What Big Cat Are You? Genus Panthera Ethology

Congratulations, you got the Lion!

The Lion (Panthera Leo) is the King of Beasts for many good reasons. First, it is incredibly strong. It has more powerful arms than any other Big Cat and has very dense bones. This makes it incredibly strong and durable. In very short bursts, the Lion can reach up to 50 mph (80 kmph), making it one of the fastest animals on land. The Lion’s bite is also extremely strong, being able to break the backs of many prey animals with ease. It is also the second largest of all big cats, ranging from 265 lbs. to 550 lbs. (129 kg to 250 kg). Some especially large wild Lions are said to have reached 660 lbs. (300 kg). Thus, the largest Lion is smaller than the largest Tiger, though most Lions and most Tigers are still roughly the same size.
Lions once ranged throughout Africa, the Middle East, Europe, India, and even North America. Indeed, the Lion was the dominant animal on earth. The only living creatures that could reliably defeat them were humans. As was typical, humans and lions fought a great deal in antiquity – as is evidenced by many lion bones in ancient human dwelling and human bones in ancient lion dens. Eventually, humanity drove lions to extinction in their European and Middle Eastern range. Paleontologists still debate how the North American Lions went extinct, though humanity may have played a role there as well. Lions now live in only a small portion of their African range and a tiny forest in India.

The Lion’s mane is its most famous quality. Large and dark manes only occur on male Lions who have high testosterone and good health. Thus, large manes are a feature to attract mates. It is also generally believed that Lion manes provide some protection in fights. The thick mane would cushion from blows, make it difficult for claws to reach flesh, and make it more difficult to bite the neck. This may be the reason that male lions often kill each other with a bite to break their enemy’s back rather than attempting a bite to the throat. However, the mane is still only thick hair and is not a perfect defense. Lions are also known for their powerful roar, which can be heard from 5 miles (8 km) away and is used as a form of long distance communication between Lions.

Lions are also the most social of all cats, living in large Prides. All the females in the pride are sisters. The males are a group of brothers. Unlike most other pack animals, Lions have no strict hierarchy. There is no Alpha Male or Alpha Female – merely a family. Lion Prides are highly affectionate and spend much of their days nuzzling one another, playing, or merely cuddling. While Lions may therefore appear lazy, the truth is that they are simply nocturnal by nature. Lions have three basic forms of hunting. The first and most common is all female groups, which use their great speed and intelligence to execute complex hunting techniques to take down faster prey. Against larger prey like cape buffalo, giraffe, or elephant, the Lionesses and Lions cooperate with the Lionesses acting to corral and harass the prey while the stronger but slower males go in for the kill. Contrary to popular belief, male Lions are perfectly capable of hunting on their own. While they are not as fast or stealthy as the females due to their upper body mass and mane, males are highly successful hunters – especially at night when ambushing from dense foliage. When males hunt alone, Cape Buffalo appear to be the preferred prey. Against most prey animals, the Lion’s typical method is to stealthily surround the prey, have one group attack and chase the prey into another group, and then they use a single paw swipe to knock the fleeing animals off their feet. This strike is followed with a bite to break the neck. Against smaller prey, they may kill it with a swipe of their paw or a bite to break the prey’s back. Large prey like Buffalo are often killed by one Lion biting the mouth and nose shut and wrestling the prey to the ground while the others bite and claw to wear down the prey by a combination of lack of oxygen and blood loss. Against large elephants, it is usually a matter of attrition by blood loss. Both females and males will protect and provide for the cubs, though a majority of those duties fall to the females. Males also protect the pride lands. Lion prides act almost like countries or tribes, with each Lion pride viewing other Lion prides as potential enemies. Hyenas, Leopards, and Cheetahs are also considered enemies. Therefore, the duty to protect the Pride’s territory and right to hunt on the land is very important in such highly competitive areas. Male Lions will also defend the cubs and the females from any threats.

