Predatory mammals order felines. The largest predatory cat in the world
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Everyone loves cats. Or almost everything.
We are in the editorial website we simply adore these graceful and majestic creatures that truly adorn our planet. Today we invite you to get acquainted with rare cats, many of which we have not even heard of. Until this day.
1. Black-footed cat
One of the smallest felines, the black-footed cat is native to southern Africa. Its weight rarely exceeds 2.5 kg, and its length, including the tail, is 50 cm. The lifestyle and habits of these cats are poorly understood, but it is known that they choose abandoned termite mounds and porcupine burrows as their home.
2. Fishing cat
Unlike most members of the family, the angler cat swims and catches fish very well. Their paws are also not like everyone else's - fishermen have membranes between their fingers, which help them swim well, but do not allow them to retract their claws. Although their body size is not so large - the length of the male rarely exceeds 1.2 m, these cats have gained a reputation as fighters: once a cat kept in one of the zoos broke out of the cage and killed the leopard.
3. Pyrenean lynx
The Iberian lynx is one of the rarest felines whose existence is threatened. Once these big cats inhabited all of Portugal and Spain, but today their habitat is practically limited to the Coto Doñana National Park. Despite the name, it is distantly related to the common lynx and is 2 times smaller in size.
4. Jaguarundi
The jaguarundi is one of the few felines that are diurnal. Jaguarundis live in Central and South America, but it is quite difficult to see them in the wild, which is why the animals are little studied. Scientists do not even have data on their life expectancy - it is only known that in captivity they live up to 15 years.
5. Chilean cat
The Chilean cat, which lives in the southern region of South America, spends most of its life in the dense canopy of trees, from where it tracks down its prey. Among the locals, the Chilean cat is considered a real vampire because of the two punctures from the fangs that she leaves on pets, which she fails to kill.
6. Long-tailed cat
A neighbor of the Chilean cat in South America, the long-tailed cat also spends most of its life in the crowns of trees. These cats have an amazing feature: they can jump from branch to branch and climb down from the tree head down - just like squirrels do. In addition, her hind legs are so strong that she can hang upside down on them for quite a long time.
7. Rusty cat
The rusty cat is one of the smallest representatives of the cat, whose weight reaches no more than 1.5 kg. These babies, whose population does not exceed 10 thousand individuals, live only in Ceylon and India, and if the "island" cats live in the humid jungle, then the "continental" ones live in arid open places. The meowing of these cats is very similar to the meowing of domestic ones, and it is quite easy to tame them.
8 Clouded Leopard
If the length of an ordinary leopard, excluding the tail, can reach 190 cm, then the smoky ones grow no more than 1 m. It is believed that this particular cat became the progenitor of all large modern cats, but its habits are in many ways similar to the behavior of domestic cats. A significant part of the time clouded leopards spend on trees, in addition, females use hollows as "maternity hospitals".
9. Oncilla
A miniature copy of the jaguar, the oncilla is one of the least studied species among cats. Little is known about their way of life - despite the fact that they are found in Brazil, Argentina and several other countries, it is difficult to see them in their natural habitat, because their color allows them to hide perfectly in the crowns of trees.
10. Dune cat
In addition to Central Asia, dune cats live in one of the most extreme places on our planet - in the arid Sahara desert. These cats are the smallest representatives of wild cats, whose length is no more than 90 cm, of which almost half falls on the tail. Sand cats can live for a long time without water, getting its supplies from food.
11. Forest cat
Despite the significant difference in appearance, the forest cat is the closest relative of the dune cat. But in color they resemble ordinary striped domestic cats, and this is not surprising, because it was wild cats that 10 thousand years ago nailed to humans and became the ancestors of our pets. However, modern wild cats do not at all strive for closeness to humans and try to stay away from him.
12. Geoffroy's cat
The size of the Geoffroy cat, which lives in the southern part of the South American continent, is the same as that of an ordinary domestic cat, moreover, they are quite capable of interbreeding. However, unlike domestic cats, Geoffroy's cats can swim and can eat "hand-caught" fish. In addition, they are able to store food by arranging storage in the foliage of trees.
Representatives of the cat family are predators and all, without exception, eat meat. All of them - from a small black-footed cat to a huge Amur tiger - are excellent hunters.
Canines and molars: All felids have long, curved, cone-shaped fangs that they use to grab, hold, and kill prey. Small cats usually kill prey with a bite to the neck, squeezing the vertebrae of the victim with sharp fangs. Big cats try to bite into the throat of the victim, thus avoiding the sharp horns. The cheetah has rather weakly developed fangs, so it can only strangle its prey with them. The molars of cats have sharp tops, and when the jaws are compressed, the upper teeth closely overlap the lower ones. With their help, animals easily tear the meat apart. These "scissor teeth" are a common characteristic of all predators.
