A tiger, the largest of the big cats

Big cat distinguishes large cat species from smaller ones. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. One definition of big cat includes only the four species of cat in the genus Panthera: the lion, tiger, leopard, and jaguar. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Panthera is a Genus of the family Felidae (the cats which contains four well-known living Species: the Tiger, the The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. The tiger ( Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family the largest and the most powerful of the four " Big cats quot in the Genus The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring The jaguar (Panthera onca,, or—especially in British English — is a New World Mammal of the Felidae family and one of Members of this genus are the only cats able to roar, and this is sometimes considered a distinguishing characteristic of big cats. A more expansive definition also includes the cheetah, snow leopard, clouded leopard, and cougar. The cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family ( Felidae) that is unique in its speed while lacking climbing abilities The snow leopard ( Uncia uncia) sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan Northern The Clouded Leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in long and weighing between 15 and 23 kg (33 to 50 lb The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family The roaring cats may also be distinguished from the other big cats by referring to them as "great cats".

Three of the four largest cats are members of the genus Panthera; the cougar is the fourth largest cat, exceeding the leopard in size. Some medium-sized cats like the Eurasian lynx may weigh as much as 30 kg (66 lb), but they are not considered big cats. The Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests where it is one of the predators

Despite enormous differences in size, the various species of cat are amazingly similar in both structure and behavior. All cats are carnivores and efficient predators. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting Their range includes the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe; Australia and Antarctica have no indigenous species of cats. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere

Roaring

The ability to roar comes from an elongated and specially adapted larynx and hyoid apparatus. The larynx (plural larynges) colloquially known as the voicebox, is an organ in the Neck of Mammals involved in protection of the The hyoid bone ( lingual bone) (Latin os hyoideum) is a Bone in the Neck, and is the only bone in the human skeleton not articulated to any ^[1]. When air passes through the larynx on the way to the lungs, the cartilage walls of the larynx vibrate, producing sound. The lion's larynx is longest, giving it the most robust roar. Though jaguars are considered great cats, they are not often known to roar and have a less developed larynx. The snow leopard is also said to have a larynx nearly adapted for roaring, but it is far less developed than that of the jaguar.

Threats

The principal threats to big cats are habitat destruction and poaching. Habitat destruction is the process in which natural Habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present Poaching is the illegal Hunting, Fishing or Harvesting of wild plants or animals In the United States, 19 states have banned ownership of big cats and other dangerous exotic animals as pets, and the Captive Wildlife Safety Act bans the interstate sale and transportation of these animals^[2]. Nevertheless, there are still an estimated 15,000 big cats kept captive in the United States, and only a small percentage of them are in accredited zoos^[3]. The remainder are in private homes and nonaccredited roadside zoos.

Species

The lion, a species in the genus Panthera

Family Felidae

• Genus Panthera (roaring or great cats)
  • Leopard, Panthera pardus (Asia and Africa)
  • Lion, Panthera leo (Africa, Gir Forest in India; extinct in former range of southeast Europe, Middle East and North America)
  • Jaguar, Panthera onca (the Americas; from Mexico to northern Argentina)
  • Tiger, Panthera tigris (Asia)
• Genus Acinonyx
  • Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus (Africa and Iran)
• Genus Puma
  • Cougar, Puma concolor (North and South America)
• Genus Uncia
  • Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia (mountains of central and south Asia)
• Genus Neofelis
  • Bornean Clouded Leopard, Neofelis diardi (Borneo and Sumatra)
  • Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa (southeast and south Asia)

References

External links

• NatureFootage Big Cat pictures and video clips
• How big are the Big Cats - an article at Big Cats Online which includes a chart comparing the body lengths of several cat species.
• ARKive - images and movies of endangered big cats
• Humane Society of the United States -- article on big cats as pets
• Big Cat Rescue -- sanctuary dedicated to care and conservation of big cats
• FCF Big Cat Policy -- recommendations against casual private ownership
• WHF -- Wildlife Heritage Foundation (European Endangered Species Breeding Programmes (EEP))
• WHF Photos -- Wildlife Heritage Foundation photos
• [1] -- Exotic Cat Conservation