Three felines you might not know

Cats, tigers, lions, panthers… we all know big cats, but what about the small ones? Do you know who are the caracal, the jaguarundi and the margay? Read on to meet them.

WHAT IS A FELINE?

Maybe you have a cat (Felis silvestris catus) at home, but have you ever thinked about what it has in common with a tiger? The truth is that a lot: the similarity among all species of felines is extraordinary and the classification of the smallest ones is difficult .

Felines are the most specialized carnivorous mammals. They live across Eurasia, Africa and America, from deserts to alpine heights. Most are solitary, big climbers (except the larger ones) and many good swimmers.

ANATOMY

With round face and short snout, felines have developed specialized canine teeth to cut meat. They have 5 toes on their front paws and 4 in the back paws, with a curved retractable claw in each to grab prey. Retracted in the rest position, the claws are kept well sharpened. The pads of the feet, surrounded by hair, help them to be silent while walking.

Felines have very acute senses, from a good night vision, good sense of hearing and smell and sensory whiskers .

Retracted and extended feline claw. Domestic cat’s declawing involves the amputation of the nail and the first phalanx, which can cause serious injury. In many countries it is illegal to be ethically unacceptable.

THE CARACAL: THE BEST JUMPER

The caracal (Caracal caracal) lives in Africa and western, central and southern Asia, in semi-desert areas and savannah. It is also known as desert lynx, but is more related to other cats (such as serval and the African golden cat) than with the lynx. It has medium size (60-90 cm long); its lynx appearance is mainly due to hair brushes in his ears, the longest and widest of all felines. Its usefulness is unclear, maybe they can improve hearing, ward off insects or highlight facial expressions as a system of communication between peers. Indeed, its name comes from the Turkish word Karakulak, literally “black ears”.

Their fur is usually brown or reddish and blotchy white belly, although there are melanic individuals (skin and coat with lots of black pigment melanin) as found in other felines, such as the famous black panther, which actually is a melanic leopard ( Panthera pardus ).

Caracal in South Africa. Unknown author

Their habits are mostly nocturnal and solitary. The most notable ability of the caracal is their jumps up to 3 meters vertically and catching birds in flight. It is also good climber, so it can prey on nests in trees. Its other dams are small antelopes, rabbits, rodents, etc. and poultry, so it is persecuted for this reason.

Watch a caracal jumping and catching a bird in flight:

According to the IUCN Red List is not generally considered in danger, but as “least concern”, although the Asian subspecies (Caracal caracal schmitzi) has suffered a serious setback. In addition to hunting, habitat destruction is the main threat of the caracal.

JAGUARUNDI: THE RAREST ONE

The jaguarundi or eyra cat (Herpailurus yagouarondi) is distributed throughout the southern United States to South America, in habitats such as tropical forests, wetlands and arid shrublands.

It has small size (9kg), and it seems more a puma or a weasel, with long legs and short tail and ears. The coat is uniform, without spots or stripes, with colors ranging from black, gray, light brown or reddish. Even in the same litter, the pups may have different hues. The dark furs are more common in wooded areas, while clear furs in drier environments.

Jaguarundi. Photo by Kevin Schafer

Unlike other cats of its size, its territories are quite large and are mainly terrestrial, although it moves smoothly through the trees. Their prey are small mammals and birds, but can also hunt on reptiles, amphibians and fish caught in the river banks. It can jump two meters and as the caracal, catch their prey in the air.

Watch the movements and techniques of a jaguarundi hunting from 9:55 minute:

Just like the caracal, it is considered as “least concern “by the IUCN, although populations are smaller than initially thought, since being diurnal is an easily observable species. The threats are the same: prosecution for killing poultry and habitat loss and fragmentation. Fortunately his fur has no commercial value.

MARGAY: THE BEST CLIMBER

The margay (Leopardus wiedii) is distributed throughout Central and South America in forested areas. Similar to ocelots, has a size and weight (40-60 cm long and 3.5 kg) smaller than them. The spotted coat helps them blend in with the environment. These spots are called rosettes and cover the entire body except the head . Each individual has his own pattern of spots, like our fingerprints.

Margay in a tree. Photo by Wendy Shattil and Rob Rozinski

 The most striking of margay are their big eyes and tail, very long (up to 70% of their body size). These are adaptations to their nocturnal habits and extreme agility to move through the trees, where it spends most of the time. Their prey are birds, small monkeys, small mammals, lizards, tree frogs and even insects.

The margay special ability is that it can vertically go down tree trunks, with its head down like squirrels do. This is possible because they can rotate 180 degrees the rear ankles. The only other feline able to do the same: is the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). This feature, along with special claws for climbing and clinging to the branches, allow them to move through the trees with the agility of a monkey: they can even hold on to a branch with only one leg. They are therefore the best climbers among cats.

Margay down a trunk with the head down. Photo taken from Terrarium online

Like caracals and jaguarundis, margays are solitary and they meet only when they have to mate.

The margay is classified by the IUCN as “near threatened “and their populations are declining. Unlike jaguarundi, it is hunted for its beautiful fur and for use as pets illegally. The destruction and fragmentation of habitat (forest conversion into farmland) are the other major threat to the margay, who does not tolerate humanized habitats.

