Felidae - Cats,
Cheetahs, Lions, Tigers, Leopards
 There are 36 species of cats in this family. Species in this family are found in all areas of the world, except for
Australia and Antarctica. They vary in size from the domestic cat to the lion.
The members of this family are built for hunting. They
stalk, chase, and pounce on their prey. Unlike the claws found in most carnivores, the claws of species in the cat family are retractable and can be drawn into their paws. This protects their sharp claws from wearing down.
They have sharp canine teeth that help them kill their prey. Most species in this family sever the
spinal cord
of their prey with their canines. Species in this family have rounded heads and short muzzles. They have excellent eyesight and hearing and a good sense of smell.
The big cats in this family, like the lion,
tiger, jaguar and leopard,
can roar, but they can't purr. The small cats in this family, along with the
pumas and the cheetah,
can purr, but they can't roar! Most species in this order are solitary and hunt at night.
Species in this family include the
cheetah, the
caracal, the
Chinese desert cat, the
jaguarundi, the
ocelot, the
serval, the
Eurasian lynx, the
fishing cat, the
lion, the
tiger, and the
snow leopard.
World Status Key
 Least Concern  Near Threatened  Vulnerable  Endangered  Critically Endangered  Extinct in Wild  Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.
US Status Key
 Threatened in US  Threatened in NH  Endangered in US  Endangered in NH  Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game
Additional Information
Key:  Profile  Photos  Video  Audio
African Golden Cat - Caracal aurata 
The African golden cat is about twice the size of a large domestic cat.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
African Golden Cat - Caracal aurata
African golden cats are found throughout much of equatorial Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
African Lion - Panthera leo 
Lions are the only members of the cat family to have males and females that look distinctly different.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
African Lion - Panthera leo
The male African lion has a thick mane.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
African Lion - Panthera leo
The African lion is the only truly social cat species. They live in prides of 5-37 individuals.
Source: Phoenix Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
African Lion - Panthera leo
Lions may rest or sleep about 20 hours each day to conserve their energy.
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
African Lion - Panthera leo
African lions live in most of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Andean Cat - Leopardus jacobita 
The Andean mountain cat is considered to be one of the most endangered wild cats in the world.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Andean Cat - Leopardus jacobita
Andean cats are found in the Andean mountain region of southern Peru and Bolivia to northern Chile and northwestern Argentina.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Asiatic Golden Cat - Pardofelis temminckii
The Asian golden cat is found throughout southeast Asia
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Black-footed Cat - Felis nigripes
The black-footed cat is the smallest wild cat in Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Black-footed Cat - Felis nigripes
The black-footed cat is found in the dry steppe and savannah regions of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Bobcat - Lynx rufus  
The bobcat has a 2-8 inch long tail.
Source: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Bobcat - Lynx rufus
Rabbits and hares make of a large part of the bobcat's diet.
Source: The Living Desert Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Bobcat - Lynx rufus
Bobcats were once found throughout most of North America from northern Mexico to southern Canada.
Source: Defenders of Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Bobcat - Lynx rufus
Bobcats are solitary animals.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Borneo Bay Cat - Pardofelis badia
The bay cat is found island of Borneo.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Canada Lynx - Lynx canadensis
About 75% of the lynx's diet is made up of the snowshoe hare.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Caracal - Caracal caracal
Caracals can jump up to 10 feet in the air to catch flying birds.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Caracal - Caracal caracal
Carcals have long, black-tufted ears.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Caracal - Caracal caracal
Caracals hunt small birds, rodents and other small mammals.
Source: The Living Desert Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Caracal - Caracal caracal
The caracal is found over much of Africa, Central Asia and southwestern Asia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
Cheetahs don’t need to drink water. They get the moisture they need from the bodies of their prey
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
The cheetah is the fastest land mammal in the world.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
Cheetah hide in the tall grasses when hunting.
Source: Defenders of Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
Unlike most other cats, the cheetah usually hunts during daylight, preferring early morning or early evening.
Source: African Wildlife Foundation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
The cheetah is solitary, except when raising cubs.
