Felidae – Cats
Hunting primarily at night by stalking and pouncing
Small cats include domestic species along with cheetahs and pumas (they purr but can’t roar), while big cats of this family, like tiger, jaguar, lion, and leopard, can roar but can’t purr. The Felidae family has the most diverse array of fur (coat) patterns—from spots to stripes.
These carnivores have unique retractable claws; this prevents the claws from wear and tear. The members of this family are built for hunting, as you must’ve guessed already. Big cats continue to face severe existential threats despite incredible conservation efforts.
Big cats have become the poster boy of animal conservation; 8th August is celebrated as international cat day. They are going to need more than 9 lives to survive humanity.
Genera in this family
Felinae – Small cats
Mini leopard-like, tree-dwelling cats from the Americas
Forest-dwelling spotted small cats of tropical Asia
With genus Pardofelis , this genus forms the bay cat lineage
The domestic cat, the only domesticated member in the family, originates from this genus and has many wild relatives
These iconic cats are easily recognizable by distinctive hair tufts on their pointed ears
A small group of New World wild cats having uniformly colored fur
Racing to extinction: historically ranging throughout Africa to India, now distributed in small, fragmented populations
Owners of the longest legs-for-body-size of all cats are widespread in sub-Saharan savannahs
When standing or resting, they are characterized by their arched back
There is still a lot to learn about this species; not sure we will have the time to do so before it disappears
Pantherinae – Big cats
When the teacher puts all the strong kids in one group
Named in 1867, “New cats” are two rare cats of Southeast Asia’s rainforests
