In some animal combat power rankings, there is a ranking of "dragon, tiger, and leopard". Dragon is a mythical animal with the characteristics of many animals. Tigers and leopards are well-known beasts, and they can be ranked among tigers and leopards. What kind of animal is this Biao? Some people believe that the animal closest to Biao is the Asian golden cat.

Recently in Sichuan In the Giant Panda National Park, an infrared camera captured a "shanbiao" eating a goral. When it was full, it dragged the uneaten goral away and hid it under a bush. But not long after, the Asian black bear came and stole the "Shan Biao" food. The black bear is so big that there will be no food left in the end. Predation by Asian black bears is common, but it is very difficult to photograph "Shan Biao" eating. This is the second time in the world that footage of a golden cat eating has been recorded.

"Shan Biao" is also the Asian golden cat. Asian golden cats are also called Biao, Jin Biao, raccoon leopard, clouded leopard, etc. The reason why it is difficult to photograph Asian golden cats is because of their hearing. It is extremely sensitive and is considered to be the most flexible external ear among cats. It is known as the "living radar". Even the smallest sounds can be detected in time by the Asian golden cat. When it is eating, it will naturally be more vigilant.

The Asian golden cat is also an ecological indicator species. When it appears in an area, it means that the area has relatively rich wild animal resources, so that the Asian golden cat has sufficient food sources, among which the Asian golden cat will prey. Ungulate species such as muntjac deer, tufted deer, and musk deer, as well as larger rodents such as bamboo rats, will also prey on pheasants. Only in this way can the ecological environment attract golden cats.

"When a tiger gives birth to three sons, there must be one tiger." What is the relationship between tigers and golden cats?

Asian golden cats are also often called "yellow tigers", so many people think that "tiger births "Out of three, there must be a cub", that is, among the three cubs born by a tiger, one must be the most ferocious golden cat. However, in fact, the "彪" here refers to a ferocious and sturdy cat, not a golden cat.

In terms of personality, the Asian golden cat is ferocious and wild and untamable. It is also one of the top predators. Its prey includes birds in the sky, animals running and crawling on the ground, and even recorded It preyed on wild boars, sambar deer and calves that were much larger than itself.

So the Asian golden cat is not related to the tiger. It belongs to the medium-sized cat family, while tigers and leopards belong to the large cat family. In terms of combat effectiveness, the Asian golden cat is no match for a leopard, let alone a tiger.

Could the golden cat become the new king of beasts in the south?

Asian golden cats are mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangxi, etc. in China, and China has many "tiger and leopard" distributions, including Siberian tigers, South China tigers, Bengal tigers, Indochinese tigers, etc. , is the country with the most subspecies of tigers, including North China leopards, South China leopards, Siberian leopards, snow leopards, etc. If these tigers and leopards survive normally, the golden cat will naturally not be able to compete for the king of beasts in the south.

However, due to the large-scale hunting of tigers and leopards in the last century, tigers and leopards are almost on the verge of extinction. In particular, the South China tiger was declared extinct in the wild in 2012, and the South China tiger has also disappeared in the wild. These top hunters The predator has also disappeared from most forests in the south. The disappearance of these tigers and leopards has had a great impact on the forest ecosystem, but the forest ecosystem is indispensable for the top predator.

In this case, the Asian golden cat has become the new king of the forest, but it cannot completely replace the tiger and leopard. The Asian golden cat is limited by its size, secretive whereabouts, adaptability, etc. factors, unable to hunt large herbivores.

However, as An important predator in forest ecosystems, the Asian golden cat plays an irreplaceable role in the food chain. Especially in places where big cats such as tigers and leopards are lacking, the Asian golden cat, as the top predator, fulfills the responsibility of controlling the number of herbivores to prevent herbivore groups from becoming too large and thus harmful to the population. Forests cause damage and it helps maintain the balance of the forest ecosystem.

In short, Asian golden cats play an important role in forest ecosystems and are indispensable top predators. We should protect the Asian golden cat, a national first-level protected wildlife, and its living environment to ensure the health and balance of our forest ecosystems.