big cats
The term 'Big Cats' is used to distinguish these large felids from the domestic cat and other smaller Felidae species.
One area of distinction is that big cats can roar, but cannot purr whilst inhaling, only while exhaling.
The widely accepted taxonomic classification after C. Worzencraft:
Subfamily Pantherinae:
Genus Neofelis:
Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa); Griffith, 1821
Genus Panthera:
Jaguar (Panthera onca); Linnaeus, 1758
Leopard (Panthera pardus); Linnaeus, 1758
Lion (Panthera leo); Linnaeus, 1758
Tiger (Panthera tigris); Linneaeus, 1758
Genus Pardofelis:
Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata); Martin, 1837
Genus Uncia:
Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia); Schreber, 1775
You miss the cheetah? Cheetahs can roar and purr while inhaling and exhaling, which makes them different from the other 'big' cats. The term
'big cat' does not refer to the actual size of a cat. The cheetah is a very different specices and is not classificated in the subfamily of Pantherinae.