Lions are also highly intelligent. This is shown in the wild with their sophisticated hunting tactics including flanking maneuvers, ambush, false retreat, etc. One pair of male Lions, who apparently had been attacked by a Cheetah as cubs, set an elaborate Cheetah trap. They killed a female Cheetah in heat, and then waited for the male Cheetahs to follow the scent. They then killed each male Cheetah that arrived. While brutal, this certainly shows their intelligence. Recent studies have shown that Lions are capable of coordinated problem solving (such as opening boxes that required both parties to pull their levers at once). In fact, a recent University of Florida study showed that Lions are the best of all Big Cats at solving puzzle boxes to get to the meat inside. Lions have learned to open doors at some safaris, and Lionesses in specific even passed the Mirror Test – not only realizing that the mirror was their reflection, but using it for problem solving. While their brains overall may be smaller than Tigers, their pre-frontal cortexes are much larger than any other Big Cat. (The pre-frontal cortex is the area generally involved in planning, higher cognition, and moderating social behavior.)

While the majority of Lions live on the open African Savannah, Lions thrive in a wide variety of environments, such as braving the heat and dryness of the Kalahari Desert, swimming through and hunting in the waters of the Okavango Delta flood plain, and living deep in the Kafa Rainforest of Ethiopia. The Barbary Lion once lived in the Atlas Mountains and ancient and medieval Lions lived in the Balkan Mountains and the Caucasus. The extinct Cave Lion was once the dominant predator throughout the steppes, forests, taiga, and perhaps even tundra of Europe, northern Asia, and Alaska.

Combining their great strength, speed, intelligence, and warm, loving family relations, it’s no wonder that Lions have been loved and adored for millennia across civilizations. They remain the ideal symbol of regal power, wise leadership, and undying courage throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Western Civilization.

Traits:
MBTI: ENTJ, ENFJ, ESTJ, and ESFJ are the best fits, though many others will end up with Lion
Extroverted
Intuitive
Focused Planning (Introverted Intuition)
Either Adventurous/Here-and-Now or Memory/Tradition
Thinking or Feeling
Goal-Oriented Logic (Extroverted Thinking)
Group-Based Feeling (Extroverted Feeling)
Law and Order
Enneagram Types: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8
Open Areas or Any Area (lions were once the most widespread large carnivore on earth)
Heat or Cold (lions once lived in areas ranging from near desert to frozen taiga)
Africa and Western World (due to symbolic and cultural significance)
Assertive to Highly Assertive
Courage, Honor, Leadership, Willpower, Intelligence, Ferocity, Ambition, Justice
Teamwork
Medium Stealth
Can Swim
Mediocre Climbing Ability, Good Jumping Ability
Below Average Speed to Very High Speed - Lions vary significantly in top speed from 36 mph (58 kmph) all the way up to 50 mph (80 kmph) depending on the individual
Very to Extremely Strong
Very Intelligent
Best Traits: Leadership, Intelligence, Strength, Courage, Adaptability, Kindness

Congratulations, you got the Tiger!

The Tiger (Panthera Tigris) is known for strength, courage, and indomitable will. Tigers range greatly in size, with some as small as 143 lbs. (65 kg) and others as large as 675 lbs. (306 kg). A few rare individuals have been over 800 lbs. (364 kg) but those were generally overweight. This makes the largest Tigers to be the largest of all living Big Cats. Tigers once ranged throughout the Far East, large parts of Russia, and many parts of the Middle East, though they are now among the most endangered of all animals. They are largely victims of their own success. In addition to poaching for their furs and parts, Tigers were often hunted historically simply because they were the biggest and most dangerous predator in Asia to hunt.
Tigers are ambush predators, sneaking through the foliage, trees, and grasses, and then leaping out with a burst of speed and power to attack the prey. Against most prey, the tiger crushes the prey’s neck with the single bite. Against large prey, it will often bite the throat and use its front paws to wrestle the prey to the ground. Tigers can sometimes kill medium to small prey with a single paw swipe. Tigers hunt deer, wild boar, water buffalo, yak, moose, and occasionally animals such as pythons, crocodiles, and salmon. A few scattered accounts exist of Tigers preying on Indian Elephants – which would make the Tiger the only solitary animal to hunt Elephants. Such Elephant hunting is very rare and presumably on young or smaller Elephants, but it is impressive nonetheless.

