Critter Science
The Science of Animals
Soft, furry, friendly (most of the time), quick, and deadly predators. The domestic cat is not only popular (the most popular pet in North America) but also a secretive hunter that has taken a huge toll on suburban wildlife. On the popular side, cat ownership outnumbers dog ownership by and large. There are 88 million known
Found in North America, the Canadian lynx lives in forested areas in North America and Canada & is well adapted to the life in extremely low temperatures. Lynx are found in the broad boreal forest belt in North America. The number of lynx have been greatly reduced due to
The binturong, aka bearcat, aka Asian bearcat, aka Asian civet belongs to the same family as a variety of other small carnivores (eat meat) such as mongooses, civets, genets, and fossa. They also share a variety of traits with them too, including a long nose and having
The bobcat is often confused with a lynx due to the similarity of size and the telltale ear tufts. Bobcats and lynx live in different locales though and the lynx is larger, shaggier, had larger feet, faded spots, and are more gray in color; as opposed to the reddish color
The ringtail cat looks a little like a cat and a fox merged together. However, they aren’t cats and they aren’t foxes. They are more closely related to raccoons. As they are Arizona’s state animal, they are a protected species. So, no touchy! These cute little critters can be
The mountain lion is also known as the panther, cougar, puma, catamount, and gato monte (cat of the mountain). These critters have so many names because of their huge demographic. They live from Canada, down to Argentina. Pumas living in warm or humid climates are
The margay is a critter from the feline family and whom resides in Mexico, Central, and South America (East of the Andes mountains); primarily in the Amazon, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Belize. The margay enjoys life in rainforests, evergreen forests, and
The weasel-like jaguarundi is the topic of today. They have a long slender body, a small flattened head with short rounded ears, and short legs. They are closely related to the puma and are sometimes called Leoncillo “Little lion”, Otter cat, Yaguarundi, Gato Moro, Onza, and
The jaguar is only found in the Americas. Their range extends from as far north as Arizona and as far south as northern Argentina. They prefer rainforest environments but can also be found in other forested regions. They are recognized by their orange or yellow coats
Second in size only to the tiger, the lion is the largest cat in Africa! They can be found in savannas, deserts, plains, grasslands, dense bush, and woodlands. They have been abundantly featured in books, movies, and