Source: Phoenix Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
Cheetahs hunt medium-sized animals like gazelles and impala, and a variety of small mammals.
Source: The Living Desert Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Cheetah - Acinonyx jubatus
The cheetah is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Clouded Leopard - Neofelis nebulosa
In Malaysia, this arboreal cat is known as the “tree tiger.” In China it is called the "mint leopard" because its spots look like mint leaves.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Clouded Leopard - Neofelis nebulosa
The clouded leopard is named after the 'clouds' on its coat - ellipses partially edged in black, with the insides a darker color than the background color of its coat.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Clouded Leopard - Neofelis nebulosa
Clouded leopards are found south of the Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan. They are also found in northeastern India, Myanmar, southern China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and mainland Malaysia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Clouded Leopard - Neofelis nebulosa
The clouded leopard is found from Nepal, Bangladesh and eastern India through Indochina to Sumatra and Borneo and northeastward to southern China.
Source: Nashville Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Eurasian Lynx - Lynx lynx 
Eurasian lynx are found throughout Europe and Siberia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Eurasian Lynx - Lynx lynx
The Eurasian lynx is native to Central Asian, European, and Siberian forests.
Source: Nashville Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Fishing Cat - Prionailurus viverrinus
The fishing cat like water and likes to fish!
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Fishing Cat - Prionailurus viverrinus
Fishing cats are found in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Java, and Pakistan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Flat-headed Cat - Prionailurus planiceps
The flat-headed cat has a flattened head and small, rounded ears.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Flat-headed Cat - Prionailurus planiceps
The historical range of the flat-headed cat is restricted to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Geoffroy's Cat - Leopardus geoffroyi
Geoffroy's cat is found throughout most of the southern half of South America.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Guigna - Leopardus guigna
The guigna is the size of a tiny house cat.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Guigna - Leopardus guigna
The guigna is also known as the kodkod. It is found in central and southern Chile and Argentina.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Iberian Lynx - Lynx pardinus
The Iberian lynx is also known as the Spanish lynx.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Iberian Lynx - Lynx pardinus
The Spanish lynx is found in the Iberian Peninsula in Spain.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Jaguar - Panthera onca
Jaguars are completely at home in the water, and are seldom far from a river or lake.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Jaguar - Panthera onca
The jaguar's name comes from the native Indian name ‘yaguara', meaning ‘a beast that kills its prey with one bound.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Jaguar - Panthera onca
Jaguars are found from southern Arizona and New Mexico south toward northern Argentina and northeastern Brazil.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Jaguar - Panthera onca
The jaguar’s strong legs make its a great climber and swimmer.
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Jaguarundi - Puma yagouaroundi
The jaguarundi is long and slender, with short legs, a small, flattened head, short, rounded ears, and a long tail.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Jaguarundi - Puma yagouaroundi
The rusty-spotted cat is only found in the southern parts of India, Gujarat, Jammu, and Kashmir, and in Sri Lanka.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Jungle Cat - Felis chaus
The jungle cat is found in Asia and North Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Leopard - Panthera pardus
Leopards are the largest cats to climb trees on a regular basis.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Leopard - Panthera pardus
Leopards are found in Africa and some parts of Asia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Amur Leopard - Panthera pardus orientalis
The Amur leopard is considered to be one of the most critically endangered big cats in the world, with just 35 remaining in the wild, all in the Russian Far East.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Leopard Cat - Prionailurus bengalensis
The leopard cat is found from Java and Bali, north to southeastern Siberia and Manchuria, as far east as India, and westward to Korea and the Philippines.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Marbled Cat - Pardofelis marmorata
This small spotted cat has an extremely long tail.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Marbled Cat - Pardofelis marmorata
Marbled cats are found in Nepal and Sikkim through northern Myanmar to Thailand, Indochina, Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Margay - Leopardus wiedii
Margays are found in forested regions from Northern Mexico to Uruguay and northern Argentina.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Mountain Lion - Puma concolor
Mountain lions can jump 18 feet from the ground into a tree!
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Mountain Lion - Puma concolor
The mountain lion is also known as the puma or the cougar.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Mountain Lion - Puma concolor
Mountain lions are solitary, except during mating season.
