Forest Cats of North America

by Kobalenko, Jerry

• ISBN13: 9781552091722
• ISBN10: 1552091724
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-02-05
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

Superb pictorial of big cats.Big cats are efficient predators that once roamed from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico. Today, they are confined to scattered, remote habitats.Forest Cats of North America is an intensive look at panthers, cougars, lynxes and bobcats, describing each species in detail. Range maps identify where the cats live and fact files feature scientific and common names, number of subspecies, physical traits, diet, life span and more. Spectacular color photographs capture these cats as they stalk, hunt and raise their young.The fascinating evolution of big cats is covered including the differences between North American and African cats and how the cougar may well be the ancestor of the cheetah.Forest Cats of North America is a lively, informative introduction to the continent's most elusive predators.

Author Biography

Jerry Kobalenko has logged 4,000 miles on foot over the course of twenty-five wildlife expeditions. His writing and photography appear around the world in such publications as Outside, National Geographic, Adventure and Cond+¬ Nast Traveler. He lives in Banff, Alberta.

Wildlife photographers Thomas Kitchin and Victoria Hurst live in Nova Scotia. Their work has appeared in nature, news and general-interest publications including Field and Stream, National Wildlife, Newsweek, Reader's Digest and Time.

Table of Contents

Introduction	4	(4)
Chapter 1: THE LEGEND, THE SURVIVOR AND THE INTROVERT	8	(30)
The Legend: The Cougar	8	(4)
Cougar Science	12	(5)
The Kitten and the Killer	17	(5)
The Survivor: The Bobcat	22	(1)
Forever Rivals	22	(4)
Facts and Fantasies	26	(4)
The Introvert: The Lynx	30	(8)
Chapter 2: BONES OF CONTENTION	38	(10)
The Two "C's"	41	(2)
The Chicken or the Egg?	43	(5)
Chapter 3: ON THE PROWL	48	(20)
Feast or Famine	50	(1)
A Dangerous Profession	50	(2)
The Predator-in-Chief	52	(2)
Misunderstandings	54	(2)
The Lynx and the Hare: A Classic Cycle Revisited	56	(3)
Snapping the Cycle	59	(3)
The Cycling Bobcat?	62	(1)
Two Kills Witnessed	63	(5)
Chapter 4: BRIEF ENCOUNTERS	68	(12)
Chapter 5: MAN AND CAT	80	(12)
First Contact	80	(3)
The Furred Demon	83	(1)
The Crime of Crimes	84	(5)
Grand Attack Central	89	(3)
Chapter 6: TWO MODERN CAT TALES	92	(18)
Florida Panther: The Glamour Puss	92	(2)
The Old Florida	94	(2)
Clones	96	(3)
Eastern Cougar: A UFO With Paws	99	(1)
The Case Against	100	(3)
The Case For	103	(7)
Chapter 7: FELINE FUTURES	110	(8)
Acknowledgments	118	(2)
Sources	120	(5)
Index	125