My Friends Call Me...Ow! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Panthera tigris altaica

The Siberian tiger is one of the largest species of wild cats and is endemic to the Sikhote-Alin mountain range in Russia. The male Siberian tigers are especially large with weights recorded up to 701 pounds, lengths up to 140 inches, and with the tails an average length of 39 inches. The Siberian tiger is currently endangered, but conservation efforts have been successfully carried out to keep the populations from dwindling and the Species Survival Plan (SSP) has helped keep the numbers up even further.

Answer: Leopardus pardalis

Also known as the dwarf leopard, the ocelot is a small cat native to Mexico all the way to South America with some being found as far north as Texas. At one time, the ocelot was prized for its fur and the female population was once classified as vulnerable. Fortunately, ocelot populations are extensive in South America and the ocelot's conservation is one of least concern.

It's worth noting that Salvador Dali, in his eccentricity, kept an ocelot named Babou as a pet.

Answer: Panthera uncia

The snow leopard is a large cat endemic to the mountain ranges of Central and Southern Asia and is characterized by its light fur rather than the yellow-orange shade of the regular leopard. The snow leopard is endangered, but there are many protected areas in multiple Asian countries that provide sanctuary for the snow leopard.

Answer: Panthera leo

Second only to the tiger in terms of size, the lion is a large cat native to Africa. At one point in time, the lion was incredibly widespread, but mostly due to habitat loss and conflict with humans, the lion population has declined greatly and is listed as vulnerable for its conservation status. Western Africa, especially, has seen a major decline in lion populations and now most lions live in reserves in southern and eastern Africa.

There is also a subspecies of lion that is only native to the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India, called the Asiatic lion.

These lions are rarer and fully endangered, with an estimated population of only 523 known Asiatic lions alive in the wild (May 2015).

Answer: Lynx pardinus

The Iberian lynx is a species of lynx endemic to the Iberian peninsula which consists of Spain and Portugal. It is a rabbit specialist, meaning its diet consist mainly of rabbits and it relies heavily on rabbits due to its low adaptability. Because rabbit populations have dwindled on the Iberian peninsula, the population of Iberian lynxes has declined as well, resulting in the species becoming endangered. Conservation efforts put in place to keep the species from becoming extinct include preserving the lynx's habitat and managing the rabbit population so the lynx has a reliable food source.

Answer: Acinonyx jubatus

The cheetah is another big cat native to southern and eastern Africa and can also be found in parts of Iran. It is best known as the fastest land mammal. It can clock speeds up to 70 mph (112 km/h) and because of this, is an expert hunter. There is also an extremely rare cheetah called the king cheetah which results from a genetic mutation creating a lighter, cream-colored fur, larger, blotchy spots, and three large stripes running down the back of the cheetah's back.

The cheetah is classified as vulnerable mainly due to poaching and conflict with humans.

Other species, such as the Asiatic cheetah, have even fewer animals in the wild and are critically endangered, but conservation efforts throughout Africa and Asia are helping prevent the animal's extinction.

Answer: Felis bieti

The Chinese mountain cat is a smaller species of cat endemic to Western China near the Tibetan plateau. A fairly recent to be classified, the Chinese mountain cat wasn't known until 2007 when the first photographs of it were captured. Due to the breeding population being relatively small, the Chinese mountain cat has been classified as vulnerable as its conservation status. The organized poisoning of their main prey, the pika, also presents a threat to the Chinese mountain cat's population.

Answer: Leopardus tigrinus

The oncilla is a small species of cat native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America and is a close relative of the ocelot and the margay. The oncilla sports thick, soft fur which unfortunately is one of the main reasons for its vulnerable conservation status.

The oncilla's fur is highly prized and used for clothing. Poaching, coupled with the loss of habitat, keep oncilla populations declining and there are few being raised in captivity.

Answer: Puma yagouaroundi

The jaguarundi is a small wild cat closely related to its larger and heavier cousin, the jaguar. It is mainly endemic to Central and South America and can be found in many habitats from dry forests to wet grasslands. The main threat to the jaguarundi is loss of habitat, but fortunately, mega-reserves in the Amazon Basin keep its conservation status to one of least concern.

Answer: Felis margarita

The sand cat is the only cat that mainly lives in true desert regions. One of the species of smaller cats, the sand cat is mainly found in the deserts of North Africa and Central and Southwest Asia. Their thick, furred feet are excellent for adapting to the extreme hot and cold temperatures of the desert. Due to a fragmented and slowly declining small population, the sand cat is classified as near threatened.