Tigers are unusual among felines in being excellent swimmers and loving the water. Furthermore, they can run at 45 mph in short bursts (72 kmph). They also will sometimes be surprisingly courteous to other Tigers that happen upon their kill. While male Tigers will often fight and are aggressive towards each other, male Tigers will often allow females or cubs to share their meal. Tigers also have the largest brain cases relative to their body mass of all Big Cats. Thus, Tigers may very well be the most intelligent of all Big Cats. Their intelligence is demonstrated by their ability to hunt and survive in a wide range of habitats, their ability to successfully hunt nearly anything, their ability to accurately mimic the sounds of other animals to lure them, and their ability to very rapidly learn tricks in captivity. They have superb memories (often better than humans) and are true escape artists, often able to plan elaborate escapes from seemingly foolproof enclosures. One study by the Universities of Wyoming, Minnesota, and Michigan found that Amur Tigers were the best of all the Big Cats at solving puzzle boxes to get the meat inside.

Tiger aggression towards humans is a complex issue. While Tigers are known to attack humans more often than other carnivores do, a definite majority of Tiger attacks happen in India and among those attacks, the strong majority happen in the Sundarbans – a mangrove forest area where the tides frequently erase the territorial scent markings of Tigers. It is possible that the Bengal Tiger may simply be the most aggressive subspecies, the number of attacks may simply be due to the huge numbers of humans in and around Tiger territory, or it may be that they are made more aggressive when their scent markings are gone and they need to re-claim their territory. By contrast, Siberian Tigers (aka Amur Tigers) almost never attack humans unless provoked. On the rare occasion that these gentler giants do attack, it is generally to get revenge on a specific human that attacked them. Many stories are told of poachers that were tracked down and killed by Siberian Tigers that survived the poachers’ attacks.

There is also increasing evidence that the Tiger is not as solitary as once thought. New research out of India and Russia is showing that Tigers tolerate and even welcome the presence of related Tigers. Tigers will often form long-term mated couples which meet up from time to time to mate, share a kill, or even simply travel together and enjoy one another’s company. There are also documented cases of specific male Tigers travelling with their mates and cubs for prolonged periods of time. One, called T25 in Rathambore, raised his cubs as a single father when his mate was killed. It seems that Tigers often form loose-knit, but stable families that see one another every so often. Biologists now consider them solitary but social creatures.

In short, the Tiger is a dominant force to the reckoned with: strong, powerful, intelligent, quick, stealthy, and bold. No wonder it is the ultimate symbol of the warrior virtues throughout the Far East.

Traits:
MBTI: INTJ, ISTJ , and ESTJ are the best fits, though many others will get Tiger as well.
Introverted or Ambiverted (i.e. partway between introvert and extrovert)
Either Abstract or Concrete and Literal, with a slight lean to Concrete (slightly more S than N)
Focused Planning (Introverted Intuition)
Balance between Adventure/Here-and-Now and Memory/Tradition/Nostalgia (Se and Si)
Logic
Intense personal values, beliefs, and ideals (Introverted Feeling)
Mostly Law and Order, but some Liberty/Chaos
Enneagram Types: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8
Forests, Jungles, and Taiga, adaptable to anywhere so long as there is a ready source of water and medium-to-large prey
Hot or Cold
Fairly to Highly Assertive
The Far East, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe/Russia
Courage, Leadership, Willpower, Intelligence, Freedom, Independence
Solitary but Social
Between Specialist and Generalist
High Stealth
Excellent Swimmer
Decent Climber
Great Jumper
Above Average to Very High Speed - Tiger top speed ranges from 40 to 45 mph (64 to 72 kmph)
Very to Extremely Strong
Very Intelligent
Best Traits: Leadership, Courage, Strength, Bravery, Stealth, Adaptability

Congratulations, you got the Jaguar!