Retractable Claws: Cats have sharp claws among all carnivores. Such an innate "tool" helps them when it becomes necessary to climb trees, catch, hold and kill prey. To prevent the weapon from becoming dull and broken, cats retract their claws into special recesses on their fingers while jumping and running. Some cats have retractable claws only on their front paws. Cats that live in trees, such as the ocelot, are able to retract their claws on all four paws. In a cheetah, all the claws are not retractable, they help him develop greater speed while chasing prey, performing the same function as the spikes on the shoes of runners. Some felines use their claws not only to climb trees and to deal with prey, but also to mark their territory. To do this, they "sharpen" their claws on tree trunks. 
Color: Each type of cat has a special pattern of fur, which best masks the animal in its habitat. The coat can be sand-colored like a lion, striped like a tiger, or spotted like an ocelot - the coloring of each of these serves to ensure that the predator can better hide and go unnoticed while hunting or sneaking up on prey. But beautiful fur has long attracted the attention of people, so hunters, wanting to show off or for profit, ruthlessly kill wild cats. The modern cat family includes about 35 species of animals. Felines inhabit safe regions of the world where many wild animals live. Over the centuries, cats have adapted to their environment perfectly. Avoiding enemies or waiting for prey, they trust their sensitive hearing, keen sense of smell and protective skin color.
REPRODUCTION. Most cats live alone. Cats do not leave their territories throughout the year, and only during the breeding season, males go beyond the borders of their possessions in search of females ready for mating. Most cats give birth to one offspring per year, however, female big cats usually give birth to cubs every 2-3 years.
C males do not participate in the rearing of offspring. There are 1-6 kittens in a litter. Females feed them with milk, eventually accustoming them to meat food. Newborn kittens are blind and completely helpless. They quickly become covered with wool, the pattern of which is mostly spotted. The cubs live with their mother until they learn to hunt on their own. On average, predatory cats live for about 15 years. 
Origin of cats. The first cat-like animals appeared on our planet about 50 million years ago. Over the next 25 million years, in the process of evolution, they formed the early modern species of cats that inhabit the globe today.
One of the most famous prehistoric predators was the saber-toothed tiger that lived in the forests of 30 million years ago. For reasons unknown to science, it died out about 8 thousand years ago. The saber-toothed tiger, however, from a typological point of view, was closer to hyenas than to cats. By this time, very few fossils had been discovered that could tell about the development of the modern cat family. It is likely that the first cats appeared in Asia, from where they gradually spread throughout the world, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia. In South America, these predators appeared rather late.
In all cats outwardly surprisingly similar to each other, however, biologists distinguish 4 genera in this family and divide all cats into large and small.
LONE HUNTERS. All cats, except lions, hunt alone. They have developed a style of hunting based on stalking prey, followed by a lightning-fast jump and pounding it. Thanks to this, a single animal lives in a certain territory, is able to provide food and survive the hungry period. Surprisingly, some types of cats dare to attack prey, which is larger than them. So, the lynx hunts roe deer and deer, the tiger is able to overcome the deer and elk, he also does not miss the opportunity to attack the cubs of elephants and rhinos. Another large cat - a leopard - hunts antelopes, and raises the prey up a tree so that the carcass does not get to animals that feed on carrion. Some cats pursue the prey for a long time, others shortly, but quickly (cheetah). Small cats also display incredible strength and agility in hunting small prey. 
BIG AND SMALL CATS. The cat family belongs to the number of predators, is still divided into two subfamilies - large and small cats. Large cats include lions, snow leopards, leopards, jaguars, small ones - jaguarundi, ocelot, forest cat, steppe cat and others. In this case, the actual size of the animal often turns out to be a relative value. The cougar, for example, is included in the group of small cats, although it is larger than the clouded leopard, which is among the big cats.
The main criterion in determining the place of a species in the system is anatomical characteristics. In big cats, part of the base of the tongue is made of cartilage, while in small cats it is completely ossified, so big cats can growl and small cats can purr. The next distinguishing feature is the area between the upper lip and nose, which is covered with hair in small cats, and remains bare in large ones. Significant differences between the two groups of cats can also be found in their behavior. Large cats eat prey lying down, while small cats eat standing or sitting. During rest, the front paws of big cats are extended forward and the tail is thrown back, while small cats hide their front paws under themselves and wrap their long tail around the body. 
