G5 LSR 3B 5.01 the Cat Family

Scott Foresman Science 5.1

Genre Comprehension Skill Text Features Science Content

Nonfi ction Compare and Contrast

Captions

Labels

Charts

Glossary

Classifying Organisms

ISBN 0-328-13918-1

1. Why did the ancient Egyptians worship cats?

2. How are a jaguars spots different from a leopards?

3. How does a leopard use its ability to climb trees?

4. The cheetah hunts differently from many other cats. Write to explain the cheetahs special method of hunting and what adaptations it has to help it hunt. Use examples from this book.

5. Compare and Contrast How is a tiger like a lion? How is it different?

What did you learn?Extended Vocabularyalbinodomesticmelaninnocturnalprideterritorytapetum lucidum

Vocabulary

classclassifyinvertebratekingdomphylumspeciesvertebrate

Picture CreditsEvery effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.

Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd).

2 Corbis; 6 (B) Peter Blackwell/Nature Picture Library; 9 (T) W. Perry Conway/Corbis; 11 (T) Jonathan & Angela Scott/NHPA Limited; 13 (TR) Jerry Young/DK Images; 14 Phillip Dowell/DK Images; 15 (T) Andy Rouse/NHPA Limited;20 (B) Yva Momatiuk/John Eastcott /Minden Pictures.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.

ISBN: 0-328-13918-1

Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to anyprohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write toPermissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

13918_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover213918_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover2 5/10/05 1:16:38 PM5/10/05 1:16:38 PM

by Natalie Rompella

13918_05-28_FSD.indd 113918_05-28_FSD.indd 1 5/10/05 1:29:22 PM5/10/05 1:29:22 PM

What You Already Know

2

Scientists classify organisms to make communication easier. Since each organism gets its own special name, scientists always know just which one theyre talking about. Todays classifi cation system divides organisms into groups and then divides each group into smaller groups. The largest group is the kingdom. The other groups, from largest to smallest, are phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

The kingdom most people know best is the animal kingdom. One phylum includes animals that have backbones, or vertebrates. There are many classes of vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fi sh.

Whales are some of the largest members of the animal kingdom.


3

Invertebrates are animals without backbones. Almost all of the animals on our planet are invertebrates. There are many phyla of invertebrates. Insects and spiders belong to the arthropod phylum.

Most living things are not animals. Many are plants, which have more than one cell and can produce their own food. Some phyla in the plant kingdom are mosses, ferns, conifers, and fl owering plants.

Besides plants and animals, most scientists divide life into four other kingdoms. These kingdoms are fungi, protists, eubacteria, and archaebacteria.

In this book you will read about cats. Their family is part of the animal kingdom, the vertebrate phylum, and the mammal class.


4Classifying CatsHow are a house cat, a cheetah, and a tiger alike?

How are they different? It might help to look at how they are classifi ed.

Cats are part of the animal kingdom. All animals fi t into this group, from insects to whales. All cats belong to the phylum Chordata and share this smaller group with

all the other animals with a backbone. Because cats are warm-blooded,

have hair, and make milk for their babies, they belong to the class Mammalia. Cats all eat meat, so they are part of the order Carnivora. Finally, cats belong to the family Felidae and are the only animals on this level.

A level lower than family is genus. Wildcats and domestic cats belong to the genus Felis. Cats in the genus Panthera include leopards, tigers, and lions. Cheetahs are the only cats that belong to the

Acinonyx genus.

Lions belong to the genus Panthera.


5

Genus FelisThis level includes small cats.

Domestic cats, along with bobcats, lynxes, and other small cats, are part of the genus Felis.

Family Felidae All these animals are cats.

Order Carnivora All these animals eat meat.

Class Mammalia All these animals give milk to their young.

Phylum Chordata All these animals have spinal cords.

Animal Kingdom All these organisms are animals.


6Cat FeaturesCats rely on their senses for

survival. They have large eyes to spot prey easily. Have you ever seen a cats eyes glow? Their eyes have a special covering called a tapetum lucidum that refl ects light

back into their eyes. This helps them see well at night, when many cats hunt. Although cats have diffi culty perceiving different colors, the pupils in their eyes are capable of expanding and contracting. This allows cats eyes to take in more light when its dark and less light when its bright.

Cats have a great sense of hearing and are able to hear sounds we cannot, such as the tiny squeaks of mice. Cats whiskers are important too. They are long, stiff hairs that grow out of a cats face. Cats can feel the slightest movement of air over their whiskers. This helps them to fi nd their way in the dark and to know where their prey is.

cats refl ective eyes

Cats bodies are built for hunting.