The word “Jaguar” is from the Mesoamerican word “yaguareté” which means “The True Beast.” Jaguar is also said to mean “He who kills with one leap.” It is the only member of Genus Panthera to exist in the New World and is the dominant predator in its range. They live throughout much of South America and Central America, with occasional wandering males living in the South West United States – though in early American times their range extended as far as Missouri. In prehistoric times, Jaguars roamed throughout North America and even into Eurasia. While the Eurasian Cave Lion and the American Lion both went extinct (partly due to being hunted by humans), the Jaguar survived. They resemble Leopards in appearance, but they are stockier, more muscular, and they have spots inside of their rosettes. In behavior, they are much more like Tigers. Jaguars range from 124 to 211 lbs. (56–96 kg) though some rare individuals reach up to 348 lbs. (158 kg) So Jaguars range in size from that of a Leopard or Snow Leopard to the size of a Lioness or Tigress. The Jaguar is known for its ability to climb, great strength for its size, and incredible swimming ability. It is not at all uncommon for them to jump in the water after their prey, drag their large kill while swimming, and take it to shore to eat. Unlike most cats, Jaguars love water! They are also known for their incredibly powerful bite. Although Lions and Tigers both have slightly stronger bites overall, the Jaguar’s bite is by far the most powerful relative to its size. While most big cats bite the neck to crush the windpipe or break the spinal cord, the Jaguar crushes the skulls of its prey. The Jaguar is an ambush predator and excels at stealth and sudden, powerful attacks. While most Jaguars have a yellowish coat with white underbellies and black rosettes, a substantial minority of Jaguars are black. These melanistic Jaguars are often called “Black Panthers.” Though this often causes confusion with melanistic Leopards as both melanistic Leopards and melanistic Jaguars are colloquially called “Black Panthers.” Jaguars feature prominently in Mesoamerican myths and legends as the epitome of courage, strength, and all warrior virtues.

Male Jaguars will occasionally fight with one another over territory, though many fights are resolved with roaring contests rather than actual fighting. Jaguars are less aggressive than Lions, Tigers, or Leopards. There are countless stories of humans accidentally finding Jaguars, stumbling to the ground in fright, and yet the Jaguar doesn’t show the slightest interest in attacking. They are more than willing to defend themselves, but aggressive attacks against humans are exceptionally rare. This is quite the paradox seeing as Jaguars are by far the dominant predator throughout Latin America and into the SW United States. Yet they are introverted, reserved, and avoid conflict. Still, they are highly independent and are perhaps the only big cat that can never be tamed. They are too difficult to predict.

The Jaguar is extremely flexible and creative in the way it hunts. It hunts anything, including fish, turtles, crocodiles, birds, capybara, anteaters, armadillos, deer, and even bears. It is the only big cat to regularly eat reptiles. It can pry open or even pierce turtle shells with its fangs. They are at home with traditional tiger-like stalking and ambushing in the jungles, hunting underwater, or pouncing on prey from the trees. There are stories from American settlers of Jaguars leaping onto the backs of horses, breaking the horses’ necks by twisting the head with its paws, and leaping off gracefully just as the prey hits the ground.

While there are very few studies on Jaguars, there are a few that indicate Jaguars may be more than just stealthy skull-crushing machines. On a few occasions, Jaguars have been seen to travel with their mates outside of breeding season – indicating that they aren’t completely solitary. Further, in the only study to test Jaguar intelligence, Jaguars opened puzzle boxes successfully 100% of the time. This would be an impressive feat, but the study from the Universities of Michigan, Wyoming, and Minnesota only tested one Jaguar. So we cannot safely assume that one Jaguar’s intelligence is representative of his species. There is a natural similarity between opening puzzle boxes and opening the turtles that they often eat in the wild. Another study measuring Jaguar brains showed that they have relatively large brains with relatively large pre-frontal cortexes (the part responsible for decision making, planning, higher learning, and self-control in social situations). Thus, the Jaguar may be an intelligent animal, though there is nowhere near enough data to say for sure.

Traits:
MBTI: Many types will end up with Jaguar, which could include INTJ, INTP, ISTJ, ISTP, or anyone with quiet strength and determination.
Introverted
Either Abstract or Concrete/Literal (N or S), though more Abstract
Either Focused Planning (Introverted Intution) or Creativity and Brainstorming (Extroverted Intuition)
Mix of Adventure/Here-and-Now and Tradition/Memory/Nostalgia (Extroverted Sensing vs. Introverted Sensing) but more Introverted Sensing
Logic
Either Goal-Oriented Planning Logic (Extroverted Thinking) or Pondering and Picking Things Apart (Introverted Thinking) with more Extroverted Thinking
Intense individual beliefs, passions, and ideals (Introverted Feeling)
Mix between Law/Order and Liberty/Chaos
Enneagram Types: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Forests, Jungles, Deserts, Plains
Prefers Heat, but fairly adaptable
Western World, Native America, Latin America
Fairly Assertive
Courage, Honor, Willpower, Intelligence, Ferocity, Ambition, Wisdom, Peace, Justice, Freedom, Independence
Loner
Either Specialist or Generalist
High Stealth
Excellent Swimming
Mid to High Climbing
Mid to High Jumping
Average to Very High Speed (typically 40 mph top speed or 64 kmph)
Very to Extremely High Strength
Very Intelligent
Best Traits: Intelligence, Strength, Courage, Stealth, Adaptability