HEARING AND VISION. All cats have a subtle instinct. These predators have excellent eyesight, which helps them to identify prey. Due to the fact that the eyes of cats are set in front of the head, these animals see objects in volume, so they can accurately estimate the distance to the victim. In addition, cats are good at distinguishing colors and clearly recognize prey. Daytime vision in cats is the same as in humans, and at night they see 6 times better. The retina of their eyes is arranged like the retina of nocturnal animals, it contains a mirror (Taresht IisiAit), which reflects the light that has passed through the light-sensitive cells. Because of this, they see well in the dark. Nature has endowed cats with excellent hearing. Their large mobile ears catch even the slightest rustle. Representatives of small cats even hear high-frequency sounds and ultrasounds that small mammals give out.
The domestic cat has many wild relatives, large and small. All of them, despite noticeable differences in size, color and physiology, have much in common and are incredibly similar to their domesticated relative. All cats belong to the same family, Felidae. The cat family is divided into two subfamilies, Pantherinae and Felinae, i.e. big and small cats.
Such a classification is not based at all on size, as it might seem at first glance, but on morphological features, in particular, on the structure of the hyoid bone. Because of this, such large cats as the puma and the cheetah do not fall into the subfamily of big cats. At one time, the division into large and small cats was associated with the ability of cats to make certain sounds. It was believed that due to the structure of the hyoid bone, big cats (Pantherinae) can growl, while small cats (Felinae) cannot. However, now scientists have come to the conclusion that the ability to growl is based on other morphological features, primarily on the elasticity and length of the vocal cords. In this regard, the clouded leopard and snow leopard are big cats, although they do not know how to growl.
While felines express their anger in different ways - roaring or purring - a sign of peace and pleasure in all felines, large and small, is purring. The only difference is that big cats can only purr on exhalation, while small cats can purr both on exhalation and on inhalation.
Of course, the differences between the representatives of the cat family are not limited to this. The subfamily of big cats includes 3 genera, small cats - 11 genera. Genera, in turn, are divided into species. Here, scientists have not yet come to a consensus - the whole variety of wild cats can be divided into species in many ways, therefore, cat species, depending on the method of classification, there are from 35 to 38. Some scientists distinguish some wild cats into a separate species, while others consider them a subspecies some kind.
This happens, for example, with the wild steppe cat (Felis silvestris lybica). Most biologists consider it a subspecies of the European forest cat (Felis silvestris). These wild cats are indeed similar - the same color, size, morphology and physiology. However, there are differences: the steppe cat lives in the steppes of Africa and Asia, and the European forest cat, as the name implies, lives in the forests. The habitat of the European forest cat lies to the north, so its coat is thicker and longer. The steppe cat is slimmer, has lighter bones and long legs. The colors, with all the similarities, are still different - there are no stripes on the body of the steppe cat. Because of all this, some scientists believe that the prairie cat and the European forest cat are two completely different species, and not subspecies of the same species.
Be that as it may, both the steppe cat and the European forest cat are the closest relatives of the domestic cat. Some wild cats have been successfully crossed with domestic cats in order to develop new breeds. The Siberian and Norwegian Forest breeds are most likely descended from the European Forest Cat (Felis silvestris). The Bengal breed was bred based on a relatively distant relative of the domestic cat, Prionailurus bengalensis (Bengal cat, a type of wild cat). From the crossing of a domestic cat with servals, the Savannah breed originated. It is believed that the Abyssinian breed was bred on the basis of the steppe cat (Felis silvestris lybica).
In total, eight species of the cat family live in Russia: in addition to the European forest cat, we can meet manul, reed cat, Far Eastern cat (a subspecies of the Bengal cat), lynx, snow leopard, leopard, tiger. The Amur tiger, by the way, is the largest representative of the cat family.
About how attractive cats are to people, says the fact that in ancient Egypt, the cat goddess Bast was the personification of joy, love and beauty. There is an opinion about the connection of these animals with the subtle world. No wonder the familiar of witches was considered a black cat. Maybe there is something magical in these animals, but, unfortunately, the development of civilization leads to the destruction of many species of the cat family.
Wild cats in their natural habitat
Many people love fluffy pets that delight with their appearance, playful disposition, and the desire to caress the owner in order to get a treat. But we are also attracted to wild cats by the fluid grace of a strong, intelligent, independent and always beautiful predator. Natural animal populations are found on all continents of the planet, except for Antarctica and Australia. Quite a lot of representatives of the animal world belong to the cat family: some zoologists distinguish up to eighteen genera. There are two subfamilies: large and small cats. The latter are characterized not only by their smaller size, but also by the peculiarity of the structure of the hyoid bone, which is why they cannot growl.
