The first part of the scientific name is the genus, and it is always capitalized. (The plural is “genera”). The second part is the species epithet. The entire name is written in italics.

Scientific names are used to describe various species of organisms in a way that is universal so that scientists around the globe can readily identify the same animal. This is called binomial nomenclature, and many of the scientific names are derived from the Latin name of the organism.

Felis catus

Ancient Egyptians may have first domesticated cats as early as 4,000 years ago. Plentiful rodents probably drew wild felines to human communities.

Do cheetahs eat humans? Cheetahs do not eat humans. An injured cheetah is a dead cheetah, so they don’t take risks. The only instance where they might attack a human is when threatened, or in self-defense.

The king cheetah is a cheetah with a visible fur mutation. King cheetahs are not a unique species or sub-species of cheetah. Back in 1927, they were designated as Acinonyx rex (king cheetah) – a new species. Later in 1939, this proposal was removed because of a lack of data to support them as a new species.

Lions and hyenas will kill adult cheetahs, but cubs are especially vulnerable. Cheetah cub survival is only around 5% in East Africa’s Serengeti plains, largely due to lion predation.

In fact, lions are one of the main reasons the Mara’s leopards can be so tricky to find. Lions have been known to hunt and kill leopards. Hyenas are another threat, and will often steal kills before a leopard has had chance to stash them away.

While male lions are generally larger and stronger than female lions, it is the close-knit female pride alliance that typically hunts and provides for the pride. By contrast, tigers are often solitary, though they do socialize.

Traditionally the lion has been crowned king of the jungle, but when one observes a lion and elephant encounter in the African wild it is clear to see that king lion has a healthy respect for elephant.

tigress

The female jaguar is called a female jaguar. The female jaguar usually gives birth to one to four cubs, which are helpless and blind when they are born. The females and males only live together during the mating and pregnancy seasons, which can be for up to four years.

Panthera onca has fur that ranges in colour from pale yellow to reddish brown with black rosette-shaped markings on its neck, body and limbs.