Big Kitties in photos from National Geographic

• Big Kitties in photographs from the National Geographic

By the big cats are the largest representatives of the cat family. Still, the main criterion of belonging to the big cats is not the size, and structure. All the cat - it is the most specialized of predators adapted to the extraction of animal food by stalking.

A small selection of big cats from National Geographic.

There are stains on the fur of all the big cats, even if they at first sight are not visible. They are evident in leopard, clouded leopard, snow leopard and jaguar. The tiger stripes on wool are elongated spots. Lions spots appear, as a rule, only at the cubs.

Jaguar - the most powerful predator of South America. (Photo by Joel Sartore):

Big cats are different from their smaller relatives of the structure of the hyoid bone. It consists of a small seed, employees, the language of muscle in the throat. Previously this feature was associated with the ability to roar. However, more recent studies show that growl based on other anatomical features, especially in the special structure of the larynx.

Lioness and cubs. (Photo by Beverly Joubert):

In the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar is characterized by a very long vocal cords and a thick elastic fabric, allowing growl. Snow leopard, clouded leopard and other felines such features do not have and do not know how to growl.

Lioness, Botswana. Typically, in the lion's pride live from 2 to 18 females with calves. (Photo by Beverly Joubert):

From the senses better developed hearing and sight; smell less. Cats can hear sounds very high - frequency up to 80 kHz (people - up to 20 kHz).

Cougar or mountain lion. In this image resembles a kangaroo. (Photo by Jim & Jamie Dutcher):

Cats - it's incredible predators, their bodies are adapted to feeding exclusively on meat. Vegetarians, they can not be. Here lies the secret of their cleanliness, unlike, for example, dogs and other mammals, canines, which are omnivores.

Bengal tigers. The population of this type is less than 2,500 individuals, reducing the prospect. (Photo by Michael Nichols):

Cleanliness lies in their genes, and due to instinct. Cats hunt by stalking, and if it smells like a cat isolated, they would be visible to their victims. Cheetah or simply the fastest land animal. (Photo by Chris Johns):

This clouded leopard - a representative of the cat family, living in Southeast Asia. He vaguely reminiscent of leopards and is considered quite ancient species, as well as the possible progenitor of today's big cats. (Photo by Peter Weimann / Animals Animals-Earth Scenes):

The territory of the African lion, which he defends, is huge - 260 square meters. km. It is unlikely that he wants at will be in a cage in a zoo. (Photo by Chris Johns):

The Asian lion was distributed on the territory of southern Eurasia from Greece to India. Today there are only 200 individuals in the wild. (Photo by Mattias Klum):

snow leopard or snow leopard. In the wild, they remain 6 000. (Photo by Michael Nichols):

The family of cheetahs. (Photo by Chris Johns):

The Amur tiger - one of the smallest tiger subspecies, the most northern, the largest tiger. Amur tiger - ruler of vast territories, the area of ​​which the female is 300-500 square meters. km, and the male -. 600-800 sq. km. In nature, they remain 400-500 individuals. (Photo by Michael Nichols):