Subfamily big cats
This group of animals includes three genera: leopard, panther and leopard, recently classified as a separate genus.
Table: features of different genera of the subfamily of big cats
| Russian and Latin genus name | Russian and Latin name of the cat species | Appearance description | area | Estimated strength | natural behavior | reproduction |
| Leopard (neofelis) | Clouded leopard (neofelis nebulosa) |
The skin of the leopard is very beautiful, it was because of it that this species was destroyed. |
Tropical and subtropical forests South-East Asia. |
Ten thousand individuals. | They live in thickets of forests, live alone and climb trees and swim well. Leopards hunt large herbivores, monkeys, crocodiles. | The duration of pregnancy is almost ninety days. The females make nests in tree hollows. There can be from one to five kittens in a litter, the weight of which ranges from 150 to 280 grams. Kittens are yellow-gray in color and only after six months acquire adult coloring. After nine months, the kittens leave their mother. Leopards can live up to twenty years. |
| Kalimantan (or Bornean) clouded leopard (neofelis diardi) |
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Borneo and Sumatra islands, tropical forests and savanna. | There are no data on the number, but studies on the island of Borneo estimate the population density as nine individuals per hundred square kilometers. | Presumably leads a solitary lifestyle. According to the structure of the body, it can be determined that the body of this leopard is adapted to life on the branches of trees, but it has only been seen on the ground. | The available data are obtained from the study of animals in captivity: the course of pregnancy is similar clouded leopard. The cubs leave the female at ten months. |
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| Panther (panthera) | Lion (panthera leo):
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Males differ from females not only in size, but also in the presence of a large mane covering the head and front of the body of the animal. The mane can be the same color as the pelt or a darker shade. In addition to the mane, long hairs grow at the end of the tail, forming a brush (in both males and females). |
A few centuries ago, the range of lions was very significant. Now populations have been preserved in Africa (the territory south of the Sahara) and in one of the Indian states (in the Gir forest). They prefer to live in the savannas, but sometimes live in the bush or forest areas. | The number of animals in the African range is 47 thousand individuals, in the Gir forest - 359 adult lions. | Lions most often live in prides - families consisting of several females who are close relatives, growing lion cubs and two males. Growing males, and sometimes females, are driven out of the pride, and they become nomadic lone predators. With luck, they will create their own pride or join a new one, but they can remain alone for the rest of their lives. Lions are at the top of the food pyramid. Their prey is large and medium-sized mammals, mostly herbivores, weighing up to half a ton. |
Lionesses are capable of breeding from the age of four. Pregnancy lasts one hundred and ten days. Up to four babies are born. The weight of a newborn is from 1 to 2 kg. Until the age of two months, kittens are only under the care of their mother, who makes a den in a secluded place. During this period, little lion cubs are very vulnerable. While the mother is hunting, other predators can destroy them. Then the female transfers the cubs to the pride, where they stay until they are fully grown (up to three years). According to statistics, only twenty percent of lion cubs grow into adults. Under natural conditions, they live up to fifteen years, but usually do not live up to this age, dying in skirmishes with other lions. |
| Tiger (Panthera tigris). There are nine species, of which the last three have already disappeared:
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The tiger, like the lion, is one of the largest predators of the cat family. The Bengal and Amur species have the greatest weight. The length of males reaches 2.5 m, height at the withers - up to 115 cm, weight - up to 250 kg. The coat is short, its main color is orange-red or orange-brown. Against this background, transverse stripes of black or dark brown color are well drawn. The lower part of the body, chest and inner surface of the ears are light in color. On the tail, the pattern appears as rings, and the tip is always black. The stripe pattern for each tiger is completely different and can be used to identify the animal. As a result of the mutation, the following colors are found:
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A hundred years ago, tigers inhabited all of Asia. Now there are populations in India and Indochina, in Russia. Predators live in the taiga, in tropical forests, in dry savannahs and semi-deserts, in rocky areas. |
The total number of individuals is 4 thousand. But the number is decreasing all the time due to poaching and changes in the natural habitat. | Solitary animals aggressively defend their territory, but the presence of nearby females is calm. These predators, due to their large weight, cannot climb trees, but swim well and love to take a dip to escape the heat. They feed on large artiodactyls, but they also hunt monkeys, birds and even fish, and in the summer they add plant foods to the menu. An adult tiger can consume up to 50 kg of meat at a time. |