Congratulations, you got the Leopard!

The Leopard (Panthera Pardus) is the most adaptable and cunning of all the Big Cats. It is neither particularly strong nor particularly fast (37 mph top speed), but it succeeds where other cats fail and can survive nearly anywhere. Its original range went from Southern/Eastern Europe, through the Middle East, through Africa, and throughout much of Asia. Even now, it has the widest range of any Big Cat, being able to thrive in tropical rainforests, open savannah, rocky deserts, and even the frigid Russian Far East.

The Leopard’s main claim to fame, outside of adaptability, is its climbing ability. It can climb far better than any other cat, it can descend head first from trees safely, and usually drags its kills up into a tree to keep them away from Lions, Tiger, Hyenas, Cheetahs, Bears, and Wolves (all of which it must compete with in the various places it lives). This fact dominates much of Leopard behavior. With the exception of the Middle East, the Leopard is never the biggest predator in its range. Lions, Tigers, Hyenas, and Wolves all rule their own kingdoms, but the Leopard is always a spy behind enemy lines. It must survive by secrecy, wit, and guile. Where its range overlaps with Lions or Tigers, the Leopard adapts by choosing smaller prey that the larger predators would not prefer. It will often kill multiple animals, using the less desirable meal as a decoy to lure in other predators while the Leopard drags its preferred meal into a tree to eat in peace. Its tree climbing ability allows it to move in three dimensions rather than just on the ground, allowing for much easier stealth attacks as it pounces from the tree tops. Its ability to swim well adds to its versatility. Leopards are also known for setting traps, such as laying out seeds that it knows birds love, then waiting for enough birds to arrive to pounce. As they flutter away, they bump into each other allowing the Leopard an easy meal. Leopards will also occasionally prey on crocodiles by tricking them onto land where they are more vulnerable. Leopards have also been known to wait at watering holes at specific points where the know the ground is slick and unstable, then they leap out and scare the prey, which slips into the water. While the prey is struggling to swim, the Leopard calmly swims up and crushes the prey’s throat. The Leopard is also the only known predator of Chimpanzees and Gorillas. This is especially impressive considering that Chimps and Gorillas are so intelligent that they can learn human sign language, many times stronger than the Leopard, and they live in large groups. Yet the Leopard is able to hunt them anyway.

Leopards have large brains relative to their body size and especially large frontal lobes (the brain area related to planning, decision making, higher reasoning, and self-control in social situations). They performed well in solving puzzle boxes in a University of Florida study – better than Tigers, but not as well as Lions.

Attacks on humans are exceptionally rare, with the vast majority of Leopard attacks occurring in India. On the rare occasion that Leopards turn into man-hunters, they are known for especially clever hunting tactics. They would often wound or kill a man, but leave him in the open as bait to draw in other humans. In addition to being highly intelligent, Leopards can successfully prey on animals ranging from beetles all the way up to the Common Eland: an animal that can be up to 2000 lbs. (900 kg). That is an animal at least 10 times its size!

Leopards are often confused with Cheetahs and Jaguars. Cheetahs are light built, have solid spots, and have black tear-line marks on their faces. Jaguars are heavily built, have wider faces, and have spots inside their rosettes. Leopards have a medium build and have large rosettes that have no spots inside of them. Melanistic Leopards exist, which are Leopard with black fur. Such “Black Panthers” are simply Leopards with different hair color and are not a distinct species. Jaguars will also sometimes come in all black. The fact that “Black Panthers” can be either Jaguars or Leopards confuses the Leopard-Jaguar issue further. It is usually preferred to call them Black Leopards and Black Jaguars to keep the confusion down.

