Ability to roar
but not purr
Genus
Felis
Genus
Otocolobus
Genus
Prionailurus
Genus
Acinonyx
Genus
Herpailurus
Genus
Puma
Genus
Pardofelis
Genus
Catopuma
Genus
Lynx
Genus
Leopardus
Genus
Leptailurus
Genus
Caracal
Hover over the Genus box to show its Species and Subspecies (if any).
Families1
• Canidae (Dogs—37 species)
• Ursidae (Bears—8 species)
• Ailuridae (Red Panda)
• Mephitidae (Skunks—10 species)
• Mustelidae (Ferrets, Weasels, Martens, Badgers, Wolverines, Minks, and Otters—55 species)
• Procyonidae (Raccoons—19 species)
• Odobenidae (Walrus)
• Otariidae (Sea lions, Eared Seals and Fur Seals—14 species)
• Phocidae (True Seals—19 species)
Other Families1
• Prinonodontidae (Asiatic Linsangs)
• Viverroideae (Civets—35 species)
• Hyaenidae (Hyenas and Aardwolf—4 species)
• Eupleridae (Malagasy Carnivores—8 species)
• Herpestidae (Mongooses—33 species)
Hover over the Genus box to show its Species and Subspecies (if any).
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Suborder
Caniformia
Family
Felidae
Yes
No
Subfamily
Pantherinae
Subfamily
Felinae
Panthera Lineage2
Genus
Neofelis
Genus
Panthera
?
×
Bay Cat Lineage2
Puma Lineage2
Leopard Cat Lineage2
Domestic Cat Lineage2
Lynx Lineage2
Ocelot Lineage2
Caracal Lineage2
Suborder
Feliformia
This is a general rule of thumb. The larynx of Pantherinae has long, fleshy, elasticated vocal folds that resonate to produce a roar; however, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is the exception as it cannot roar due to their vocal folds having less mass and being shorter than that of the other Pantherinae (Hast, 1989, p. 119). Felinae have simpler vocal folds that only allow purring.
Species
Felis chaus
(Jungle cat, swamp cat)
Species
Felis nigripes
(Black-footed cat)
Subspecies
F. c. chaus: Distribution: Egypt and the Middle East to Turkestan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.
F. c. affinis: Distribution: East Afghanistan, Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka.
F. c. fulvidina: Distribution: SE Asia, possibly including China.
Species
Felis margarita
(Sand cat)
Subspecies
F. m. margarita: Distribution: North Africa. Distinguishing characters: Smaller size with yellowish pelage and often marked with spots and stripes.
F. m. thinobia: Distribution: Southwest Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Distinguishing characters: Large size, grayer pelage with fewer markings.
Species
Felis bieti
(Chinese steppe cat, Chinese mountain cat, Chinese desert cat)
Subspecies
F. l. lybica: Distribution: E, W and N Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Middle East, Corsica, Sardinia and Crete; probably intergrades with ornata in Iraq.
F. l. cafra: Distribution: Southern Africa; exact boundary with lybica uncertain, but may lie in Mozambique or Tanzania.
F. l. ornata: Distribution: SW and C Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Mongolia and China. Distinguishing characters: Light-colored pelage with black spots.
Species
Felis silvestris
(European wildcat, Caucasian wildcat)
Subspecies
F. s. silvestris: Distribution: Europe, including Scotland, Sicily and Crete.
F. s. caucasica: Distribution: Caucasus, Turkey.
Species
Felis lybica
(African wildcat, Indian desert cat)
Species
Felis catus
(Domestic cat, feral cat)
Subspecies
O. m. manul: Distribution: China (Gansu), Mongolia, C Asia and Kazakhstan, S Siberia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
O. m. nigripectus: Distribution: Tibet, Kashmir, Nepal and Bhutan.
Species
Otocolobus manul
(Pallas's cat, manul)
Species
Prionailurus bengalensis
(Mainland leopard cat)
Subspecies
P. b. bengalensis: Distribution: S Asia from Pakistan to China and including probably the Malay Peninsula.
P. b. euptilurus: Distribution: Manchuria, Russian Far East, Taiwan, Iriomote Island, Tsushima Island.
Species
Prionailurus javanensis
(Sunda leopard cat)
Subspecies
P. j. javanensis: Distribution: Java and Bali. Distinguishing characters: Ground color of pelage is brownish gray.
P. j. sumatranus: Distribution: Sumatra, Borneo, and Palawan, Negros, Cebu and Panay, the Philippines. Distinguishing characters: Pelage ground coloration variable, ranging from ferruginous to tawny, buffy-fawn and gray-fawn.
