Big Cats, Absolutely Biggest in Cat Family

Big Cats, Absolutely Biggest in Cat Family

The term big cat – which is not a biological classification – is used informally to distinguish the larger felid species from smaller ones. One definition of "big cat" includes the four members of the genus Panthera: the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. Members of this genus are the only cats able to roar. A more expansive definition of "big cat" also includes the cheetah, snow leopard, clouded leopard, and cougar. Despite enormous differences in size, the various species of cat are quite similar in both structure and behavior, with the exception of the cheetah, which is significantly different from any of the big or small cats. All cats are carnivores and efficient predators, in fact they are apex predators. Their range includes the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

1. Tiger

The tiger is the largest of all cats. The tiger is one of four species that belong to the genus Panthera, more commonly referred to as the 'roaring cats'. Tigers are solitary animals that prefer the cover of dense vegetation—a habitat in which they can stalk their prey. 

Their range once extended throughout India, Bangladesh and southeastern Asia, from the Caspian Sea to northern China and Siberia. The tiger's coat is orange with black stripes and white markings on its face, chest, and underside. Eight subspecies of tiger have been identified, though three of those subspecies have been extinct since the 1950s. The extinct subspecies include the Caspian, Javan, and Bali tigers.

2. Lion

Lions usually inhabit savannah and grasslands and will sometimes be found in forests. A group of lions is called a pride which consists of females, lion cubs, and a few male lions. The female lions usually do the hunting in groups (males will rarely ever hunt). The lion is known as a vulnerable species with a population decline of 30-50 percent. 

A male is recognized by its mane. The lion is the second largest feline in the entire world. The color of their coat is usually a light yellow. Lion cubs are born with spots on their body but they disappear as they mature. The diet of a lion includes wildebeest, impalas, zebras, and buffalo.

3. Jaguar

The jaguar is the third largest big cat in the world. It is the national animal of Brazil. Jaguars closely resemble leopards but are much larger. It is also one of the few big cats that enjoy swimming. They are solitary predators and are known to regulate the populations of prey species.  

The powerful bite of the jaguar allows them to break through shell and hard reptile skin. Sadly, their numbers are dropping quickly and are nearly threatened because they are often killed by humans. Jaguars’ short, stocky limbs make then skilled in climbing, crawling and swimming.

4. Leopard

The leopard is the most widely distributed member of the genus Panthera. The present-day range of the leopard includes Africa, the Near and Middle East, southern Asia, and the Malaysian archipelago. Leopards are secretive and mostly solitary cats that inhabit a wide range of habitats including lowland forests, savannahs, mountains, scrublands, and deserts.  

The leopard's coat has a background color of pale, cream-yellow on its underside that darkens slightly to an orange-brown on its back. Solid black spots adorn its limbs and head, smaller and denser than the golden, umber-centered rosettes that cover its back and sides. The leopard's tale has irregular patches that, at the tip of the tale, become dark-ringed bands.

5. Cougar

The cougar, also known as puma, mountain lion, mountain cat, catamount or panther, depending on the region, is a mammal of the family Felidae, native to the Americas. This large, solitary cat has the greatest range of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, extending from Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes of South America. An adaptable, generalist species, the cougar is found in every major American habitat type. It is the second heaviest cat in the American continents after the jaguar. Although large, the cougar is most closely related to smaller felines. 

A capable stalk-and-ambush predator, the cougar pursues a wide variety of prey. Primary food sources include ungulates such as deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep, as well as domestic cattle, horses and sheep, particularly in the northern part of its range. It will also hunt species as small as insects and rodents. This cat prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but it can also live in open areas. The cougar is territorial and persists at low population densities. Individual territory sizes depend on terrain, vegetation, and abundance of prey. 

6. Cheetah

The cheetah is the world's fastest land animal with the ability to reach speeds of 70 miles per hour. The round, black spots on the cheetah help them to camouflage when hunting. The head of the cheetah is said to be small compared to other big cats. They will eat mostly mammals including gazelles, wildebeests, and zebras.  

