Felids
PRESENTATION
The felids or felines (Felidae) constitute a family about the carnivores, subclass of Eutheria, in the class of the mammals. Among their characteristic features appear their round head, their jaw equipped with approximately 30 teeth, and their claws retractile (except for the cheetah). The feline are digitigrades: they go while pressing on the fingers (the plant of the foot does not pose on the ground).
ANATOMY OF FELINES
The various species the felids have varied weights and sizes which go 1.5 kg for the black-footed cat to more than 300 kg for the tiger. However, in spite of their difference, the felids share many common points.
The skeleton and the musculature :
Small and large felid have a cracteristic commune being their flexible skeleton, especially on the level of the clones vertebral, which offers a great flexibility of movement as well as the muscles of the back which is them also very flexible. The scapulas and the clavicles comprise very few ligaments allowing a great diversity of movement. The most developed muscles are those of the back legs what makes it possible felid to make great jumps but also to run quickly (up to 120 km/h for the cheetah).
The skull :
The characteristic of skull of felid compared to the other carnivores is that it is shorter and comprises less teeth. This form increases the force of bite considerably because it allows him a vertical movement of the jaw. The elasticity of the chain hyoïde, above larynx, traditionally makes it possible to separate the large felids (Pantherinae) from small (Felinae).
The vibrisses, or more known under the name of moustache, are an important component for the direction of the touch. They are established at strategic places on cranial surface for a better sensitivity. Like the hairs, they fall and push back as the life of the cat.
Eyes :
The eyes are positioned forwards allowing them a binocular vision. The pupils can contract, becoming according to the species, small and round or in the shape of fine vertical slit in full light, and gross and round in the absence of luminosity. It should be known that the eye of felid is 6 times more sensitive in the darkness than the human eye.
Ears :
The ears of felid are very sensitive to the noise. A good amount of between locate them their prey with hearing such as for example the serval. The ears are sensitive to the temperature and are a place of heat loss. This is why the felids which lives in cold mediums have small ears, like the snow leopard, contrary to the sand cat which has broad houses to evacuate heat.
Certain felid such as the lynx or the caracal have a tuft of hairs called plume which surmounts the ears. The latter would play a crucial role in the hearing of these cat-like although no study to date confirms this thesis.
The tongue :
The tongue of felid is papered papillae corneas directed towards the back which makes it possible the animal to more easily lap water, but also to make its toilet, to partly remove the hairs of its preys and to better scrape their flesh.
Teeth :
Felids have between 28 and 30 teeth. The 4 canines are longer than those of the wolves and are used to kill while being inserted in the throat of an animal they maintain the pressure of the bite in order to choke it. The 12 incisors are used to tear off the hairs or the feathers as well as the meat of the bones.
On the sides of the jaws are the premolars and the molars, also called teeth jugales; they are less useful for felids chewing their food little. Last the premolars higher and the first lower molars of felid are acute and sharp and make to shred the meat. These particular teeth are called the carnivorous ones.
Legs :
The legs of felid comprise 5 fingers on the forefeet and 4 on the posterior legs. The plant of the feet is covered with a kind of sole which gives them a better flexibility and allows them to be quiet while going. The bearings of those which live and move on the ground burning of the deserts is covered with hairs.
Claws :
Felids, in-outside cheetah, fishing cat and flat-headed cat, have retractile claws. This last point is not characteristic of the felines, since others carnivores have some. The claws are an important component of the direction of the touch.
SPECIES
Felids familly comprises 3 subfamilies :
The felines (felinae) :
The subfamily of félines (felinae) understands all the species of cats such as the Asian golden cat which one finds in Asia, the black-footed cat originating in Africa, the lynx in America (bobcat) and Europe (Eurasian lynx and common lynx), as well as the domestic cat which found its place in our homes everywhere in the world.
The pantherinae :
The subfamily of pantherinae understands the only felines able to howl such as the lion, the leopard, the jaguar, the tiger and the snow leopard.
The acinonychinae :
This subfamily is not represented in fact that by the cheetah.
VIDEO OF FELIDAE OF THE WORLD
Proposed by Manimalworld
ANIMALIST CARDS OF FELIDS ON LINE ON THE SITE
In the table below click on the image of your choice to reach the corresponding card. Use the scroll on the line of the table to make ravel the images :
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EXTERNAL LINKS
http://ec-253b-daumesnil.scola.ac-paris.fr
- The barbary lion
- The caracal
- The cheetah
- The common lynx or northern lynx
- The cougar
- The fishing cat
- Fossa or Madagascan chive
- The lion
- The ocelot
- Panther or leopard
- The snow leopard
- Tiger
- The Bali tiger
- The Bengal tiger
- The Caspian tiger
- The Indochinese tiger
- The Javan tiger
- Royal white tiger
- The Siberian tiger
- The South China tiger
- The Sumatran tiger