Subspecies
P. r. rubiginosus: Distribution: India and Nepal.
P. r. phillipsi: Distribution: Wet forest zone of Sri Lanka.
P. r. koladivius: Distribution: Lowland dry zone of E Sri Lanka.
Species
Prionailurus planiceps
(Flat-headed cat)
Species
Prionailurus viverrinus
(Fishing cat)
Subspecies
P. v. viverrinus: Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indochina, Nepal, and possibly Bhutan.
P. v. rhizophoreus: Distribution: Java. Distinguishing characters: Smaller basal length of skull than P. v. viverrinus from Siam [=Thailand].
Species
Prionailurus rubiginosus
(Rusty-spotted cat)
Species
Acinonyx jubatus
(Cheetah)
Subspecies
A. j. jubatus: Distribution: Southern and eastern Africa.
A. j. venaticus: Distribution: SW Asia and India.
A. j. hecki: Distribution: W and N Africa.
A. j. soemmeringii: Distribution: NE Africa.
Species
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
(Jaguarundi)
Subspecies
P. c. concolor: Distribution: South America, possibly excluding W of Andes in N.
P. c. couguar: Distribution: North and Central America, possibly N South America W of Andes.
Species
Puma concolor
(Puma, cougar, mountain lion)
Subspecies
P. m. marmorata: Distribution: Borneo, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula S of Isthmus of Kra and S Thailand. Distinguishing characters: Grayer with large distinct blotches.
P. m. longicaudata: Distribution: Nepal to Assam, Bangladesh, SE Asia N of the Isthmus of Kra. Distinguishing characters: Rich to pale ochreous brown, limited blotch-like markings.
Species
Pardofelis marmorata
(Marbled cat)
Species
Catopuma badia
(Bay cat, Borneo bay cat)
Species
Catopuma temminckii
(Asiatic golden cat)
Subspecies
C. t. temminckii: Distribution: Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Distinguishing characters: Relatively small, typical reddish coloration (melanistic morphs also).
C. t. moormensis: Distribution: From Nepal to N Burma, China, Tibet and SE Asia. Distinguishing characters: Relatively large, pelage very variable ranging from blotches and spots to dark grey, blackish, brown and reddish morphs.
Species
Lynx canadensis
(Canada lynx)
Subspecies
L. r. rufus: Distribution: E of the Great Plains, North America.
L. r. fasciatus: Distribution: W of the Great Plains, North America.
Species
Lynx lynx
(Eurasian lynx)
Species
Lynx pardinus
(Iberian lynx)
Subspecies
L. l. lynx: Distribution: Scandinavia, Finland, Baltic States, Belarus, European part of Russia E to the Yenissei River.
L. l. balcanicus: Distribution: The Balkans and possibly Greece; possibly a synonym of L. l. dinniki.
L. l. carpathicus: Distribution: E and C Europe.
L. l. dinniki: Distribution: The Caucasus, Asia Minor, Iran, Iraq.
L. l. isabellinus: Distribution: C Asia including the Himalayas and Tibet.
L. l. wrangeli: Distribution: E of the Yenissei River to China??
Species
Lynx rufus
(Bobcat)
Species
Leopardus jacobita
(Andean mountain cat)
Species
Leopardus pardalis
(Ocelot)
Subspecies
L. p. pardalis: Distribution: from Texas and Arizona south to Costa Rica. Distinguishing characters: Smaller and grayer than mitis.
L. p. mitis: Distribution: South America as far south as northern Argentina; limit of range with respect to L. p. pardalis is unclear.
Species
Leopardus wiedii
(Margay)
Subspecies
L. w. wiedii: Distribution: South America S of the Amazon.
L. w. vigens: Distribution: South America N of the Amazon.
L. w. glauculus: Distribution: C America.
Species
Leopardus colocola
(Pampas cat)
Species
Leopardus guttulus
(Southern tigrina)
Species
Leopardus tigrinus
(Nothern tigrina, oncilla)
Subspecies
L. t. tigrinus: Distribution: N South America possibly as far S as Bolivia and N Argentina.
L. t. oncilla: Distribution: Costa Rica and possibly Panama.
Species
Leopardus guigna
(Guiña, kod-kod)
Subspecies
L. g. guigna: Distribution: S Chile (38° to 48° S) and SW Argentina (39° to 46° S).
L. g. tigrillo: Distribution: N and C Chile (30° to 38° S).
Species
Leopardus geoffroyi
(Geoffroy's cat)
