Florida PantherNet

The evolutionary line leading to cats separated from dogs over 50 million years ago. The first cat appeared around 30 million years ago and probably spent about half its time in trees. Cats split into two main branches: nimravid skelton the nimravids, large animals with huge canine teeth (see photo on right), and the felids, smaller, faster animals. Commonly referred to as saber-toothed cats, the nimravids became extinct. Hundreds of nimravids, dating from about 10,000 years ago, were found in the famous La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. Meanwhile felids continued to thrive. They populated every continent except Australia and Antarctica, and are so well adapted to a variety of environments that they have remained almost unchanged for over 10 million years. Modern cougars have been around for about 3 million years.

Cat Traits

Watch an ordinary house cat. You'll see traits shared by all cats - no matter how wild, where they live, or whether they are big or small, striped, spotted, do panthers roar? or solid colored. Watch the cat stalk a lizard in the backyard, moving nearly silently with a steady gaze and mobile ears. Watch it crouch, hind legs tucked under, belly to the ground, tail twitching. Watch it freeze. Then watch it pounce with lightness, accuracy and speed.

Panthers and Cougars do not roar

One way scientists classify cats is according to whether or not they roar. Lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, and jaguars roar. The roar is produced by vibration of flexible cartilage at the base of the tongue. Florida panthers (and all other cougars), domestic cats, lynx, and cheetahs do not.

What sounds do they make? Well, they are usually quiet but sometimes chirp, peep, whistle, purr, moan, scream, growl, and hiss. Females signal their readiness to mate by yowling or caterwauling. But, they don't roar.

Watch it run along the ground, leap and climb a tree. Watch it jump from a ledge many times its height and twist in mid-air if so inclined. Watch it always land on its feet. Watch it stretch, its back a perfect arch. Watch it groom itself with its tongue and front paws. Watch it rub against people and objects leaving its scent. Watch it drink milk or water without spilling a drop from its mouth. Listen to it fight if it's a male and another male invades its territory.

All cats hunt live prey. They all have sharp teeth, retractable claws, and powerful leg muscles. They have a short muzzle that exerts a more powerful bite than the longer muzzle of the dog. They have excellent hearing and vision, and unlike dogs, mainly hunt by sight and sound rather than by smell. Still, cats' sense of smell is far superior to that of humans.

They all have skeletons that permit maximum flexibility. The spine of a cat is extremely flexible. The vertebrae are largely held together by muscles instead of ligaments, allowing the cat to twist, compress, lengthen, and turn in pursuit of prey. Cat flexibility is also enhanced by the fact that the front legs of the cat are attached directly to the shoulder blades, a feature that allows the cat to stalk with its belly to the ground. This also allows the cat to pivot its front legs and grasp prey with its claws. Much of their body weight consists of muscles, and most are baggy skinned, which allows a wide range of motion and helps protect their internal organs during fights.

A Riddle

A biology professor places a box 43 cm long, 30 cm wide, and 10 cm deep (the size of a large sports shoe box) on a table in front of the class and asks, what's inside?

Answer

"This is the complete skeleton--skull and all--of an adult mountain lion," explained the professor. "That's all there is. The animal is all muscle and sinew." (reported by nature writer George Laycock, quoted in Kobalenko 1997)

Most cats are solitary hunters and feed alone, with the exception of lions. Older kittens may accompany their mothers on hunts, and kittens of all ages will share their mother's kills. Adults usually choose each other's company only when mating.

Cats' eyes appear to glow in the dark. A special membrane behind the retina, the tapetum lucidum, reflects light and increases the cat's night vision. Smaller cats, which are primarily nocturnal hunters, have elliptical pupils that are capable of opening very wide at night. Cougars and other large cats have round pupils making them suited to hunt during the day or night. Rods and cones are the two types of light receptor cells in cats’ eyes. There is a concentration of cones near the center of the retina which are used for daylight and discerning color but the majority of receptors are rods which are used in low light conditions and can not detect color. There is evidence suggesting cats can only discern color of close or large objects.

Cats also have a structure known as Jacobsen's organ in the roof of their mouths that allows them to taste and smell a substance at the same time. A cat is using it Jacobson’s organ when it makes a face -- known as the flehmen response -- in which they may curl their lips or crinkle their nose while their mouth is partially open. Sometimes their tongue might even stick out. Males often make this face when smelling the urine of a female to tell if she is ready to mate.