7

Cats bodies are perfect for hunting. They have sharp teeth, called canines, which they use to pierce their prey. Their backbones are fl exible for running quickly and landing safely. Cats walk on their toes, helping them to hunt quietly and run fast.

One of the most interesting features that cats have is their claws. Cats claws can be retracted, or pulled into their paws, when not in use. The claws retract to keep them sharp and protected. They come out whenever a cat makes a scratching movement with its paw.

When a cats claws come out, its toes splay, or spread out. Splayed toes provide several benefi ts. By splaying its toes, a cat can grip surfaces better and swat at prey with more power. The hair on a cats toes is highly sensitive, like its whiskers. By splaying its toes, a cat picks up information from the different things it touches.

tiger skeleton


8TigerWeighing three hundred to six hundred pounds, tigers

are the biggest and most powerful of all cats. Tigers live in South and East Asia. They make their homes near water, and in grasslands and forests.

Tigers hunt animals such as deer, wild pig, and cattle. Tigers need to eat twelve to fi fteen pounds of meat every day. Thats like eating more than sixty hamburgers!

In contrast with other cats, tigers spend lots of time around water and are excellent swimmers. They have been known to catch fi sh and frogs when their regular food sources are unavailable. Tigers are also capable of climbing trees when they feel threatened.

Most tigers have stripes, which help them to hide in the tall grass. They get close to their prey and wait for it to make the fi rst move. Then they attack.

Weighing up to six hundred pounds, tigers are the largest cats.


9

There are several different types of tigers, such as the Bengal, Sumatran, and Siberian.

Siberian tigers are the largest and lightest in color. They are often thought to be albinos,

but they are not. Albinos have no color at all in their skin, hair, or eyes, because they lack a chemical called melanin. But Siberian tigers have black stripes and

blue eyes. Hunting and habitat destruction are

threatening tigers with extinction. Scientists estimate that fewer than eight thousand tigers remain in the wild. Of the different types, the Chinese tiger is most endangered. Only one hundred, at most, are left in the wild. The Bengal tiger is most common,

with almost four thousand living in the wild.Tigers need lots of space. Just one adult male needs

twenty-fi ve to thirty-fi ve square miles of land. Project Tiger is a group that works to save tigers homes, which will then help to save tigers from extinction.

Tigers stripes help them to hide in tall grass.


10

LionLions live on grassy plains in Africa and South Asia.

They hunt animals such as zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, and warthogs. If they need to, lions will steal food from cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, or hyenas. If they are very hungry, they will eat insects or grass.

What do male lions have that other cats do not? They are the only cats to have a mane of hair around their neck. Lions in cooler areas grow larger manes than lions in warmer areas.

Lions are the only cats to live in groups. Their groups are called prides. Prides can have as few as fi ve lions and as many as twenty-six.

Lions, like tigers, require large habitats. Prides will roam over an area of 150 square miles in search of prey. When more food is available, they reduce their territories to a tenth of that size. Lions roar loudly and rub against trees and the ground to mark their territory.

The male lions mane protects its neck during fi ghts with other males.


11

Prides are made up of female lions called lionesses, their cubs, and a few males. Adult lions breed every couple of years, with lionesses giving birth to two to four cubs at a time. Few cubs survive to become adults.

As the male cubs grow, the adult males drive them out of the pride. These cubs spend several years living on their own. Upon becoming adults, many take over a pride from an older and weaker male lion. Other male lions spend their

entire lives living on their own.Lionesses are very important to the pride, because they do

almost all the hunting. With their lighter bodies, female lions can run much faster than males, which helps them catch prey. Males are important to the pride

too. They guard the prides territory and watch over the

cubs. Although the lionesses do the hunting, the males get to eat the prey fi rst.

In prides, female lions hunt and take care of the young. Males stand guard over the territory of their pride.


12

LeopardLeopards are found in India,

Southeast Asia, and central and East Africa. They hunt medium-sized mammals, such as baby giraffes. If other meat eaters are near, leopards will bring their meal up into a tree to keep it safe.

One kind of leopard is the snow leopard. These leopards live in the mountains and grasslands of central Asia,

living off wild sheep and goats and sometimes preying on livestock. They have thick fur to keep warm, large paws to walk in the snow, and a long, fl uffy tail. Their tails are used both for balance and to wrap around themselves for extra warmth.

Female snow leopards give birth to two to four cubs at a time. They raise their cubs in caves or between rocks. Snow leopards go off to live by themselves at age two, and start producing cubs of their own soon after.

