01 August 2015

Rosette: The Spots in Jaguar or Leopard's Skin


Well, I didn't know that though I've been wondering.
Now I know!
It is called rosette.
 Rosette...Roxette the band...now I won't forget!
Now you know, too.
A very conspicuous in this photo below!

~photo via wwf.panda.org~
rosette is a rose-like marking or formation found on the fur and skin of some animals, particularly cats of the family Felidae. Rosettes are used to camouflage the animal, either as a defense mechanism or as a stalking tool. Predators use their rosettes to simulate the different shifting of shadows and shade, helping the animals to remain hidden from their prey. Rosettes can be grouped in clusters around other spots or may appear as blotches on the fur. Rosettes can appear with or without central spots.
The following felids have rosettes:
~Ocelot (via ocelotak.weebly.com)~

  • Lion - Generally, rosettes are present on lion cubs only, but some adult lions may retain them on the face. Rosettes also appear in lion/tiger hybrids (ligers and tiglons).

~Mountain lion cub (via www.balancedecology.org)~

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosette_(zoology)

Notes:
In the medical field, there is a thing called Leopard Syndrome or Multiple lentigines syndrome, a condition which affects many parts of the body and features brown skin spots or lentigines resembling that of freckles. More info regarding this syndrome here.


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