We finish the post with images of margay in action from 1:22 minute:

REFERENCES

• Clutton-Brock, Juliet et al. 2002. Animal. Pearson Education
• Caracal (IUCN)
• Caracal (DeAnimalia)
• Jaguarundi (IUCN)
• Jaguarundi (EOL)
• Margay: master of the trees
• Margay (IUCN)
• International Society for Endangered Cats (Canada)
• Cover photo Aaron John Curtis

Flowers wearing turban, the Tulip fever

The spring beginning has allowed some of you to enjoy the beautiful colours of those flowers that have already bloomed. This time I’m going to talk about one of the most colourful, simple, but wonderful flowers you probably already will have had the opportunity to observe in many gardens or in nature. It is the tulip. Besides introduce you this plant, in this article I will make a more detailed description of its morphological parts. I think it’s a good example to start learning vocabulary, because its structure is quite clear and simple. Therefore, if you are interested in learning some technical vocabulary, now it’s a perfect chance. But, do not think I’m just going to talk about the technical aspects, because reading this article you will also be able to learn the history behind the tulips. And as you will see, these flowers caused a good fever!

Artistic image of several tulips (Photo taken by Adriel Acosta).

 INTRODUCTION

The tulips (Tulipa sp.) are flowers that when are closed seem a turban. This plants have been very popular and well-known for very long time, because of its high ornamental interest.

Its genus is distributed in the central and western Asia, in the Mediterranean and in Europe. It is known that its origin belongs to the centre of Asia and, from there, their distribution has been expanded naturally and by human actions. And, although about 150 species are known in the nature, human intervention has greatly increased the species list. Caused both by hybridization (forcing the offspring of two interesting species) and by selective breeding (choosing the offspring which has more value).

Tulip crop in Amsterdam (Photo taken by Rob Young). 

 THE TULIP FEVER

As already mentioned above, tulips are one of the most ornamental plants used, both in decoration as in landscaping. And while the tulip crop is rather old, the boom occurred in Europe during the seventeenth century. Giving rise to what is known as Tulip mania or the Tulip fever. In those moments, especially in Netherlands and France, a high interest in the cultivation of these plants awoke. The fever was so great that people were selling goods of all kinds to buy tulip bulbs, even reaching up to sell the most valued as the house or farm animals.

The cause of this was originated in the Netherlands, where the single-coloured tulip bulbs were being sold at that time. But afterwards, the Eastern bulbs that give rise to flowers with variegated colours appeared. And they were very attractive. Although the cause was uncertain in that moment, it was known that if a single-coloured bulb touched other marbled-coloured bulb, the first one would turned into a marbled-coloured bulb. This caused the tulip’s price began to increase and soon after occurred the first speculative bubble in history.

Nowadays, we know that the cause is due to a virus which is transmitted from some bulbs to others; this virus is known as Tulip breaking virus.

Anonymous gouache on paper drawing, 17th century, of the “Semper Augustus”. A representation of one of the most popular tulips which was sold at record price in Netherlands (Public Domain).

MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS

 The plant

 Tulips are geophytes, that is, they have resistance bodies underground to survive during unfavourable seasons, the winter. These organs are bulbs, which have been used on crops to preserve these plants.

Its leaves are linear or linear-lanceolate, i.e., they are long, narrow and acute. Parallel venation can be observed on its leaves, so a nerve is by side other and with the same direction. Their arrangement is usually in rosette: this means that the leaves are born agglomerated in the bottom of the plant above the bulb, and at the same level. Even so, you can sometimes see some leaves along the stem, cauline ones. These are sessile, without petiole, and wrap a little the stem.

To cultivate tulips, we can use their bulbs or fruits. These seconds are capsules, a dried fruits, opened due the action of some valves. At first, the seeds are hooked inside these capsules and then are released and distributed on the environment.

Tulip (Photo taken by Adriel Acosta).

The flowers

Tulips appear in early spring, due they are plants adapted to very dry Mediterranean climate or cold areas.

As you have seen, the flowers are solitary or appear to 3 gathered in one stem. They are usually large and showy, hermaphrodite, therefore, they have both male and female reproductive organs, and are actinomorphous, that is, they can be divided symmetrically for more than two planes of symmetry.

These flowers have 3 inner tepals and 3 external that are free among them, without being bound or fused. We talk about tepals when the sepals (calyx pieces) and petals (corolla parts) are similar between them. In this case, the tepals are petaloid, because they adopt typical colours and shapes of the petals.

In the inner part of the flower, we can see 6 stamens divided equally into 2 whorls; being these two closely spaced between them, so they seem to arise from the same point. And right in the centre, surrounded by these stamens, there is the gynoecium, female part of the flower. This gynoecium consists of the ovary and 3 stigmas attached to this directly. The stigmas are this part of female reproductive organs where it should arrive pollen to fertilize the ovaries.

Parts of tulip flower: 1. Sepal, 2. Petal, 3. Stamen, 4. Female reproductive organ (ovary and 3 stigmas) (Photo taken by Adriel Acosta).

 As you have seen in this article, some flowers have caused curious stories and a great impact on our society. Also, you have had the opportunity to observe in detail the tulip’s structure. One more time, I wish you liked it.

REFERENCES

• A. Aguilella & F. Puche. 2004. Diccionari de botànica. Colleció Educació. Material. Universitat de València: pp. 500.
• Bolòs, J. Vigo, R. M. Masalles & J. M. Ninot. 2005. Flora manual dels Països catalans. 3ed. Pòrtic Natura, Barcelona: pp. 1310.
• Notes of Phanerogamae and Applied Plant Physiology, Degree of Environmental Biology, Ambiental, UAB
• F. Schiappacasse. Cultivo del tulipan. http://www2.inia.cl/medios/biblioteca/seriesinia/NR21768.pdf
• Fundación para la Innovación Agraria; Ministerio de Agricultura. 2008. Resultados y Lecciones en Tulipán. Proyecto de Innovación en XII Región de Magallanes. Flores y FOllajes/ Flores de corte (11).