Snow leopards have been listed as endangered since 1972. As with tigers, scientists think there are ony a few thousand remaining in the wild.

Leopards climb trees to sleep and to protect their food from other animals.


13

Some leopards are black. This is because they have large amounts of melanin in their skin. These dark-colored leopards live in the warm Amazon rain forest. Sometimes people call these leopards black panthers, although this name is not really correct. Panther is a name used for large cats of several different species, including leopards, jaguars, and pumas. It is usually used for cats that are black.

The name panther comes from the Latin word Panthera. Lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars belong to the genus, or group, called Panthera. These large cats can all roar, and are enough related to mate

and produce offspring. For example, a male lion and a female tiger can mate to create a liger. A tigon, the result of a male tiger mating with

a female lion, is far more rare. Ligers and tigons can grow much larger than regular tigers and lions. However, they are incapable of producing offspring.

If you look closely at a black leopards fur, you will see that it is spotted.

panther fur

leopard fur


14

JaguarJaguars are another of the great spotted cats. They are

often confused with leopards, as both have spots with pale centers that look like rings. What makes jaguars spots different are the small, black dots inside some of its ring spots. Jaguars are also larger than leopards.

Jaguars that live in the rain forest are darker than ones that live in the grassland. They are the third largest cat in the world, and the largest cat in the Americas. They can be found in southern Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. They like to live near rivers and streams. A male jaguar has a territory twice as large as a females.

Despite their size, jaguars are hard to fi nd in the wild. Like other cats, they live alone and move about quietly. Jaguars can mate at any time during the year. Female jaguars produce two to four cubs at a time, the standard for big cats.

Jaguars look a lot like leopards, but jaguars spots have smaller spots inside of them.


15

Jaguars will hunt any animal they fi nd. They usually hunt wild pigs and capybaras, the worlds largest rodent. Jaguars have large canine teeth for catching animals. With their padded feet, jaguars hunt silently on land. They also hunt by climbing trees and waiting for animals. Other prey of the jaguar include water animals such as fi sh, turtles, and a type of crocodile called a caiman. The jaguar is able to crack open

the hard shell of turtles with its strong jaws.Jaguars spend less time resting than other

big cats. They are active about 50 to 60 percent of each day.

Despite its talents as a hunter, incredible strength, and ability

to swim, the jaguar is in serious trouble. For years, people hunted it for its skin,

which greatly reduced its numbers. The jaguar was put on

the endangered species list in 1972. However, it still faces habitat loss due to hunting, logging, farming, and mining in the Amazon rain forest.

Jaguars usually live near water, where they can hunt fi sh and other water animals.


16

Smaller CatsHow many other kinds of cats can you name? There are

twenty-eight species of small cats in the world. Like big cats, small cats are found in all different kinds of habitats.

lynx

Lynxes are small cats that live in many different areas. There is a Canadian lynx, a Eurasian lynx, and a Spanish lynx. They live in wooded mountains. They are nocturnal and use their senses of sight and smell to help them hunt. They will follow a scent for miles. Lynxes are good at climbing trees and are able to drop down on their prey. They also swim well. Lynxes eat many different animals, such as rabbits, hares, squirrels, young deer, ducks, fi sh, and insects.

Lynx


17

Pumas are also known as cougars or mountain lions. They can be found in the United States, Canada, and South America. They live in deserts, prairies, and forests. Pumas have long legs and large paws, which help them to run in the snow. At night they hunt deer, rodents, birds, amphibians, and insects.

Puma

BobcatBobcats look like domestic

cats but are about twice as big. Bobcats are easy to spot because of the white underside of their tail and black tufts of fur on their ears. These tufts help them to hear better. Bobcats can be found in most of the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. They hunt rabbits, rodents, birds, and even small deer.

puma

bobcat


18

ocelot

Ocelots are very secretive cats. They hide in the jungle, forests, semideserts, and along rivers. With their chainlike pattern of blotches, ocelots blend in well with their surroundings. They live from the southwestern United States to parts of South America.

Ocelot


19

Geoffroys CatGeoffroys cat is named after

the French naturalist Geoffroy St. Hilaire. It lives in southern South America and is about the size of a domestic cat. Geoffroys cats hunt birds, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. They are good swimmers and will also catch and eat fi sh.

Caracals live in Africa and the Middle East. Like bobcats, caracals have long, black tufts on the tips of their ears. They like to eat desert hedgehogs and some reptiles.

Caracals even jump into the air to catch birds. They have been known to knock down ten to twelve birds

in one leap! Because of this, people once trained them to attack

birds for entertainment.