Naturally, the Leopard has always been very strongly associated with swift, crafty, and highly intelligent warriors.

Traits:
MBTI: The most common Leopard MBTI types are the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, INFJ, and ISTP.
Introverted
Highly Abstract (Intuitive)
Either Focused or Creative abstract reasoning (Introverted Intuition or Extroverted Intuition)
Highly Observant (Extroverted Sensing)
Logic
Either Planning-Oriented Logic (Extroverted Thinking) or Pondering and Pick-Things-Apart Logic (Introverted Thinking)
Intense individual passions, values, and ideals (Introverted Feeling)
Either Law and Order or Liberty/Chaos, but more towards Liberty and Chaos
Enneagram Types: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
Can thrive in any environment and any temperature, the Leopard is the most adaptable of all the Big Cats
The Far East, the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe/Russia (Leopards still live in parts of Russia and used to live over much of Eastern Europe)
Intelligence, Wisdom, Justice, Freedom, Independence
Loner
Generalist
Excellent Stealth
Good Swimming Ability
Excellent Climbing Ability
Great Jumping Ability
Average to Above Average Speed (37 mph top speed or 60 kmph)
Average to Above Average Strength
Extremely High Intelligence
Best Traits: Intelligence, Speed (usually mental speed for the Leopard), Stealth, Adaptability

Congratulations, you got the Snow Leopard!
This is the most elusive of all the Big Cats, its great stealth and mystery earning it the title “Ghost of the Mountain.” Little is known of this animal, though scientists are learning more all the time. It is occasionally called an Ounce or an Irbis. It is the smallest of Genus Panthera and some scientists still debate whether it ought to have its own genus all to itself. The current consensus is that the Snow Leopard is in fact a Big Cat – just a small one. They range from 60 lbs. to 121 lbs. (27 to 55 kg) with large males at times reaching 165 lbs. (75 kg) It is very closely related to the Tiger and is a fairly close relative of the Leopard. Snow Leopards mostly live in the Himalayan Mountains, though their range extends to include parts of China, Mongolia, India, and several Central Asian nations.
Snow Leopards are, first and foremost, the undisputed masters of stealth. They blend in perfectly with their environment; they are silent and move carefully – making no sound even on loose rocks. Their feet are large, well-padded, and have sound-canceling fur even on the bottoms of their feet. They also excel at jumping. They are the best jumpers of any animal on earth, being capable of jumping over 50 feet (15 meters) in a single bound. While estimates on their top speed vary from 35 mph to 55 mph, the most plausible top speed range is 40 mph to 50 mph (64 kmph to 80 kmph). Finally, they are very well suited to cold weather and high altitudes due to their powerful lungs, long and thick coat of fur, small ears, and large tail that they use both for balancing and as a blanket. Snow Leopard territory sometimes mingles with Tigers, Wolves, and Leopards. Against larger predators or pack hunters, the Snow Leopard normally will simply leap to safety or slip away into the shadows. The Snow Leopard is the gentlest of all Big Cats and the least prone to violence. There have never been any confirmed instances where a Snow Leopard has killed a human being. Despite their very peaceful nature, Snow Leopards will occasionally fight over territory or fight to protect their kills from other predators, though that is only done when they know they can win. While the Snow Leopard may not be an aggressive fighter, it is an extremely capable hunter. Snow Leopards will occasionally prey on full grown male Yaks – successfully taking down an animal 10 times its own size!
Snow Leopards are reclusive, nomadic animals, avoiding human contact and usually avoiding each other. After reaching adulthood, Snow Leopards rarely come into contact with each other except to mate. Females will raise the cubs, though there is some evidence that males may help while the cubs are still in infancy. Snow Leopard couples will live and hunt together during the mating season and young adult Snow Leopards will sometimes cooperate in hunting with their siblings briefly before they each split off to establish their own territory.
Snow Leopards area also very curious animals, being known for examining and studying abandoned human campsites. Though they do not attack, Snow Leopards often watch. Due to these traits, scientists will often hide cameras in abandoned campsites to videotape the curious Snow Leopards as they move around the camp.
In the areas where they live, the Snow Leopard is revered as the perfect hunter and as a symbol of justice, wisdom, and enlightenment. There are many legends of Buddhist saints who transform into the Snow Leopard.
Traits:
MBTI: Many people find their match in the Snow Leopard, but the most common matches are the INFJ, INFP, ISFJ, ISFP, and INTP.
Introverted
Somewhat Abstract (slightly more Intuition than Sensing)
Either Focused or Creative Abstract Reasoning (Introverted Intuition or Extroverted Intuition)
Both Highly Observant and focused on Memory, Tradition, and Nostalgia (either Extroverted Sensing or Introverted Sensing)
Feeling
Mostly Pondering and Pick-Things-Apart Logic (Introverted Thinking)
Intense personal feelings, values, and ideals (Introverted Feeling)
Either Law and Order or Chaos/Liberty
Enneagram Types: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9
Mountains and Forests
Prefers Cold weather, but fairly adaptable
The Far East, Russia, and the Middle East
Not particularly assertive
Intelligence, Wisdom, Peace, Justice, Freedom, and Independence
Loner
Mostly Specialist
Extremely High Stealth
Moderate Swimming Ability
Extremely High Climbing Ability
Extremely High Jumping Ability (over 50 feet or 15 meters in a single bound)
Moderate Strength
Average to Above Average Speed (no reliable tests have been done on Snow Leopard top speed)
Very High Intelligence
Best Traits: Intelligence, Speed (usually mental speed for the Snow Leopard), Stealth, Adaptability, Kindness

