Category Zoology

      Which is the fiercest animal? We might consider a tiger or a lion due to its size. However, in reality, jaguars have the strongest jaws in the cat family. They can break the skull of their prey with amazing force and strength.

      With their strong teeth, jaguars are able to pierce the shells of a turtle and crunch the bones of other animals with ease. Between a lion and a jaguar, the latter’s bite is twice as strong as that of the former. Only one animal is stronger than the jaguar in this aspect the hyena!

      The way the jaw muscles are arranged in jaguar’s mouth is the reason for the strength of its bites. Other cats do not have such powerfully packed muscles and that gives an edge to the jaguar. With such strong jaws, the cat can bite through the skulls of any animal with ease and pierce the thick hide of a crocodile or a caiman.

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      Although the jaguar and leopard look very similar to each other, they are two different animals. Both cats are spotted; however, if we examine them carefully, we can understand that the way the spots are arranged varies. A close look will reveal that the ring of spots of the jaguar, known as rosettes, have another spot inside.

      However, leopards do not have these. While the jaguar’s tail is shorter, the leopard’s is longer. There is a difference in size too. While both animals are smaller than lions and tigers, a jaguar is slightly larger in South America. Leopards are aplenty in Africa and Asia.

      It is not very common to see a fight between the two biggest cats. Moreover, in such an event, who is likely to win is dependent several factors. In terms of size, bite force, brain size and intelligence, the tiger is superior to the lion. Therefore, on paper, it is highly likely that the tiger wins. The teeth of a tiger are exceptionally strong and are the longest among all animals. Therefore, its bite force is higher than a lion’s.

      Tiger are heavier than lions and can beat them in power. The social nature of lions is another factor. Lions hunt in prides and may not be a force to reckon with when alone. It needs the support of the other members of its pride. The group mentality might work to the advantage of the tiger, which is a solitary animal. It needs no help to hunt and take care of its well-being. Therefore, the tiger is better equipped to take on the lion.

      However, on a given day, anything may happen. Better fighting skills may work in favour of the lion and it may beat the tiger after a tough duel.

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      It is highly unlikely to see cats living and hunting in groups because they are not social animals. However, this does not hold true in the case of the lion. The lion is a family animal. Lions live in communities, and depend on one another for sustenance.

      A community of lions is known as a pride. Normally, there will be 15 or more lions in a pride. However, a pride can be as small as three and as big as 40 in memberships. They hunt for food, bring up their litter and defend their territory as a community.

      Do you know that females in the pride do most of the hunting? They take up the responsibility of raising cubs too. However, when there is a kill, the male lions take the ‘lion’s share and the lionesses and cubs get only the remainder.

      Tigers, however, prefer to live alone, although they do sometimes socialize. Both lions and tigers prey on humans. However, we have more man-eating tigers than lions!

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      Do you know that the tiger is the largest feline species in the world? Native to the mainland of Asia, this big cat reaches a body length of up to 3.38 metres. The biggest cats in the feline family, they weigh up to 420 kg in their natural habitat. The Siberian tiger, a subspecies, can reach up to 320 kg in weight and 3.3 metres in length!

      Lions come only second in size. However, they have an exceptional ability to use their mane to look bigger than they really are. During confrontations, the lion uses this strategy to frighten off its opponent. A normal adult lion male weighs up to 250 kg, and a female, up to 182 kg. From head to body, lions have a length of 1.4 to 1.9 metres, and their measure up to 1 metre. African lions tend to be bigger than their Asiatic cousins.

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      Cheetahs are big; and therefore, many include them in the ‘big cats’ category. However, experts are of the opinion that they cannot be considered big cats, as their body is very different from that of other cats. Unlike lions and tigers, cheetahs cannot let out a deafening roar. All they can manage to produce are shrilly yelps that sound much like the meows of a cat.

      Leopards and lions are also found in the grasslands where cheetahs live. While the big cats hunt during night also, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the day alone in order to avoid confronting fierce rivals during night. Leopards and lions are stronger than cheetahs, and competing with them for food is not easy for these cats.

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