A tigress can bear offspring from the age of three. Pregnancy lasts about 103 days. Most often, there are from two to four kittens in a litter (one or five is very rare). Up to two months, the kittens are in the den, and then they begin to accompany their mother on the hunt. A one and a half year old tiger is already considered an adult, but often the cubs continue to live with their mother for up to three years, and sometimes more. An adult female can share her hunting grounds with her mother, and the male must win back the living space from another male or find an unoccupied area. Tigers live up to 26 years. |
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Leopard (panthera pardus):
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There are melonite leopards, in which the main color is slightly lighter than the color of the spots. These leopards are called black panthers. They can be born in the litter of any cat, but are most often found in Java. |
The historical habitat of leopards is almost all of Africa (except for the desert), Western, South and Southeast Asia, the islands of Java, Zanzibar and Sri Lanka. Now in this area there are separate small populations. In Russia, they live in Primorye and, presumably, in the North Caucasus. The leopard inhabits both northern forests and tropical and subtropical ones. It adapts to the conditions of the savannah, semi-desert and mountainous terrain. |
The total number of leopards in the world is not indicated in the sources. It is known that there are 80 thousand Far Eastern leopards, Persian - a little more than a thousand. Poachers supply hundreds of skins of dead animals to the black market. The populations of these cats are rapidly declining, and we are talking about complete destruction. | This is a solitary predator living in its territory. Hunts at night. Easily climbs a tree, but waits for the victim on the ground, in ambush. Its prey are artiodactyls, as well as rodents, monkeys, birds and reptiles. The leopard does not refuse carrion either. | The female can bring offspring at the age of two and a half years. Pregnancy lasts ninety days. One or two kittens are born, three are very rare. Kittens grow up quickly enough and after a year and a half they begin to live on their own. They live for about eleven years. |
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Jaguar (panthera onca):
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The range is from Argentina to Mexico. Modern populations are small and scattered. They are mainly found in tropical forests, but also live in xerovit shrubs, forests on the slopes of the mountains and on the coast. | In Mexico, there are about ten thousand individuals. | Solitary Predator. Hunts at dusk in the evening and shortly before dawn. Swims well and easily climbs a tree. The game for the jaguar is medium-sized herbivores, medium-sized alligators, monkeys, birds, fish and turtles. | Maturity comes in the third year. Pregnancy lasts thirteen weeks. Number of kittens: from two to four in one litter. After forty days, little jaguars are already hunting with their mother, and leave her care when they find their own territory. In the wild, jaguars live for about 10 years, in captivity - 25. |
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| Bars (uncia) |
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DNA studies have shown that the snow leopard is closer to the tiger than the leopard. |
Mountain regions of Central and South Asia. It is more common in highlands (up to six thousand kilometers) and only migrates to the valley in winter due to a lack of game. | From four to seven thousand individuals. | A solitary predator, but it is tolerant of the female's neighborhood. Sometimes married couples are formed. Go hunting before sunset. It hunts mountain representatives of the artiodactyl family. | Sexual maturity occurs after two years. Pregnancy lasts more than three months. Two or three kittens weighing up to half a kilogram are born. A month and a half later, they are already accompanying their mother to hunt. Until full maturity, kittens live with their mother. Life expectancy - 13 years, in captivity - about 21. |
Photo gallery: beautiful and dangerous wild cats
Big smoky cats live in thickets of forests and swim well The Kalimantan leopard prefers loneliness Lions live in prides (families) Tigers are aggressive and always defend their own territory, do not allow other males to enter it White tigers are rarely born, their special color is the result of a gene mutation Maltese tiger has a beautiful gray-black color with a blue tint. Leopards usually hunt at night, their victims are artiodactyls, monkeys, birds, rodents. The black panther is not a separate species of big cats, but refers to jaguars or melonite leopards - individuals whose main coat color is slightly lighter than spots Jaguars are solitary predators that live in forests, mountains and on the coast The black jaguar preys on medium-sized herbivores, monkeys and birds Snow leopards sometimes form family pairs The golden color of tigers is a rarity caused by a recessive gene
Video: wild cats in nature
Subfamily small cats
The subfamily is diverse and numerous. Its representatives belong to medium and small predators that inhabit most of the land of the globe (with the exception of cougars, which can be attributed to the largest predators).
