If the Jaguar and Tiger lived in Africa, what would it's relationship be with the leopards, lions, and hyenas?

Question

Basically, I don't have to watch the Discovery Channel as far as big cats go anymore because all is pretty much predictable. The lion scares away leopards and cheetas, and female lions and hyenas go at it while male lions can scare away hyenas. Leopards, can be brave, but eventually will back down from a hyena and run up a tree and everyone can scare that sissy, the cheetah. I know this is accurate. But I'm wondering, if the Jaguar, Tiger, and Cougar were in Africa how would they fit in. Jaguars remind me so much of leopards, but by the looks of it are so much fatter and stronger. It looks to me that a Jaguar might be able to take out a leopard. Also, I wouldn't immediately say Tigers are stronger than Jaguars either as one would think. I saw a movie on youtube where a Jaguar killed giant snakes and all sorts of creatures in the jungle. Then there is Cougar. I'd say Jaguars could scare off a full pack of hyenas and leopards and would come behind the lion if they all lived together.

Then might come the Tiger, then the hyena, and leopard, followed by the cougar who looks pretty weak. I only see them hunting rabbits, followed by that fast sissy, the cheetah.

For my first answer, I am not so sure about that. Male lions stay solitary away from the females. And one male lion is able to scare off an entire pack of hyenas kill one. So I think it might be possible for male Tiger to do the same at least to hyenas. I'm not sure about a pride of female lions.

Answer 1

I've found that animals often adjust according to hardwiring. Ins studying Animal Behavior Instinct is what keeps them alive. Odds are that the Tigers though larger than the other predators would move to the Congo/Forest like area due to their water loving nature and being out in flat yellowish land wouldn't bode well for one that doesn't blend in. I'd expect the Jaguars to instinctively head for the more lush areas also(where they could drop down onto potential prey) The poor cougar would probably stick to smaller game found around mountainous areas where they could trap them more easily. In all honesty I don't see much in ways of changing the ecosytem unless they are forced together due to large populations are released. As we all know the territories covered by large cats are monstrously huge and often overlap those of other species and within those other genders. It'd be baffling especially if food becomes scarce.
When you have two species that are almost identicle then, instead of fighting you'd probably have more of a problem with starvation due to being out competed. With Leopards and Jaguars being of similar size, coloration, and ability it's just a matter of who's the more fit of the two. One is larger while the other is more agile. What would be able to place one on top. The one more able to defend a kill from other predators, or the one that is more able to dodge an attack and escape up into a tree.

I wouldn't count the hyenas out quite yet. I've seen many instances where they scared off entire prides from kills. Out of the large predators their bite(ppsi) is more than formidable.
Your idea is very interesting.

Answer 2

As someone else hinted, the ability of lion and hyenas to scare off leopards and cheetahs is mostly due to their social habits. Lions are the only cat species to live in groups, and hyenas also hunt in packs. A group of large animals will scare off solitary hunters every time.

Tigers, cougars, and jaguars are all solitary animals, so they would not be able to compete with lions or hyenas for a kill. But they might thrive in the same niches filled by leopards. All three are ambush predators, like leopards, and not chase predators like a cheetah. Tigers have actually been known to prey on leopards in Asia. (See reference below.) But any contact would probably be rare. All of the solitary cats tend to avoid contact with other cats, even their conspecifics.

By the way, cheetahs are not "sissies". They employ a different hunting strategy, chasing down prey rather than ambushing it. Their evolved swiftness has given them a smaller, leaner body than other big cats, which is why they will (sensibly) give up a meal if threatened. But occupying a niche is not the same as being a sissy. And remember, even a lion will flee a situation if suitably threatened.

Answer 3

Jaguar is a close relative of the leopard so they would probably get on OK, Tigers are solitary hunters and would have a harder time on the open savannah and Hyenas and Lions stay in Pack, so even those Tigers are the biggest cat, they are no match for a pride of Lions or a pack of Hyenas, I actually think Cougars would do quite well in Africa considering the Home range in the Americas is from Alaska to the tip of South America, They are adaptable creatures

Answer 4

well id say theyd treat the lions and cheetahs with a snobbishness i mean they are stronger than them and a tad bit good looking