Big cats are wild cats that have roamed the earth for millions of years. It is a term that was originally used to describe the four large species of wild cats that roar – lions,tigers, jaguars and leopards (including the Amur leopard). These cats are also classified as members of the same biological subfamily. In 2008, snow leopards were added to this group, even though they don’t roar.
There is also an extended definition of big cats that includes four other large wild cats – cheetahs, cougars (also called pumas and mountain lions), clouded leopards and Sunda clouded leopards.
The clouded leopard is considered a link between big and small wild cats.
Get a completelist of big cats here.
History and origins
Big cats are all members of theFelidaefamily (cat family, a biological classification), along withsmall wild catsand domestic cats. There are two Felidae sub-families, thePantherinaeand theFelinae.
Five big cats (lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards) are members of the Pantherinae subfamily, which split from the Felinae between 5 and 10 million years ago. These cats are also members of the same genus called Panthera.
The Panthera cats are also one of the 8 lineages of cats that descended from the Felidae cat family. The other 7 lineages are Bay Cat, Caracal, Leopardus, Lynx, Puma Leopard Cat and Felis (domestic cat)
The clouded leopard and Sunda clouded leopard are members of the Pantherinae subfamily as well, but they belong to another genus called Neofelis.
It is believed that the Panthera cats first appeared in Central Asia. The oldest known Panthera cat is the Panthera blytheae, which lived between 4 and 6 million years ago. Its skull is similar to the skull of a snow leopard.
The clouded leopard evolved around 8 1/2 million years ago, tigers evolved 6 ½ million years ago, and leopards evolved around 4.3 million years ago. The snow leopard appeared a little over 4 ½ million years ago, and the jaguar between 1.2 and over 3 million years ago.
Cougars and cheetahs are members of the Felinae subfamily. Within this subfamily, the cougar belongs to the genus Puma and the cheetah belongs to the genus Acinonyx.
It is believed that the Felinae subfamily originated in Asia around 11 million years ago. The cougar and cheetah are also members of the Puma lineage. Like the Panthera cats, this is a line of cats descended from the Felidae cat family. The Puma lineage includes the Puma genus, Acinonyx genus and Herpailurus genus.
Read moreabout big cat classifications.
Big cat similarities and differences
Compared to each other, big cats have both similar and different characteristics, from the way they look to lifestyle, abilities and even food preferences.
Appearance
- Lions – Tails with a tuft of hair at the end. Males have a mane.
- Tigers – the biggest cat of all cats with striped fur
- Leopards – short legs with a long body and large skull, fur marked with rosettes
- Jaguar -3rd largest cat, fur covered in spots and rosettes
- Cheetah – long and thin with spotted fur
- Cougar – fur has a uniform color, long black-tipped tail
- Snow leopard – grey/white heavy fur with spots and rosettes, big paws
- Clouded Leopards – short powerful legs, markings that look like clouds
Some big cats roar
Probably the most well-known difference between big cats and other cats, is that four of them can roar- the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar. The sound happens when air passes through the cat’s larynx (voice box) toward its lungs, and the walls of the larynx start to vibrate. The lion has the longest larynx, and the biggest roar.
Solitary vs. social
Big cats like the leopard, jaguar, cougar and clouded leopard lead solitary lives. Lions, however, live in groups called prides. Sometimes you will find a lion roaming a with another lion or by themselves. Tigers are generally solitary but may share their kill with other tigers.
Big cats that swim
Tigers are highly skilled swimmers. Many of them live in jungles with wide rivers. Because of their strong, muscular bodies and webbed paws, they can swim for several miles, and have even been seen swimming in ocean water from one island to another. Other big cats that swim include the jaguar, leopard, cougars, snow leopards and clouded leopard. Cheetahs and lions can swim as well but will usually avoid water.
Tree climbers
Clouded leopards are incredible tree climbers. Leopards are excellent climbers as well. They are frequently seen resting in trees or eating kill that they have dragged onto a tree branch. Snow leopards and cougars also climb trees. Jaguars are good at tree climbing, but don’t do it as often as cougars. You will also find lions climbing trees from time to time. Tigers rarely climb trees, but some cases have been recorded. Cheetahs aren’t very good tree climbers.
The fastest cats
The cheetah is both the fastest big cat, and fastest land animal. Lions can run fast in short bursts, up to around 35 miles an hour. Jaguars can run around 50 mph, and Tigers can run up to 40 mph. Cougars can run from 30 to 50 mph. Leopards and snow leopards can run between 35 and 40 mph. Clouded leopards are also fast cats that can run up to 40 mph. By comparison, humans can only run around 8 mph.
Leapers and jumpers
Snow leopards can jump up to 20 feet high. Cheetahs can jump up to 15 feet. Tigers can jump up around 12 feet in the air or more. Lions can jump around 10-12 feet, jaguars can jump up to around 10 feet, and leopards can jump a little over 9 feet.
Snow leopards are also big leapers – up to 50 feet horizontally. Lions can leap around 36 feet. Leopards can leap up to 20 ft. Tigers can leap around 18-20 feet. Jaguars leap around 20 feet. Clouded leopards can leap 15 feet from one branch to another.
Food preferences
For the most part, big cats are meat eaters. Some cats will eat fish, reptiles and vegetation.
Lions will eat: zebra, wildebeest (a large antelope), African buffalo, gemsbok (a large antelope) warthog (a member of the pig family),giraffe, deer and chital (an Indian deer species).
A tiger’s diet is more varied. They will eat Wapiti (a type of deer), deer, water buffalo, boar, birds, hares, porcupines, fish, peafowl, monkeys, dogs, leopards, pythons, bears and crocodiles.
Leopards eat Impala (antelope), bushbuck (antelope),duiker (antelope),chital (deer), primates, jackal, fox, genet (slender cat-like animals) and cheetah
Jaguars eat more reptiles that other big cats. Their diet consists of capybara (rodent), anteater, deer, tamandua (anteater), peccary (somewhat related to pigs), agouti (type of rodent), turtles, caiman (type of allegator), reptiles and fish.
Cheetahs eat various types of hoofed animals including gazelle, impala, duiker (antelope), nyala (antelope), chinkara (gazelle), Urial (wild sheep) and wild goats. They will also eat hare (a mammal that belongs to the same family as rabbits).
Snow leopards prey on Ibex (wild goat), deer, pika (a relative of the rabbit), vole (small rodents), civet, mouse, hamster, rat and squirrel.
The clouded Leopards diet consists of macaque (primate), deer, bengal slow loris (primate), porcupine, pangolin, squirrel, deer and pheasants.
Big cats will also prey on domestic livestock like cattle and sheep.
Protecting Big Cats
Many big cats are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their populations have declined dramatically around the world due to habitat loss, hunting, poaching and illegal trading of their fur and body parts.
“Big cats like lions and tigers cannot survive unless they have plenty of wild animals to eat. Those wild animals cannot survive in sufficiently large numbers unless their habitats remain intact. Humans have been encroaching on these habitats, while poverty, greed and ignorance have been driving the illegal trade in wildlife. So big cats, like many other species of wild animals, are under threat as never before.” (United Nations (2018) Big Cats Feel the Pinch)