Caracal

caracal

Geoffroys cat


20

CheetahThe fastest land animal in the world, the cheetah is able

to reach speeds of about seventy miles per hour. Cheetahs are built for speed. They have long legs and light bodies. Unlike other cats, cheetahs cant pull their claws back into their paws. Instead, the claws stay out to grip the ground as the cat runs. Cheetahs have larger nasal openings, hearts, lungs, and air passageways than other cats. These help them to breathe while running and to catch their breath afterwards. Their long tail is used for balance when running, helping the cheetah to quickly change direction.

Cheetahs chase their prey instead of sitting and waiting for it to get close. They hunt mostly antelope, but in groups they can attack zebras and wildebeests. After chasing its prey, the cheetah will wait twenty to thirty minutes to catch its breath before eating. Cheetahs mainly live in the savanna and semideserts of East Africa.

The cheetahs long legs help it to run fast. Its long tail is used for balance when changing directions quickly.


21

Cheetahs are all genetically similar. Some scientists believe that only a small number of cheetahs survived a major change in climate thousands of years ago. It is from this small number that all modern cheetahs came about. Because of this, they have poor disease resistance.

The cheetah has unusual face markings. There is a black stripe running down from the eye to the mouth on both sides of its face.

The cheetahs claws do not retract like those of most cats. Instead, the cheetah uses its claws to grip the ground when running.


22

Domestic CatsDomestic cats, or house cats, are thought to

be related to African wildcats. Long ago, people may have kept cats to kill rodents. The ancient Egyptians worshipped cats and kept them as

pets. They believed that their sun god, Ra, had changed into a cat. Because of

this, when their cat died, people would shave their own eyebrows as a sign of

sadness. They would even mummify the cat!

There are many different kinds of domestic cats today,

such as the Siamese, Persian, and Abyssinian. Cats can be many

colors and patterns. These include white, orange, gray, spotted, and

striped. Cats can have long hair, short hair, or no hair at all.

Just like wild cats, domestic cats like to sharpen their claws.


23

Cats are amazing animals. Their bodies, with their retractable claws, fl exible spine, sharp canines, and highly developed senses, are perfectly suited to their ways of living.

Why does a cheetah need such long legs? Why are tigers striped? Why are cats able to see in the dark? Why

do lions live in prides? All of these adaptations help cats to survive.

From the snowy mountains of Canada to the hot African plains, cats can be found almost everywhere in the world. But habitat loss, hunting, and other factors have placed them in danger. Of the thirty-six known species of wild cats, at least ten are considered endangered or threatened. Scientists suspect that several more species might

be in trouble, but they dont have enough information about them. Cats

are some of the best hunters around.

They have made many adaptations to stay alive.

But they still need our help!

This cats fl exible spine allows it to jump and land safely.

Even though house cats have lived with humans for thousands of years, they have not lost their hunting skills.


24

Glossaryalbino an animal that is all white because its body

lacks melanin

domestic kept as a pet or farm animal by humans

melanin chemical that gives skin, eyes, hair, fur, and feathers their color

nocturnal active at night

pride a group of lions

territory the area that an animal thinks of as its own and defends from others

tapetum lucidum a membrane of the eye that bounces light back through the retina so an animal can see better in the dark


1. Why did the ancient Egyptians worship cats?

2. How are a jaguars spots different from a leopards?

3. How does a leopard use its ability to climb trees?

4. The cheetah hunts differently from many other cats. Write to explain the cheetahs special method of hunting and what adaptations it has to help it hunt. Use examples from this book.

5. Compare and Contrast How is a tiger like a lion? How is it different?

What did you learn?Extended Vocabularyalbinodomesticmelaninnocturnalprideterritorytapetum lucidum

Vocabulary

classclassifyinvertebratekingdomphylumspeciesvertebrate

Picture CreditsEvery effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.

Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd).

2 Corbis; 6 (B) Peter Blackwell/Nature Picture Library; 9 (T) W. Perry Conway/Corbis; 11 (T) Jonathan & Angela Scott/NHPA Limited; 13 (TR) Jerry Young/DK Images; 14 Phillip Dowell/DK Images; 15 (T) Andy Rouse/NHPA Limited;20 (B) Yva Momatiuk/John Eastcott /Minden Pictures.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.

ISBN: 0-328-13918-1

Copyright Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to anyprohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write toPermissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

13918_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover213918_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover2 5/10/05 1:16:38 PM5/10/05 1:16:38 PM

previous:

next:

Date post:	17-Aug-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	kristin-myers
View:	30 times
Download:	4 times

G5 LSR 3B 5.01 the Cat Family

Documents