Arboreal - tree-dwelling. None of the species of wildcat are exclusively arboreal, however the Margay is extremely adept in its climbing abilities and is the closest to this - another excellent climber, the Clouded Leopard, has been reported to hang from overhanging branches by its rear legs. Many cats use the lower branches of tree to rest, whilst others may use overhanging branches from which to jump on passing prey - the Leopard will drag fully grown antelope high up into trees before it eats.

Cache - used to describe a) the act of concealment or storing of food - b) the place where food is stored. Wild Cats will often cache (store) their dead prey if it is too large to eat in one meal.

Caiman - an amphibious reptile related to the Crocodile and Alligator indigenous to the Americas. The Black Caiman, found in the Orinoca and Amazon rivers can grow up to 15 feet in length.

CITES - 'The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna', an international treaty established in 1975 to control and monitor trading in animals and plants throughout the world. see - Conservation.

Crepuscular - being active during twilight hours - dawn or dusk.

Deforestation - the mass destruction, usually for the supply of timber, of large areas of forest. The term is generally related to the clearing of the tropical rain forest of the equatorial regions of South America, Africa and the Far East. Over half of the worlds rain forests have already been destroyed. Deforestation effects not only the trees but also the whole ecosystem of the rain forest - approximately 50% of the worlds species of flora and fauna are contained within the equatorial forest regions and their destruction result in the loss of habitat of countless plant and animal species.

Diurnal - being active during daylight hours.

Felid - appertaining to the Family Felidae - the Cat Family.

Genus - a group of species more closely related to one another than any other group. In the classification of living organisms a genus is split further into various species - this is represented by the use of a Latin scientific name, split into two parts, called a binomial. For example in the cat family, the genus Panthera is coupled with the species Leo to form Panthera leo (Lion) - likewise Panthera is coupled with tigris - Panthera tigris (Tiger). In simplified terms both the Lion and Tiger share common traits, for example they both roar and as such share a common genus - Panthera, whilst clearly remaining separate species.

Melanistic - derived from melanin, a dark coloured skin and hair pigment. In cats, melanism results in the fur of the animal being very dark or black in colour. In many cases the usual markings of the animal can be faintly seen through the dark fur, especially at certain angles in bright sunlight. Melanistic cats are commonly born into mixed litters along with normally coloured siblings.

Polymorphic - occurring in a number of forms. The term is generally used to describe two or more different forms appearing within an interbreeding population or subspecies. It is often used in the description of outward appearance, i.e fur coloration, but can also be used to describe genetic differences.

Red List - A list compiled by the IUCN (World Conservation Union) containing animals who are threatened. Most of the wild cat species are listed under the headings of Endangered, Vulnerable, Threatened, Least Concern and Data Deficient. The Red List states those cats at greatest risk are the Amur Leopard , Siberian Tiger, South China Tiger, Sumatran Tiger and Florida Puma (Critically Endangered) - Tiger, Snow Leopard, Spanish Lynx and North Chinese Leopard (Endangered) and the Cheetah, Scottish Wildcat and Clouded Leopard (Vulnerable).

Rosette - an irregular 'rose' shaped marking of varying size, usually dark brown or black, found on many wild cat species

Scavenger - one who takes food by chance rather than by stalking and hunting. Many wild cats are scavengers themselves as well as the target for scavengers of other species. In regions were the ranges of various species of wild cat overlap, it is common for larger cats to take the prey from smaller felids - in Asia the Tiger will take freshly killed prey from the leopard, as will the Lion from the Cheetah in Africa. The Cheetah is one of the few species of wild cat that does not scavenge and ironically it looses a great percentage of its prey to other scavengers such as the hyaena.

Taxonomy - the scientific classification of all living organisms into groups sharing common traits, characteristics or origins.