Cheetah:

Congratulations, you got the Cheetah!
The Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus) is well known as the world’s fastest land animal. Estimates for its top speed range from 60 mph to 70 mph (97 kmph to 113 kmph) and it can go from 0 mph to 60 mph in a mere 3 seconds! Further compounding its abilities is its remarkable ability to change direction at high speed. Their long tail helps with balance in such maneuvers and they have even been known to change direction mid-air! Their powerful heart, large lungs, long and flexible spine, and long legs help with their speed. Unlike most cats, their claws are not fully retractable and act like cleats. The Cheetah further boasts excellent eye-sight, is diurnal, and is recognized by its light build, spots, and black tear lines down its face. They spend much of their time carefully watching the horizon. Cheetahs take down their prey by attacking the legs to trip the running animal and then bit the underside of the neck. Unlike many larger cats that will break the neck with their bite, the Cheetah usually pierces arteries or simply suffocates the prey.

Cheetahs are native to Africa and parts of the Middle East – most notably Iran. In the past, they were native to virtually all of Africa, virtually all of the Middle East, India, and even a few small portions of Russia. In prehistoric times, there was even a Cheetah species in North America. Many cultures throughout history have tamed Cheetahs and used them for hunting. This was especially popular in the Egypt, as well as the Middle East and much of Africa – though during the Renaissance many European nobles found it fashionable to have tame Cheetahs help them hunt.

While the Cheetah is fast, it is not very strong. It is often chased away from its prey by lions, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and other predators since it is less capable at fighting than the other big cats. It adapts to this highly competitive environment by usually targeting small and fast prey rather than the big game preferred by its larger cousins. It is actually not a member of genus Panthera and so is debatably not a “big cat” in the scientific sense of the term.

Cheetahs are the least confrontational of the African Big Cats and will more often run from Lions, Leopards, and Hyenas rather than fight. However, they will occasionally fight back against these larger threats and male Cheetahs will often defend their territory fiercely from other male Cheetahs.

Finally, Cheetahs are quite social cats. Male Cheetahs often form coalitions – especially Cheetahs who are brothers. These social groups help them watch out for each other and gain territory from other Cheetahs. Over half of all males live in such Cheetah brotherhoods. Females more often live alone, but mothers have the company of their cubs.

Thus, the Cheetah represents quick, alert, warm, social, non-confrontational, and/or situationally aware people.

