Answer keys for the big cat worksheets

Worksheet 1: Which big cat am I?

1. Tiger
2. Jaguar
3. Snow leopard
4. Cheetah
5. Lion
6. Leopard

Evidence: big cat ID guide.

Worksheet 2: Habitat match

• Snow leopard: D
• Jaguar: A
• Cheetah: E
• Tiger: B
• Asiatic lion: C

Bonus: Australia (Europe and Antarctica have no wild big cats today either).

Evidence: big cat habitats.

Worksheet 3: Cheetah speed math

1. 26 m/s
2. 39 km/h faster (93 minus 54)
3. 100 m (25 x 4)
4. 12 seconds (300 divided by 25)
5. About 10 strides (70 divided by 7)
6. Any one of: the cheetahs in the study mostly hunted impala in fairly thick vegetation, so braking and sharp turns mattered more than straight line speed; sprinting takes extreme energy and muscle effort, so chases are short.

Evidence: how fast is a cheetah?

Worksheet 4: Reading the research on lion prides

1. Lions live in groups because hunting together lets each lion catch more food.
2. One female alone, or a group of five or six. If small groups did worse than lone females, food alone cannot explain why females in small prides still forage together, which radio collar data showed they did.
3. Any two: groups of mothers defend cubs against infanticidal males; larger groups win territorial contests against smaller neighbouring prides; helping close relatives also passes on shared genes.
4. Researchers played recordings of roars from unfamiliar lions to simulate intruders. Some females consistently led the approach while others lagged behind, and leaders did not punish laggards, showing cooperation is not simply based on reciprocity.
5. DNA fingerprinting showed female pride companions are always closely related, so cooperating helps relatives (kin), which can favour cooperation.
6. Answers vary. A strong answer claims that cub defence and territory explain prides better than hunting, cites the 1990 foraging and creche data, and reasons that group members gain survival and breeding benefits.

Evidence: why do lions live in prides?

Cheetah worksheet for grade 3

The answers are printed at the bottom of the grade 3 cheetah worksheet.