Posted on 11/02/2018 12:09:38 PM PDT by ETL
The deadliest cat on Earth isn't a shaggy-maned lion, a sleek leopard or a stealthy tiger. It's a wee cat that you've probably never heard of: Africa's smallest feline, the black-footed cat.
Native to the grasslands of southern Africa, the black-footed cat has an endearingly round face and a light brown, black-spotted body that is small even compared to domestic cats. The wild feline measures only 14 to 20 inches long, stands about 8 inches tall and weighs about 2 to 6 lbs, according to the International Society for Endangered Cats (black-footed cats are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Admittedly, those measurements don't sound very impressive when compared to the sizable big cats that are among the world's most fearsome predators. But despite its small size, the black-footed cat hunts and brings down more prey in a single night than a leopard does in six months, according to the PBS Nature miniseries "Super Cats." [Meet the Rare and Fabulous Felines of 'Super Cats' (Photos)]
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Black-footed cats use three very different techniques to nab their prey. One method is known as "fast hunting," in which the cats bound quickly and "almost randomly" through the tall grass, flushing out small prey such as birds or rodents, Hunter said. Another of their methods takes them on a slower course through their habitat, with the cats weaving quietly and carefully to sneak up on potential prey.
Finally, they use a sit-and-wait approach near rodents' burrows, a technique called still hunting, Hunter said.
"They wait for up to 2 hours, [staying] absolutely immobile, just silently waiting at the burrow for a rodent to appear. And then they nab it," Hunter told Live Science.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
It is guarded by a monster which is initially unknown.
King Arthur and his knights are led to the cave by Tim the Enchanter and find that they must face this guardian beast.
Tim verbally paints a picture of a terrible monster with "nasty, big, pointy teeth!", so terrifying that Sir Robin soils his armour at the mere description.
When the guardian appears to be an innocuous white rabbit, surrounded by the bones of the fallen, Arthur and his knights no longer take it seriously.
Ignoring Tim's warnings ("a vicious streak a mile wide!"), King Arthur orders Bors to chop the rabbit's head off.
Bors confidently approaches it, sword drawn, and is immediately decapitated by the rabbit biting clean through his neck, to the sound of a can opener.
Despite their initial shock, Sir Robin soiling his armor again, and Tim's loud scoffing, the knights attack in force.
But the rabbit injures several of the knights and kills Gawain and Ector with ease.
The knights themselves have no hope of killing or injuring the rabbit.
Arthur panics and shouts for the knights to "Run away!".
Knowing they cannot risk attacking again, they try to find another way to defeat the beast. The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is ultimately used to kill the rabbit and allow the quest to proceed.
Feral house cats and loose dogs are shot on site in the rural areas around here. For good reason.
House cats are no slouches. My aunt regularly feeds a semi-feral cat that comes and goes as he feels like it. He routinely leaves presents of freshly-killed mice and various birds at her doorstep.
I saw “remorseless killing machine” and thought this was a thread about Hillary. But then I realized they also said Adorable.
I’ve read about these elsewhere. They have an incredible 60% successful kill rate when they make a strike. Doesn’t sound like much until you compare it to a wolf (15%), lions in packs (20%), or even falcons (50%).
Lot of punch in a small package.
Nah. If it were really that deadly, it would live in Australia.
Like these cats, domestic cats here are the enemy of all birds.
They rarely bother with rodents anymore, especially anything bigger than a house mouse. The rats are too big and aggressive for them.
For this reason I hate cats. If it were up to me I would pay boys 12-16yrs old a bounty of $10 for each they present dead to animal control. And would issue them the pellet guns to get the job done.
The program could be paused once the populations are again balanced.
Ah, nice kitty!
Nah. If it were really that deadly, it would live in Australia.
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They did, once.
The spiders got em all
What a cutie
Reminds me of a cross between a Black and Gray Tabby (we generically called’ed Toms growing up - though I know that is considered a term for males of any type) and an ocelot.
A thank you
I’d love to have a cat that looks like that!
Oh, man...I needed a laugh! Thank you...anything with a Grail reference picks me up!
I have three Mountain Feists. Better than cats. A mouse, squirrel, rat, or bug doesn’t stand a chance.
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