Traits:
MBTI: While many people can get the Cheetah, the best matches are the ESFP, ISFP, ENFP, INFP, ESTP, and ESFJ
Extroverted or Ambiverted (partway between Introvert and Extrovert)
Concrete and Literal (Sensing)
Either Focused or Creative Abstract Reasoning (Introverted Intuition or Extroverted Intuition)
Observant, keenly aware, and tuned in to the here-and-now (Extroverted Sensing)
Usually Feeling, but sometimes Thinking
Either passionate individual values (Introverted Feeling) or group-based feelings, values, and ideals (Extroverted Feeling)
Liberty/Chaos
Enneagram: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
Prefers Warm Environments and Open Places
Africa and the Middle East, with populations from long ago in Russia and North America
Not Assertive to Fairly Assertive
Freedom, Independence, Peace, Justice, Team-Work
Team Player or Loner
Specialist
Mid to High Stealth
Mediocre Swimming Ability
Mediocre Climbing Ability
Very High Jumping Ability
Extremely High Speed
Average Strength
Average Intelligence
Best Traits: Charisma, Team-Work, Courage, Speed, Kindness

Congratulations! You got the Puma!

The Puma is a fast and agile cat, an excellent jumper, and known for its wide range and adaptability.

The Puma (Puma Concolor) is also known as the Cougar, Mountain Lion, and many other names. In the English language alone, the Puma has 40 names! Taxonomically, the Puma is a small cat rather than a big cat and is not part of Genus Panthera. However, its size is roughly similar to a Leopard and some Pumas are as large as small Jaguars. The Puma is known for a wide variety of sounds, ranging from growls, to screams and shrieks, to hissing, to wailing, to purring. Pumas are known for purring just like domestic cats and can purr both while inhaling and while exhaling. Pumas are often confused with Lionesses, though there are several major differences. Lionesses have a tuft of dark fur at the end of their tail and Pumas do not, Pumas have long coats that range from silvery to rusty brown whereas most lions are more golden in color, Pumas often have pale or white markings on their faces, and Pumas are much smaller and lighter built. The Puma is an opportunistic and adaptable animal, hunting everything from insects, to fish, to deer, to occasionally even Moose! They often hunt animals 5 times their own size. It is the second best jumper of all the cast (behind the Snow Leopard) and can leap up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) upwards into the air and up to 40 feet (12 meters) in distance. The Puma is also known for being very fast. Estimates of speed in large cats vary greatly and are often hard to verify, but some reports put its speed at 40 mph to 50 mph (64 kmph to 80 kmph). Pumas are also known for being highly reclusive and having large, spread out territories. As such, conservation of the Puma requires a great degree of wilderness land.

This extraordinarily stealthy cat once had a range stretching from Canada all the way down to the Southern tip of South America and from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast. As such, it is the quintessential New World Cat and features prominently in the mythos of Native American and Mesoamerican peoples. Even today, it is a symbol of independence and all that is wild and free in New World cultures.

As Pumas are known for being shy, a strong traditional symbol of freedom and the wild, and relatively non-confrontational (compared to Lions and Tigers), Pumas are an excellent symbol for those who are introverted, independent, adaptable, and balance kindness with a great degree of resourcefulness and determination.
Traits:
MBTI: Many will find their match in the Mountain Lion, but the best fits are the ISFP, ISTP, ISTJ, ISFJ, INFP, and INTP.
Introverted
Concrete and Literal (Sensing)
Mostly Focused Abstract Reasoning (Introverted Intuition), but some Creative Abstract Reasoning (Extraverted Intuition)
Balanced between Observant Here-and-Now Sensing (Extroverted Sensing) and Memory, Health, Nostalgia, and Tradition (Introverted Sensing)
Balance between Thinking and Feeling, but with more towards Feeling
Pondering and Pick-Things-Apart Logic (Introverted Thinking)
Intense personal values, feelings, and ideals (Introverted Feeling)
Balance between Law/Order and Liberty/Chaos
Enneagram: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9
Prefers Forests and Mountains, but can survive nearly anywhere
Can thrive in both hot and cold environments
The Western World, Native America, and Latin America
Not Assertive to Fairly Assertive
Courage, Willpower, Intelligence, Wisdom, Peace, Justice, Independence, Freedom
Loner
Generalist, though has some Specialties
Excellent Stealth
Very Good Swimming
Excellent Climbing
Excellent Jumping
Very High Speed (up to 50 mph or 80 kmph)
Average to Above Average Strength
High Intelligence
Best Traits: Speed (mental or physical), Stealth, Adaptability, Kindness