Big Cat? Small Cat? - Page 1: Cat Definitions | 2, 3, 4 & 5: The 37 Species of Cat

Science recognises thirty-six species of wild cat, plus the domestic felid. All are listed here. Felis covers the small cats, panthera the great cats, and the cheetah stands alone. Quite confusingly, big cats are not necessarily big and small cats are not necessarily small. For instance, a body size comparison between the puma and the leopard shows they are very much the same size yet one is considered a small cat and the other comes under big cats. As previously noted in this article, the defining characteristic is the flexible hyoid which also gives the cat the ability to roar. At present cats are divided as follows: 1. Felinae (the small cats) 2. Acinonyinae (the cheetah) 3. Pantherinae (the big cats) With regards to felids, Asia has no rival for variety. Over twenty different species are located in this area and this includes four of the big cat species.

Image	Common Name	Scientific Name	Distribution
	African Golden (Tiger) Cat	Felis aurata	Africa
	Bay (Bornean Red) Cat	Felis badia	Asia
	Black-Footed Cat	Felis nigripes	Africa
	Bobcat	Felis rufus	North America
	Canadian Lynx	Felis canadensis	Europe
	Caracal	Felis caracal	Africa, Asia
	Chinese Desert Cat	Felis bieti	Asia
	Domestic Cat	Felis catus	Worldwide
	Eurasian (Northern) Lynx	Felis lynx	Europe, Asia, North America
	Fishing Cat	Felis viverrinus	Asia

 (Continued Page 3)