Table: subfamily of small cats
| Appearance description | area | Estimated strength | natural behavior | reproduction | |
| Genus Cheetahs (acinonyx), View Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). |
The cheetah is the fastest living mammal (its speed can be up to one hundred kilometers per hour). The structure of the body provides such high-speed capabilities: a light muscular body, a small head with rounded ears to reduce air resistance, a large chest and light, long legs. The length of the male is up to 140 cm, the height at the withers is up to 90 cm, and the weight is about 60 kg. The coat color is usually dark yellow with many black spots. There are varieties of color resulting from mutations:
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Most of the countries of Africa and South Asia. Now Asiatic cheetahs are only in Iran. They live in savannas and semi-deserts. | There are about 4500 individuals in Africa. | The cheetah hunts during the day, preferring to catch up with the prey, rather than wait in ambush. Game for him are artiodactyl animals of medium size. Several cheetahs may attack an ostrich. Male cheetahs unite in small groups to protect their territory. | Cheetah maturation occurs in the second year of life. Pregnancy in females lasts about 90 days. There are two to six kittens in the litter. The color of the kittens has protective properties, as it completely matches the color of a small predator - the honey badger. The mother feeds the cubs for up to eight months. But they can live with her for almost two years. Life expectancy for cheetahs is about 20 years in natural conditions, and much longer in captivity. |
| Genus Caracals (caracal), view (caracal caracal). |
The caracal looks like a lynx, but is smaller, the coat is sandy, and the ears and tassels at their ends are black. Body length - up to 80 cm, weight - about 20 kg. For ease of movement on the sands on the paws of the caracal there is a hard brush of hair. Sometimes there are black caracals. The closest relative is and . | It lives in deserts, semi-deserts, savannahs. Its populations are found in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. | Karkal is not an endangered species, although some populations are not very numerous. | Hunts mostly at night. Game for him are medium-sized animals: rodents, hares, gazelles, birds, sometimes insects and reptiles. Caracals are easily tamed by humans. |
Caracals become adults at 18 months. The female bears cubs for about 80 days. Born in a litter of up to six kittens. At six months, they become independent and leave their mother. In captivity, the caracal lives up to 17 years. |
Genus Catopuma (catopuma), species:
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Catopuma is a small predator. The color of the coat is monophonic - yellow, brown or gray. The length of the Temminka cat is up to 105 cm, weight - up to 16 kilograms. The Calimantian cat is significantly smaller and weighs no more than five kilograms. | It lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. | No information. | They hunt at night. Their game is small animals: rodents, reptiles. | It is difficult to find these cats in nature, and information about breeding in natural conditions is unknown. In captivity, breeding of animals is carried out, therefore it is known that the duration of pregnancy is 81 days, females give birth to 1 to 3 cubs. |
Lynx genus (lynx), species:
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The length of a male common lynx is up to 130 cm, weight is 25 kg. The color in different habitats differs: from brown to silver-smoky with soft spots on the back, sides and paws. It has a short, like a chopped off tail. The Spanish and Canadian lynxes are significantly inferior in size, their weight does not exceed 15 kg, the length is slightly more than a meter. The smallest red lynx: its average weight is 10 kg, and its length is up to 80 cm. |
The range of the common lynx is the middle and northern part of the Eurasian continent. It can be found beyond the Arctic Circle, in semi-deserts and mountainous areas, even not far from cities, but it prefers to live in taiga and deciduous forests. The Spanish lynx now resides only in the Coto Doñana National Park. Canadian is common in Canada and the northern states of the United States. The red lynx lives in the subtropical forests of Central America. | The number of only the Spanish lynx is precisely known - 400 individuals at the beginning of the century. The number of populations is greatly influenced by the presence of game. | Lynxes live alone. They hunt, like all cats, at night or at dusk, but they can also during the day. The color of the coat allows it to be well camouflaged among the leaves of trees. Small rodents, sometimes birds, become game for animals. The common lynx also attacks a fox or a deer. | The duration of pregnancy is about two months. Up to five kittens can be born. They leave their mother at ten months of age. Lynx life span - up to 15 years |
Genus Puma (puma), species:
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The puma is the fourth largest cat in the world. The length of her body is up to 180 cm, the height at the withers is 90 cm, and her weight is almost 80 kg. The female is much smaller. It has a solid coat color of brown shades. Jaguarundis are smaller cats. Its length is on average 60 cm, weight - about 7 kg. The coloring is also monophonic red-brown or bright red. |