Subspecies
L. c. colocola: Distribution: Central Chile W of Andes.
L. c. wolffsohni: Distribution: Tarapacá province, N Chile W of Andes.
L. c. pajeros: Distribution: C, NC and S Argentina.
L. c. budini: Distribution: NW Argentina and Bolivia E of Andes.
L. c. garleppi: Distribution: S Colombia, Ecuador, Peru E of Andes.
L. c. braccatus: Distribution: SW and C Brazil, Paraguay.
L. c. munoai: Distribution: Uruguay.
Subspecies
L. s. serval: Distribution: Southern Africa.
L. s. constantina: Distribution: W and C Africa.
L. s. lipostictus: Distribution: E Africa.
Species
Leptailurus serval
(Serval)
Species
Caracal caracal
(Caracal)
Subspecies
C. c. caracal: Distribution: Southern and E Africa.
C. c. nubicus: Distribution: N and W Africa.
C. c. schmitzi: Distribution: Middle East to India.
Subspecies
C. a. aurata: Distribution: E and C Africa as far W as the River Congo. Distinguishing characters: Spotted pattern almost completely absent from back, nape and shoulders, distinct spots on lower half of flanks or spotting almost completely absent except ventral surface and indistinct spots on thigh.
C. a. celidogaster: Distribution: W Africa W of Cross River. Distinguishing characters: Distinctly spotted all over, with 5-6 rows of small spots on nape, 3 rows of small spots or stripes on back, many small spots arranged transversely on shoulders, circular or rosette-like spots on flanks becoming bigger on belly, or not distinctly spotted on nape and back, few spots on neck, dorsal median stripe, shoulder spots less distinct.
Species
Caracal aurata
(African golden cat)
Species
Neofelis diardi
(Sunda clouded leopard)
Species
Neofelis nebulosa
(Mainland clouded leopard)
Subspecies
There are no subspecies of Neofelis nebulosa.
Subspecies
N. d. diardi: Distribution: Sumatra and Batu Islands. Distinguishing characters: See N. d. borneensis.
N. d. borneensis: Distribution: Borneo. Distinguishing characters: Differs from nominal subspecies, N. d. diardi, in the following craniomandibular and dental characters: greater width across the nasal aperture and mastoid processes, and shorter pterygoid palate relative to condylobasal skull length; pterygoid palate narrow; shorter paracone length and narrower across the protocone relative to P4 length than in N. d. diardi; and longer and taller p4 protoconid relative to p4 length than N. d. diardi. Pelage diagnosis is provisional; more frequent and bolder, cloud spots, larger, more angular cloud-like blotches than in N. d. diardi, which particularly in shoulder region are intermediate in size between those of N. d. diardi and N. nebulosa. Cloud-like blotches tend to have thicker black borders, and neck and shoulder stripes tend to be thicker than in N. d. diardi. Ground color tends towards grey with yellowish tinge, whereas Sumatran animals have a tendency towards tawny too. A few fixed nucleotide differences distinguish it from N. d. diardi.
Species
Panthera leo
(Lion)
Subspecies
P. l. leo: Distribution: Central and West Africa and India; formerly throughout North Africa, SE Europe, the Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, SW Asia.
P. l. melanochaita: Distribution: Southern and eastern Africa.
Subspecies
There are no subspecies of Panthera onca.
Species
Panthera onca
(Jaguar)
Species
Panthera pardus
(Leopard)
Subspecies
P. p. pardus: Distribution: Africa. Comment: Although there are two principal mtDNA clades in Africa, they both occur in southern Africa and appear to be partly sympatric. Thus it would appear that no subspecies can be distinguished within Africa. However, more comprehensive sampling is needed.
P. p. tulliana: Distribution: Turkey, Caucasus, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Comment: This is the earliest name for leopards from South West Asia, and hence includes saxicolor and ciscaucasica. If tulliana proves to be distinct from other southwest Asian leopards, ciscaucasica is the earliest available name.
P. p. fusca: Distribution: Indian subcontinent, Burma and China.
P. p. kotiya: Distribution: Sri Lanka.
P. p. delacouri: Distribution: SE Asia and probably southern China.
P. p. orientalis: Distribution: Eastern Asia from Russian Far East to China.
P. p. melas: Distribution: Java. Comment: Distinct ancient island form.
P. p. nimr: Distribution: Arabian Peninsula. Comment: Distinctively small form, but may prove to be consubspecific with subspecies pardus, although should be retained as a separate management unit if so.
Subspecies
There are no subspecies of Panthera uncia.
Species
Panthera uncia
(Snow leopard)
Subspecies
P. t. tigris: Distribution: Mainland Asia, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, China, Russia, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula. Distinguishing characters: Larger size, paler pelage with fewer stripes.
P. t. sondaica: Distribution: Sumatra and formerly Java and Bali. Distinguishing characters: Smaller size, darker pelage with more frequent stripes.
Species
Panthera tigris
(Tiger)