Big cat

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Big cat refers to large wild felines of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Australia and Antarctica have no indigenous species of cats.

The term big cat is used to distinguish truly large felines, which can weigh several hundred pounds, from much smaller cat species. 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.

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Three of the four largest cats are members of the genus Panthera. One definition of big cat includes only the four species of Panthera: the lion, tiger, leopard, and jaguar. Members of this genus can roar, while other cats cannot. Consequently, the ability to roar is sometimes considered a distinguishing characteristic of big cats.

In addition to the genus Panthera, four other species, with adult males weighing as much as 270 lb or slightly more — the cheetah, snow leopard, clouded leopard and cougar — are often considered to be big cats. The cougar is larger than the leopard, and is the fourth largest cat. When these other four cats are considered big cats, the roaring cats can be referred to as "great cats" for distinction. The offspring of the great cats are called cubs while the offspring of the lesser big cats are referred to as kittens.

The ability to roar comes from an elongated and specially adapted larynx. 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 the jaguar. Cats that cannot roar have vocal chords more suited for purring, while roaring cats cannot purr.

Some medium-sized cats, like the Eurasian lynx, may weigh as much as 55 lb (25 kg), considerably outweighing the domestic cat, but they are not considered big cats.

[edit] Species

Genus Panthera:

Other "big cats":

Medium-sized cats:

[edit] Threats to big cats

The principal threats to big cats are habitat destruction and poaching, including so-called canned hunts, in which captive animals on reserves are shot for sport.

Big cats were threatened by the exotic pet trade but now international trade is regulated by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

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[1] bans the interstate sale and transportation of these animals. Nevertheless, there are still an estimated 15,000 big cats kept captive in America, and only a small percentage of them are in accredited zoos.[2] The remainder are in private homes and nonaccredited roadside zoos.

[edit] External links

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