A list of popular big cats.
Cat species in the genus Panthera that include: tiger, lion, leopard and jaguar are commonly called as big cat. Also in this species are cougar, snow leopard, clouded leopard and cheetah. One main trait these cats have that other smaller cats don’t possess is their ability to roar.
Though big cats may differ in sizes and physical appearances, all exhibit similar behavior. All cats are carnivores or meat-eater and are efficient predators. Big cats are found mostly in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.
Below is a list of the 10 most remarkable big cats.
10. Bobcat
The Bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a North American cat found mostly in southern Canada, some part of Mexico and the United States. Bobcats come in gray to brown coat, black-tufted ears, whiskered face and males can weigh up 30 lbs, while females average 20 lbs. Adults grow to 15 inches from ground to shoulder in height. Bobcats are seen roaming wooded areas, forest edges and swamplands searching for prey such as rabbits, hares, rodents and small deer. Having a flexible body with legs designed for climbing, pouncing and rapid acceleration, bobcats are efficient predators.
9. Ocelot
The Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) found mostly in South and Central America, Mexico and in some part of Texas is a wild cat that resembles a domestic cat. A distinct mark of an ocelot is its dark brown fur edged with black on a yellow/tawny background with irregular shaped spots and stripes. They are nocturnal animals and prey on rabbits, rodents, rodents and small reptiles. Ocelots are good tree climbers and also hunt for birds.
Ocelots population dwindled during the late 90’s because people hunt them for their fur. Efforts made by IUCN to preserve its population took on a positive note and as of today, ocelots numbers increase.
8. Caracal Cat
The Caracal (Caracal caracal), commonly called Persian Lynx or African Lynx, is a medium-built cat. They have long legs tufted black ears and creamy with faded orange spots underbelly. Caracal cats are considered one of the world‘s beautiful cats. They are found throughout South Africa and its habitat includes: dry savannahs, forest edge and mountainous terrain. Adult males can weigh up to 20 kilograms and can reach 2 feet in height. A nocturnal animal, Caracal cat moves with grace and an expert tree climber. They are good hunters of sand rats, squirrels, Rock Hyrax and at times birds.
7. Jaguarundi
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The Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is found mostly in South America and in some parts of southern Texas. They are medium-sized cats where adults grow to an average of 65 cm, a 45 cm tail and can weigh up to 6 kg. Jaguarundi have short and rounded ears and short legs. They have clear coat and even colors and comes in blackish to brownish gray. They inhabit forested areas and lowland brush areas that are near a water source. They are normally seen in trees spying on possible prey such as: small mammals, birds, reptiles and fish.
6. Marbled Cat
The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) looks like a typical domestic cat, but it owns a thicker furred tail that it uses as a counterbalance. They are mostly found in northeast India, Nepal and through southeast Asia. Its habitat includes: woodlands, dry savannah and rugged terrain in mountainous regions.
Marbled cat has thick and soft fur brownish-yellow in color having a marking of large blotches with lighter underparts. Its legs bear black spots and its head and neck also has some black lines. Adults can weigh up to 4.5 kilograms and can reach 53 cm in height. Marbled cat”s diet includes: squirrels, rodents, frogs, lizards, insects but mostly birds.
5. Jaguar
The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is one of the “big cats” that lives in some areas of Mexico, Central America, Argentina and Paraguay. It can be mistaken for a leopard in appearance, but jaguars are much bigger and look sturdier than leopard. They more resemble the tiger in terms of behavioral and habitat characteristics. They live in forest and open terrain, but prefer much dense rainforest. Jaguar works alone in hunting its prey that includes: deer, capybara, tapirs, dogs, foxes, frogs, mice, fish, birds, monkeys and turtles.
The jaguar is a sturdy and well-muscled animal and can weigh up to 96 kilograms and can reach a height of 30 inches tall at the shoulder. The base coat of the jaguar is normally a yellowish-brown, but can adapt a reddish-brown and black coloring. They are covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat.
4. Snow Leopard
The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) is a big cat local to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. Their range spans from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, Russia, India and China. They come in white, yellowish or soft gray coat and thick fur with ringed spots of black on brown. The average height of an adult is 2 feet from ground to shoulder and can weigh up to 50 kilograms. It can grow up to 3. 5 feet in length that include a 40-inch tail. The Snow leopard”s diet includes: Wild sheep and goats and other small animals like rodents, hares and game birds.
3. Lion
The lion (Panthera leo) is a muscular and powerfully built cat. They have short fur that comes in uniform color ranging from grey to reddish brown. Lions have black or deep brown eyes and tail’s tip. The most distinctive mark of a lion is its mane (ruff of thick, long fur) that adult males exhibit. Its color varies from a light brown to almost black and covers the sides of the face, neck and in some animals extends to the abdomen. Adult males can grow up to 10 feet in body length.
2 Cheetah
The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land animal in the world, its slender, long-legged body is built for speed. Cheetahs’ distinctive feature is the black spots all over its tan-colored bodies. They too have small heads, ears and eyes that is marked with “tear stripes” that stretch from the eye”s corner.to the side of the nose. Adult males can reach up to 3 feet in height at shoulders, an average of 55 inches in length and can weigh up to 140 pounds. Cheetahs roam freely in open savannah in Africa and some are confined in small isolated populations in Iran. Their diet includes: Gazelles, impalas and smaller hoofed animals.