When a cheetah sprints for its prey, its body temperature becomes so high that it would become fatal if kept at that level for a long period of time. Cheetahs are on the World Conservation Union list of vulnerable species. There are said to be about 12,400 cheetahs left in the wild.

7. Snow Leopard

The snow leopard is a large species of cat that roams the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. The snow leopard is well adapted for the cold temperatures of its high-altitude habitat its life span is usually about 15-18 years. It is about the size of a regular leopard but has a long tail that is used for balance in rugged terrain.

They may live in caves in mountainous regions. There are estimated to be about 5,000 snow leopards left, making them an endangered species. The snow leopard will occasionally kill prey three times its size. Their diet consists of ibexes, boars, and deer. A snow leopard will not fight hard for its territory.

8. Bobcat

The bobcat is a North American member of the big cat family. As a predator, it inhabits wooded areas, desert edges, semi desert edges, and swampland environments. The bobcat’s diet consists of: rabbits, hares, deer, small rodents, and even insects. Similar to many other big cats, the bobcat is a solitary hunter. Each bobcat will use a single method to mark its territory. Although bobcats are hunted by humans, for both sport and fur, their population is under no immediate threat at the time. However, continuous hunting of bobcats could jeopardize their population.

Bobcats will travel for the last three hours of sunlight and three hours after sunrise. They are also very skilled at adapting to a new environment. This is a very important skill for the animal because humans have a tendency to invade their habitat. The grayish brown coat, black-tipped ears, and whiskered face resemble many species of lynx. The bobcat may be considered a “big cat” but in relation to other big cats, it is very small in size. In fact, it is only about twice as large as a domesticated cat.

9. Marbled Cat

Almost matching the size of a domesticated cat, the marbled cat is one of the smallest of the big cats. The cat’s 45cm tail will sometimes be used as a balance when hunting. The marbled cat’s range stretches from parts of India to Southeast Asia. Their diet consists of squirrels, reptiles and birds.  

Unfortunately, this cat is rarely studied because they are extremely difficult to spot. Their population is said to be fewer than 10,000 because of their shrinking forest habitat. Scientists have discovered that the marbled cat is closely related to Asiatic Golden Cats. Looking at the picture, it is obvious where the cat got its name from.

10. Ocelot

The ocelot is famous for looking extremely similar to a domestic cat. Its fur may resemble that of a clouded leopard or jaguar. Regrettably this amazing coat has made them a valuable hunting target. Ocelots often hunt for lizards, amphibians, deer, rodents, and frogs. Ocelots are mostly found in South America, Central America and Mexico.

Ocelots were considered endangered during the 1980s but have since been removed from the endangered species list. They are rarely seen together and enjoy resting in dense foliage. They are exceedingly territorial and will sometimes fight to the death at the invasion of land. Since ocelots are nocturnal, they have the best night vision of the big cats.

11. Serval Cat

The serval is a medium-sized cat, measuring 59 to 92 centimetres (23 to 36 in) in head-body length, with a relatively short, 20 to 38 centimetres (7.9 to 15 in) tail, and a shoulder height of about 54 to 66 centimetres (21 to 26 in). Weight ranges from about 7 to 12 kilograms (15 to 26 lb) in females, and from 9 to 18 kilograms (20 to 40 lb) in males. It is a strong yet slender animal, with long legs and a fairly short tail. The head is small in relation to the body, and the tall, oval ears are set close together. The pattern of the fur is variable.



Usually, the serval is boldly spotted black on tawny, with 2 or 4 stripes from the top of the head down the neck and back, transitioning into spots. The "servaline" form has much smaller, freckled spots, and was once thought to be separate species. Servals have the longest legs of any cat, relative to their body size. Most of this increase in length is due to the greatly elongated metatarsal bones in the feet. The toes are also elongated, and unusually mobile, helping the animal to capture partially concealed prey. Another distinctive feature of the serval is the presence of large ears and auditory bullae in the skull, indicating a particularly acute sense of hearing. Article Source: wikipedia & web