Did you know that European royalty once used cheetahs to hunt deer, or
that caracals can capture birds by leaping six and a half feet straight
up into the air from a standing start? Have you ever wondered whether
domestic cats really do land on their feet when they fall, or how Canada
lynx can stalk their prey in the winter without falling through the deep
snow?
Wild Cats of the World is a treasure trove of answers to questions
like these, and many others, for anyone who's interested in learning
more about the world's felids, including the ones with whom we share our
homes. Mel and Fiona Sunquist have spent more than a decade gathering
information about cats from every available source, many of them quite
difficult to find, including scientific papers, descriptions of hunts,
archeological findings, observations by naturalists and travelers,
reports from government agencies, and newsletters from a wide variety of
organizations. Weaving information from these sources together with
their own experiences observing wild cats around the world, the
Sunquists have created the most comprehensive reference on felids
available. Each of their accounts of the 36 species of cat contains a
description of the cat, including human interactions with it, as well as
detailed data on its distribution, ecology and behavior, status in the
wild, and efforts to conserve it. Numerous photographs, including more
than 40 in full color, illustrate these accounts.
Ranging from the two-pound black-footed cat to the five-hundred-pound
tiger, and from the African serval with its satellite-dish ears to the
web-footed fishing cat of Asia, Wild Cats of the World will fascinate
and educate felid fans of any stripe (or spot).
