Species
TIGERS (Panthera tigris)
The largest of the big cats and native to Asia, tigers are highly adaptable and strong swimmers. The stripe patterns on their instantly recognizable coats are unique to each individual, like fingerprints. Of the nine recent subspecies, three (Javan, Bali, Caspian*) are extinct and the remaining six (South Chinese, Malayan, Bengal, Indochinese, Sumatran, Siberian) are all endangered, some critically so. Habitat loss and poaching are major threats to their survival.
LIONS (Panthera leo)
Found mainly in sub-Saharan Africa with a small population also existing in the Gir Forest of India, lions are the only cats that live in social groups. They are also the only cats that display obvious sexual dimorphism, with adult males and females easily distinguishable from each other. Lions have experienced drastic population decline in recent years, mainly attributed to habitat loss and conflict with humans. They are considered vulnerable to extinction.
JAGUARS (Panthera onca)
Native to North and South America, jaguars are muscular predators with an extremely powerful bite that they use to pierce the skull of their prey. They are sometimes affected by melanism, a condition that gives them an all black coat. Jaguars are strong swimmers and often found near water. They are listed as near threatened, with a decreasing population trend. The main threat to their survival is habitat destruction.
LEOPARDS (Panthera pardus)
The smallest of the four big cats, leopards are found mostly in Africa with small fragmented populations in parts of Asia. The IUCN currently recognizes nine subspecies - African, Indian, Sri Lankan, Amur, Persian, Indo-Chinese, North Chinese, Javan and Arabian. It is possible that two more subspecies exist, Anatolian and Baluchistan. Leopards are stealthy hunters and skilled climbers that are able to carry prey much heavier than themselves high into the trees. Like jaguars, leopards can also be affected by melanism.
Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)
Well known as the fastest land animal, cheetahs are native to Africa and Asia and are atypical members of the cat family in that they lack strong climbing ability. Cheetahs are listed as vulnerable, with threats including habitat loss and fragmentation.
Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia)
Found in the mountains of South and Central Asia, snow leopards are elusive animals not often seen by humans in the wild. Their large paws act as natural snowshoes and tails almost as long as their body help them balance. They are poached for their pelts and body parts and this combined with loss of habitat has caused populations to drastically decline. They are considered endangered.
Mountain Lions (Puma concolor)
Shy animals that roam North and South America, mountain lions go by many names including cougar, puma, catamount and panther. Despite being roughly the same size as a leopard, mountain lions are not usually grouped with the true “big cats” as they lack the ability to roar.
Canadian Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)
Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis bieti)
Jungle Cat (Felis chaus)
Sand Cat (Felis margarita)
Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes)
Wildcat (Felis silvestris)
Pallas’s Cat (Otocolobus manul)
Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
Iriomote Cat (Prionailurus iriomotensis)
Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps)
Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus)
Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi)
Pantanal Cat (Leopardus braccatus)
Colocolo (Leopardus colocolo)
Geoffroy’s Cat (Leopardus geoffroyi)
Kodkod (Leopardus guigna)
Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobitus)
Pampas Cat (Leopardus pajeros)
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus)
Margay (Leopardus wiedii)
Serval (Leptailurus serval)
Caracal (Caracal caracal)
African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata)
Bay Cat (Catopuma badia)
Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii)
Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata)
Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi)
*Recent studies suggest the Caspian tiger was largely identical to the extant Siberian tiger so it is debatable as to whether this subspecies should be reffed to as extinct or not.
(Photos by omfgbbqpls, ttstam, djblock99, The Welsh Poppy)
