Dressed For Success

STRIPES:

The tiger hides among the tall reeds and trees of his home.  Though his orange color may look bright to you, most prey species find it hard to tell reddish colors from greenish ones.  His has white fur underneath where the shadows would be and dark fur on the top where the sunlight would be.  All of these effects together make it hard for the prey to see the outline of a large, powerful animal trying to sneak up upon them.

SPOTS:

The South American Jaguar lives among the trees, and the pattern of its spots blends with the rustling leaves and the changing patterns of light and shade under the trees.  Sometimes this impressive cat will wait on a low hanging branch for prey to pass underneath and spring down upon it.  Unfortunately its spotted coats is also beautiful to humans.  Worse, the forests that hide this elusive cat are shrinking.

SOLIDS:

In a golden sea of grass, the lion is just the right color...which is to say all one color.  Like the tiger, the lion is not very fast.  He's a lot faster than you and I, but not a lot faster than his prey.  He also cannot run as far as the animals he eats, so he has to be hide until the last possible moment.

SNUG AND WARM:

While a cougar can keep warm in the snow, nobody beats the snow leopard at braving the worst that winter has to offer.  This cool cat shrugs off the chill with the densest coat of any cat.  When the gales are fiercest, they curl up in a protected spot, their long furry tail wrapped tightly around the face like a muff.