 400 and 500 animals, occurring predominantly in the island’s national parks. The Sumatran tiger is only found naturally in Sumatra, a large island in western Indonesia. It lives anywhere from lowland forests to mountain forest and inhabits many unprotected areas. Only about 400 live in game reserves and national parks. / The largest population of about 110 tigers lives in Gunung Leuser National Park. Another 100 live in unprotected areas that will soon be lost and the rest are spread out in areas that are quickly being lost to agriculture. The reserves are not safe because, despite conservation efforts, many tigers are killed by poachers each year.The Sumatran tiger is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra in habitat that ranges from lowland forest to sub mountain and mountain forest including some peat moss forests. According the Tiger Information Center and the World Wildlife Fund there are no more than 500 of these tigers left in the wild with some estimates considerably lower. / Wikipedia D300 Nikkor 80-400 ED VR / 400mm,1/250s, f/5.6, ISO: 3200
-
Snow Leopard / Endangered The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia),sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan to Lake Baikal and eastern Tibet. The taxonomic position of this species has been subject to change. In the past, many taxonomists included the Snow Leopard in the genus Panthera, with several of the other largest felids, but later it was placed in its own genus, Uncia. However, a recent molecular study places the species firmly within the genus Panthera, although the exact position remains unclear.[3] Along with the Clouded Leopard, it represents an intermediate between so-called big cats and smaller species, as it cannot roar, despite possessing an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was thought to be essential in allowing the big cats to roar. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the Snow Leopard.[4] Well known for its beautiful fur, the Snow Leopard has a whitish-tan coat with ringed spots of dark, ashy-brown and rosettes of black. Its tail is heavy with fur and the bottom of its paws are covered with fur for protection against snow and cold. The life span of a Snow Leopard is normally 15–18 years, but in captivity they can live up to 20 years. The total estimated wild population of the Snow Leopard is between 4,000 and 7,500 individuals (see table below). In addition, there are 600-700 animals in zoos around the world. Protected Areas: Chitral Gol National Park, in the NWFP, Pakistan. / Hemis National Park, in east Ladakh, India. / Khunjerab National Park, Northern Areas, Pakistan. / Nanda Devi National Park, in state of Uttarakhand, India, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.[9] / Qomolangma National Nature Preserve, Tibet, China.[10] / Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.[11] / Tumor Feng Nature Reserve, western Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang, China.[12] / Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttaranchal, India, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. / Shey-Phoksundo National Park, Dolpa, Nepal. / Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve,Baglung, Nepal. / Annapurna Conservation Area, Western Nepal. / Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan / Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, Mongolia / Ubsunur Hollow, on the territorial border of Mongolia and the Republic of Tuva / Much progress has been made in securing the survival of the snow leopard, with snow leopards being successfully bred in captivity. The animals usually give birth to 2 to 3 cubs in a litter, but can give birth to up to 7 in some cases.
-
Endangered Species: Threatened This is a melanistic leopard. Close examination of these black cats will show that the typical leopard markings are still there but are hidden by the excess black pigment melanin. The spotted pattern of the black leopard has the effect of printed silk when viewed from the proper angle. Skin color is a mixture of blue black gray and purple with rosettes. Melanistic and non-melanistic individuals can be found in the same litter. Black leopards are reported from most densely-forested areas in southwestern China, Myanmar, Assam and Nepal, from Travancore and other parts of southern India and are said to be common in Java and the southern part of the Malay Peninsula where they may be more numerous than spotted leopards. They are less common in tropical Africa, but have been reported from Ethiopia, from the forests of Mount Kenya and from the Aberdares. Be sure to check out these other wild cat images:
-
THis tasteful Snow Leopards eye is actually not a good one. / /
-
Sumatran Tiger, Melbourne Zoo Australia, an endangered species According the the Tiger Information Centre and the World Wildlife Fund there are no more than 500 of these tigers left in the wild with some estimates considerably lower. / The Sumatran tiger is the smallest of the tiger subspecies as compared to the Siberian tiger which is the largest. / Sumatran male tigers average 8 feet in length (2.4 meters) from head to tail and weigh about 265 pounds (120 kilograms). Females average 7 feet in length (2.2 meters) and weigh about 200 pounds (90 kilograms). / Nikon D300; Lens- Nikkor 80-400mm ED VR / 400mm, 1/250s, f/5.6, ISO: 3200
-
Lisa C. Weber ©2008 / Visit My Complete Redbubble Gallery for all My 3D Artwork & Products
-
This is a melanistic leopard. Close examination of these black cats will show that the typical leopard markings are still there but are hidden by the excess black pigment melanin. The spotted pattern of the black leopard has the effect of printed silk when viewed from the proper angle. Skin color is a mixture of blue black gray and purple with rosettes. Melanistic and non-melanistic individuals can be found in the same litter. Black leopards are reported from most densely-forested areas in southwestern China, Myanmar, Assam and Nepal, from Travancore and other parts of southern India and are said to be common in Java and the southern part of the Malay Peninsula where they may be more numerous than spotted leopards. They are less common in tropical Africa, but have been reported from Ethiopia, from the forests of Mount Kenya and from the Aberdares. Be sure to check out these other wild cat images:
-
A very hungry snow leopard awaiting the satisfaction of a meal. The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia),sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan to Lake Baikal and eastern Tibet. The taxonomic position of this species has been subject to change. In the past, many taxonomists included the Snow Leopard in the genus Panthera, with several of the other largest felids, but later it was placed in its own genus, Uncia. However, a recent molecular study places the species firmly within the genus Panthera, although the exact position remains unclear.[3] Along with the Clouded Leopard, it represents an intermediate between so-called big cats and smaller species, as it cannot roar, despite possessing an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was thought to be essential in allowing the big cats to roar. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the Snow Leopard.[4] Well known for its beautiful fur, the Snow Leopard has a whitish-tan coat with ringed spots of dark, ashy-brown and rosettes of black. Its tail is heavy with fur and the bottom of its paws are covered with fur for protection against snow and cold. The life span of a Snow Leopard is normally 15–18 years, but in captivity they can live up to 20 years. The total estimated wild population of the Snow Leopard is between 4,000 and 7,500 individuals (see table below). In addition, there are 600-700 animals in zoos around the world. Click on any button to view my other work:
-
Sumatran Tigers are the smallest of all tigers. They have sharp, curved claws for grabbing and holding prey and large canine teeth for inflicting the ‘death bite’ to the neck of large prey.
-
The Sumatran tiger at Melbourne Zoo / The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a subspecies of tiger found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The wild population is estimated at between 400 and 500 animals, occurring predominantly in the island’s national parks. The Sumatran tiger is only found naturally in Sumatra, a large island in western Indonesia. It lives anywhere from lowland forests to mountain forest and inhabits many unprotected areas. Only about 400 live in game reserves and national parks. / The largest population of about 110 tigers lives in Gunung Leuser National Park. Another 100 live in unprotected areas that will soon be lost and the rest are spread out in areas that are quickly being lost to agriculture. The reserves are not safe because, despite conservation efforts, many tigers are killed by poachers each year.The Sumatran tiger is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra in habitat that ranges from lowland forest to sub mountain and mountain forest including some peat moss forests. According the Tiger Information Center and the World Wildlife Fund there are no more than 500 of these tigers left in the wild with some estimates considerably lower. / Wikipedia / D300. Lens 80-400mm VR ED Nikkor. / 1/250s,f/5.6, ISO: 800, 400mm
-
©2008 Shannon Plummer. All Rights Reserved. / www.shannonplummerphotography.com
-
The Jaguar is a New World mammal of the Felidae family and one of four “big cats” in the Panthera genus, along with the tiger, lion, and leopard of the Old World. The jaguar’s present range extends from Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioural and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a variety of forested and open terrain. It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The base coat of the jaguar is generally a tawny yellow, but can range to reddish-brown and black. The cat is covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat. The spots vary over individual coats and between individual Jaguars: rosettes may include one or several dots, and the shape of the dots varies. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail, where they may merge to form a band. The underbelly, throat and outer surface of the legs and lower flanks are white. A condition known as melanism occurs in the species. Melanistic Jaguars are informally known as black panthers, but do not form a separate species. Rare albino individuals, sometimes called white panthers, occur among jaguars, as with the other big cats. Jaguar females reach sexual maturity at about two years of age, and males at three or four. The cat is believed to mate throughout the year in the wild, although births may increase when prey is plentiful. Mating pairs separate after the act, and females provide all parenting. The gestation period lasts 93–105 days; females give birth to up to four cubs, and most commonly to two. The mother will not tolerate the presence of males after the birth of cubs, given a risk of infant cannibalism. The young are born blind, gaining sight after two weeks. Cubs are weaned at three months but remain in the birth den for six months before leaving to accompany their mother on hunts. They will continue in their mother’s company for one to two years before leaving to establish a territory for themselves. Young males are at first nomadic, jostling with their older counterparts until they succeed in claiming a territory. Typical lifespan in the wild is estimated at around 12–15 years; in captivity, the jaguar lives up to 23 years, placing it among the longest-lived cats.
-
Close up of a male lion. Image taken in the Lion Park outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.
-
Bengal Tiger, a truly magnificent beast.
RedBubble is a great place to find art, design, photos and writing from over 80,000 talented people.
You can buy their stuff
On stunning greeting cards, awesome t-shirts or beautiful prints to hang on your walls.
Risk Free Returns
It’s really simple. If you’re not happy with your purchase for any reason, we’ll fix it.
About RedBubble
Since February 2007 we’ve shipped over 243,200 items to more than 70 countries around the world.
Join In
Sign up for your free account, upload your work, join some groups and share your creative genius with the world.