Jaguarundi is distributed throughout South America and a little in Central. Puma does not live in cold latitudes, but in the rest of the American continent it can be found. | Cougars easily adapt to changes in environmental conditions, so their numbers even began to increase. In the United States, it is estimated at thirty thousand individuals. | The cougar is a solitary territorial predator. Hunting time is night. Large artiodactyl animals often become its game, but they do not refuse rodents, lynxes and even other cougars. They can eat fish and insects. It has recently been found that jaguarundis can live alone, and can also live in pairs or groups. They feed on hunting, preying on small mammals, birds, fish, lizards and frogs. Diversify the menu with fruits. |
Puma's pregnancy lasts about two months. Up to six kittens weighing about four hundred grams are born. The cubs spend more than two years with their mother. The cougar lives up to twenty years. The female jaguarundi bears kittens for two months. There can be from 2 to 4 kittens in the litter, which live with her for up to two years. Life expectancy - 10 years. |
Video: lynx in the wild
Photo gallery: representatives of the subfamily of small cats
Cheetahs can form groups to protect the territory Since caracals usually live in deserts and semi-deserts, for ease of movement on the sands on their paws there is a stiff brush of hair Catopums hunt reptiles and rodents Temminka cats are difficult to detect in nature, so little is known about behavior and reproduction Animals The common lynx is found in the middle and northern parts of Eurasia Canadian lynxes prey on birds and rodents You can only see the Spanish lynx in the Coto Doñana National Park Red lynxes are the smallest of all animal species of the genus Lynx Puma lives in the warm latitudes of the American continent Jaguarundis live in nature up to 10 years
Table: characteristics of two genera of the subfamily of small cats - cats and South American cats
| Name of the genus and species (Russian and Latin) | Appearance description | area | Estimated strength | natural behavior | reproduction |
Genus Cats (felis), species:
The forest subspecies is our domestic cat. |
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The forest cat lives in the forests of Europe and northern Asia. The range of the manul is a significant part of Asia. It often settles in the steppe and semi-desert areas, in the mountains, in areas with a sharply continental climate and little snow in winter. The dune cat lives in hot and arid regions of Asia and Africa, the black-footed cat lives in southern Africa. | Dune cats are not threatened with destruction. At the end of the twentieth century, their number was estimated at fifty thousand individuals. The number of manul in Russia at the same time was about three and a half thousand. There is no information about the number of other cats. | All animals of the cat genus are territorial predators. They lead a solitary lifestyle, they hunt at night (most subspecies of the dune cat) or at dusk (manul). Their game is small mammals, rodents, reptiles, even insects, depending on the habitat of the cat. | Pregnancy in all species lasts a little more than two months. The number of kittens may vary. The dune cat is called the most prolific, she can even have eight kittens. Least of all babies appear in a black-footed cat - one or two. The rest can give birth to two to six cubs. Until about six months, the kittens remain with their mother, and then become independent. Life expectancy in natural conditions is about ten years. |
Genus South American cats (leopardus), species:
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Coat color in South American cats is largely similar between different species. The Andean and Chilean have gray-brown fur with black spots. The ocelot and the long-tailed cat have yellow-brown fur, and the black spots are ring-shaped, reminiscent of the coloring of a leopard. Ring-shaped black spots on an ocher background are the color of oncilla fur. The Pampas cat has yellow-gray fur with lighter or darker spots. Geoffroy's cat, depending on the habitat, can be golden yellow with black spots, ocher or silver gray. |
The range of South American cats is mainly limited to South and Central America, but their habitat is different:
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All cats of this genus are nocturnal hunters, lead a solitary lifestyle. Game for them are small mammals, birds, lizards. Geoffroy's cats love to hunt fish, and ocelots attack pets. | Pregnancy in cats lasts approximately two and a half months. One or two, sometimes three kittens are born. Like all felines, cubs stay with their mother almost until they are fully grown. Only the ocelot has a life expectancy of about 15 years, while the rest have a little more than 10. |
Photo gallery: South American and just cats
Manul - the most fluffy representative of the cat genus. In the sand cat, the body color matches the tones of the animal's habitat - hot and arid regions of Africa and Asia. The black-footed cat hunts rodents. The range of the forest cat - the forests of Europe and northern Asia. cats Geoffroy's cats prefer to fish Chilean cats live in temperate American forests Pampas cats live just over 10 years Andean cats live in the highlands of Central and South America Ocelot is the largest cat of the South American genus The number of oncillas living in the wild is about 50 thousand individuals Long-tailed cats are close to extinction
Video: ocelot fishing
Is it possible to keep a wild cat at home
All members of the cat family are carnivores. To live, they must kill weaker or slower animals. Nature has taken good care of these beauties: they have strong teeth, sharp claws, a strong muscular body, night vision, climb trees well, many can swim. The color of the skin provides invisibility. Almost all are independent and lead a solitary lifestyle. They are adapted to kill and defend their territory from others.