1. Tiger
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest member of the cat family. They are found in China, Russian Far East, South and Southeast Asia. Tigers can grow up to 3.5 feet at the shoulder and can reach a body length of up to 9.2 feet (tail length 2-3 feet). They sport long, thick reddish coats with white bellies and white and black tails. Its distinct mark is its black, brown or gray stripes. Tigers are found in tropical forests, grassland savannah, rocky country, woodlands and grasslands. They hunt at night and feed on deer, wild pigs, water buffalo, antelope, monkeys and hares.
Thing of Beauty! thanks for following along-
ngayon ko lang alam na meroon palang klase ng pusa.. ngaba?? anyway thanks sir.. interesting article…
Ganda…i love big cats. Sana may lakas ako ng loob na hawakan sila.
Ganda…i love big cats. Sana may lakas ako ng loob na hawakan sila.
I hope to see an Ocelot kind of cat in the future, it looks awesome.
What a great piece of trivia – my son loves animals and my daughter can tell what is a tiger, cheetah, jaguar based from its spots.
cute for the eyes only, too bad we can't pet this kind of cats for we will be end up their meal…
i think i have seen most of them, but only in the zoo 🙂 nice post again Donald, so filled with information.
Interesting post. I don't get to see the lesser known "big cats" in the flesh, only in journals, books and websites. The other common big cats like lions, tigers, leopards are seen in the zoo.
Ang gaganda ng mga pusang ito pero parang nakakatakot din. Bella loves the stray cat we have in the house but hubby won't allow her to play with the cat kasi daw delikado sa baby 🙁
man, they look cute but the're feisty…meeoow..lol!
I love the deviled cat. It is so AWESOME!
i don;t like cats that much but they are still awesome creatures of God.
The caracal cat looks weird! hehe
Finally, I saw a bobcat in its real image. Just know it by name. =)
I'm a bg fan of cats! I so love 'em :p
Looks can always be deceiving, they look as lovely as they are but they are dangerously wild eh?, I guess even household cats has a carnivorous instincts(scary)
I love cats so much. But this kind of cats made me scared. Hahahahaha
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Nice collections of Cats. Funny how the tigers are the biggest of the cats but its the lion that's the king of the cats.
I'd have to share this post to my daughter who for some reason adores cats!
The snow leopard is so cute! My boyfriend will surely love your compilation because it's his dream to have a tiger. Cats scare me though. They look so serious to me unlike dogs. 🙂
Happy to say that I've seen at least two of these bigs cats: the Tiger and the Lion (since they're so common in zoo's). But if given the chance to see a few more (from a distance!).. I would love to see the Ocelot, Caracal Cat and Snow Leopard. 🙂
my first time to see a Caracal Cat. kakatuwa ang tenga. hehehe!
I didn't know there were that many species in the cat kingdom, I'm only familiar with those I saw on TV or movies and zoo. The Caracal cat definitely fits the title as the most beautiful among them all..
And I'm a Lion (Leo) born in the year of the Tiger. I love them two so they are the first cats I looked for when I saw your post 🙂
While I wouldn't put a cheetah ahead of a lion, I do agree that tigers would totally own any top X list with tigers against lions.
Great collection and information you got here. However, i never got a cat pet eversince.
The Caracal Cat. This ought to stick in my head all day
That Caracal cat looks cunning; His ears made him look like a cross breed with a rabbit. That lion being in the cats category is just huge.
Wow there are too many of them some I did not know..Thanks for the info.
I love cats! But then again, big cats like these really scares me~
The Caracal Cat almost looks like royalty sitting on her throne.
I thought cat are only those we found in the house and mostly on the alley(alley cat),lion ,cheetah, tiger.Madami pa pala
Such a very informative article. I found Caracal's ears cute! haha! Indeed I learned on this. Purrfect to show to my kids.
4 na pusa lang ang kilala ko Tiger, Jaguar, Lion at cheetah. samalat po sa info!
I love to get a bobcat or an ocelot, I hope these big cats can be domesticated. It will be surely head turner for cat lover's. 🙂
I used to really be into big cats when I was a kid, specifically the jaguars. I don't remember why…it was just a phase I guess.
Now it's my kids who are animal lovers.
i am amazed how beautiful yet dangerous this cats can be… how i wish i and my kids can see all these breeds for real…Yahweh bless
Family of cats here. The CHEETAH looks so sexy with that shot and the Caracal cat's ears are so erected . Amazing animals!
I like the fur of Jaguar and the tiger. It looks neat and clean. What prompted you to collect these big cats and feature them here?
wow this big cats are so beautiful! i have seen a few in person like the bobcat,jaguar, the lynx, lion, tiger, cheetah, and puma aka cougar. my fave is the bobcat because they are so cute!! i want one for a pet. hehehe
Nakakatakot naman ang caracal cat paps! 🙁
I am afraid of cats since I was younger pa. Huhuhu! That's why I'm not fond of them.
I can work with puppies and dogs though! 😀 ♥
I'm not that a fan of cats, as my family and I are dog persons. But hey, having an Ocelot might change my thinking! Haha. XD Basta ba maamo. 😀
in general, I hate cats…maybe because when I was studying in Manila, an alley cat made the area under my window his/her house and made all kinds of weird noises the whole night long! I like big cats though 🙂 especially the tiger and jaguar 😉