Source: Phoenix Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Mountain Lion - Puma concolor
With a running start, the mountain lion can leap 45 feet.
Source: The Living Desert Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Mountain Lion - Puma concolor
Mountain lions are very territorial.
Source: Aquarium of the Pacific Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Mountain Lion - Puma concolor
Historically, mountain lions had the most extensive distribution of all American terrestrial mammals. They ranged from coast to coast in North America, and from southern Argentina and Chile to southeastern Alaska.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Ocelot - Leopardus pardalis
Ocelots pluck off all the feathers and fur from animals that they catch before they eat them!
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Ocelot - Leopardus pardalis
The ocelot's spots help camouflage it.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Ocelot - Leopardus pardalis
Ocelots are solitary, but a male and female pair may share the same territory.
Source: Phoenix Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Ocelot - Leopardus pardalis
Ocelots hunt at night.
Source: The Living Desert Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Ocelot - Leopardus pardalis
Ocelots are powerful climbers, and their webbed forepaws make them good swimmers.
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Ocelot - Leopardus pardalis
The ocelot is found from Southwestern Texas to northern Argentina.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Oncilla - Leopardus tigrinus
The little spotted cat have been reported as far north as Costa Rica and Panama south to southeastern Brazil and northern Argentina.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Pallas' Cat - Otocolobus manul
Pallas' cat is about the size of a domestic cat.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Pallas' Cat - Otocolobus manul
The Pallas' cat is found throughout Central Asia, from western Iran to western China.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Pampas Cat - Leopardus colocolo
The colocolo is also known as the Coloco.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Pampas Cat - Leopardus colocolo
Colocolo are found in the forested slopes of the Andes in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia; the cloud forests of Chile; the Paraguayan chaco; open woodland areas of central, western, northeastern, and southern Brazil; and the the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, and southern Patagonia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Rusty-spotted Cat - Prionailurus rubiginosus
The rusty-spotted cat is one of the smallest cat species in the world.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Rusty-spotted Cat - Prionailurus rubiginosus
The rusty-spotted cat is only found in the southern parts of India, Gujarat, Jammu, and Kashmir, and in Sri Lanka.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Sand Cat - Felis margarita
The sand cat is well adapted to its arid desert habitat. It gets all the water it needs from its food.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Sand Cat - Felis margarita
The sand cat is found in three distinct areas of the world: Sahara Desert of Africa in the countries of Algeria, Niger and Morocco; throughout the Arabian Peninsula; and in parts of Central Asia including Turkmenistan, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Sand Cat - Felis margarita
The sand cat eats small mammals, birds, insects and reptiles.
Source: The Living Desert Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Serval - Leptailurus serval
The serval has the longest legs and largest ears for its body size of any cat.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Serval - Leptailurus serval
The serval has a long, narrow head with very large ears.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Serval - Leptailurus serval
Servals are found throughout the savannas of Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Serval - Leptailurus serval
The serval primarily eats small rodents and ground birds.
Source: The Living Desert Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Snow Leopard - Panthera uncia
Snow leopards have been seen at altitudes as high as 18,000 feet.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Snow Leopard - Panthera uncia
Snow leopards inhabit the mountain ranges of Central Asia stretching from northwestern China to Tibet and the Himalayas.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Tiger - Panthera tigris
Each tiger has its very own stripe pattern!
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Tiger - Panthera tigris
The tiger is easily recognized by its orange coat and broad black stripes.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Tiger - Panthera tigris
Tigers are found in China, Korea, Russia, and parts of India and the Himalayan region.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Sumatran Tiger - Panthera tigris sumatrae
Sumatran tigers are solitary, except during mating season and when raising young.
Source: Phoenix Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School
Sumatran Tiger - Panthera tigris sumatrae
Sumatran tigers may travel more than 20 miles to find suitable prey.
Source: Los Angeles Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Wild Cat - Felis silvestris
Wild cats are found throughout continental Europe, southwestern Asia, and the savannah regions of Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School
Wild Cat - Felis silvestris
Wild cats are larger than domestic cats.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
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