There are isolated examples of the domestication of large animals - tigers, jaguars, cheetahs. A well-known historical fact that Genghis Khan had a tame cheetah. But these examples cannot be called domestication. Instincts laid down by nature do not disappear, a predator always remains a predator.
They try to keep small cats (lynxes) at home. A new breed has appeared - a domestic lynx - a cross between an ordinary lynx and a domestic cat. Whether they will be as harmless as ordinary pets is unknown. How difficult it is to tame wild cats, says the fact that they have been trying to make caracals (steppe lynx) domestic since the time of Ancient Babylon. Shepherds used them for hunting and for protecting pastures. But the caracal never became a pet. Although it is believed that this lynx will be absolutely safe if raised from a very young age.
Hello. My name is Margarita. I am now retired, having worked as a teacher for over twenty years. I try my hand at writing articles on pedagogy and animals.
Do you know that there are currently 41 cat species in the world? They are all wild. Absolutely all predatory. Many of the species and subspecies are on the verge of extinction. In this article I would like to show all the diversity and beauty of the cat family. But first, I would like you not to get confused in terms.
So, all cats belong to the order of predators, and then this order is divided into two suborders: canines and felines. Cats include hyenas, mongooses, viverrids, and felids. They are all very distant relatives, but cats are only those who are part of the cat family!
The whole cat family is divided into subfamilies: small cats and big cats.
Each subfamily is in turn divided into genera. Especially a lot of them in the subfamily of small cats:
Genus Cheetahs (Acinonyx)
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genus Caracals (Caracal)
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catopuma genus (Catopuma)
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genus Cats (Felis)
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genus Tiger cats (Leopardus)
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genus Servals (Leptailurus)
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genus Lynx (Lynx)
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genus Marble cats (Pardofelis)
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genus Asiatic cats (Prionailurus)
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genus Golden cats (Profelis)
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genus Puma (Puma)
In the subfamily of big cats, everything is simpler:
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genus Clouded leopards (Neofelis)
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genus Panther (Panther)
Now that we have determined which family cats belong to and divided them into subfamilies and genera, it remains to divide them into species! And just these species are 41 pieces. Each type is shown below.
Most likely, you will try to find among all the species below your domestic cat breed or, for example, the Far Eastern leopard. And you won't find them. Why? Because your domestic cat, like the Far Eastern leopard, are subspecies.
To make it easier for you to understand what a subspecies means, I will show you with an example where your domestic cat is in the chain:
Family - felines / subfamily - small cats / genus - cats (felis) / species - forest cat / subspecies - your breed of domestic cat
And the Far Eastern leopard is here:
Family - felines / subfamily - big cats / genus - panther (Panthera) / species - leopards / subspecies - Far Eastern leopard.
I will describe the subspecies separately, otherwise this article will turn into such a long one that only a cat maniac like me can read it at once!
Well, now let's finally get acquainted with all types of cats and admire them:
Subfamily - Small cats (Felinae)
genus - Cheetahs (Acinonyx)
species - cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus):
genus - Caracals (Caracal)
view - : 
genus - catopums (Catopuma)
view - Kalimantan cat (Catopuma bada): 
view - Asian golden cat (Temminka cat) (Catopuma temmincki): 
genus - Cats (Felis)
view - Chinese cat (Gobian gray cat) (Felis bieti): 
view - reed cat (House) (Felis chaus): 
view - ): 
view - (Felis margarita): 
view - : 
view - forest cat (Felis silvestris). This is just the subspecies of the forest cat - your domestic cat: 
view - steppe cat (Felis libyca): 
genus - Tiger cats (Leopardus)(not to be confused with leopards!)
view - : 
view - pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo): 
view - Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi): 
view - Chilean cat (kodkod) (Leopardus guigna): 
view - Andean cat (Leopardus jacobitus): 
view - ocelot (Leopardus pardalis): 
view - oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus): 
view - long-tailed cat (margay, margay) (Leopardus wiedii): 
genus - Servals (Leptailurus)
view - : 
genus - Lynx (Lynx)
view - Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis): 
view - common lynx (Lynx lynx): 
view - : 
view - red lynx (Lynx rufus): 
genus - Marble cats (Pardofelis)
- Marble cat (Pardofelis marmorata): 
genus - Asian cats (Prionailurus)
- Bengal cat (Prionailurus bengalensis): 
view - Iriomote cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis): 
view - Far Eastern forest cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus): 
view - Sumatran cat (Prionailurus planiceps): 
view - spotted red cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus): 
view - fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus): 
genus - Golden cats (Profelis)
view - : 
genus - Cougars (Puma)
view - puma (Puma concolor): 
