If the largest “big cat” is a tiger, then what is the largest “small cat”? If your answer was anything other than the cougar, then you are not alone. Many people are surprised to learn that cougars and cheetahs are considered small cats. But if they are small cats, then why are they so large? What is a big cat, anyway?
The designation of “big cat” or “small cat” is not necessarily determined by size. For the most part, big cats can roar but not purr, while small cats can do the opposite. There are a few exceptions, but that is a good starting point. This means that a tiger or jaguar is considered a big cat, while servals and cheetahs are small cats.
Big cats belong to the superfamily Pantherinae, and there are five big cats: tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards. Despite the name, snow leopards are not actually the same species as a leopard. They’re actually most closely related to tigers. In fact, snow leopards are one of those exceptions: although considered big cats, snow leopards cannot roar. They can, however, chuff like a tiger.
Small cats, on the other hand, belong to the subfamily Felinae. They can purr but not roar. This includes cougars and cheetahs, although some individuals of both can get larger than a leopard.
Cougars
The cougar, known by several other names including “puma” and “mountain lion”, is the largest species of small cat. They can weigh up to 220 pounds – larger than some leopards. They are one of the largest cats found in the Americas, second only to the jaguar. They’re tan and have a large tail, which is used for balance and as a rudder when the cat needs to quickly change directions. Cougars are actually closely related to cheetahs.
Cheetahs
Cheetahs are on average smaller than cougars: they range anywhere from 75 to about 140 pounds. They are also the fastest land animal in the world, reaching speeds up to 70 mph. They can only sprint in short bursts, however, which means they have to catch their prey quickly. Their semi-retractable claws, large nostrils and streamlined build all contribute to these high speeds.
Cheetahs are in danger. They have a low genetic diversity, which may be due to a bottleneck in their population that happened 10,000 years ago. This means that they are especially susceptible to hardships like disease and changing environmental conditions.
Clouded Leopards
There is one exception to both big and small cat classifications: the clouded leopard. The clouded leopard is smaller than a big cat, larger than most small cats, and can neither roar nor purr. They are more closely related to big cats, but are a part of their own separate genus, Neofelis. There are two species of clouded leopard: Mainland and Suna.
Clouded leopards can open their jaw wider than other cat species – 100 degrees – and have the largest canines in proportion to body size of any cat. They also have extremely long tails, which they use for balance while climbing and walking on tree branches. Their unique ankles allow them to climb down trees headfirst.
No matter what kind of cat – big, small or somewhere between – they play an important role in our ecosystem. Each and every species fills its own unique niche, no matter how big or small.
Sources
Photo 1, 3: https://carnegiemnh.org/big-cats-big-personalities/
Photo 2: https://cheetah.org/learn/about-cheetahs/
https://www.ifaw.org/journal/big-cats-facts
https://carnegiemnh.org/big-cats-big-personalities/
https://www.lionsrock.org/education/big-cats-in-the-wild
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Mountain-Lion
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/leopard-fact-sheet/
https://mountainlion.org/2017/05/22/so-you-think-you-saw-a-mountain-lion/#:~:text=The%20tail%20of%20a%20mountain,muscular%20with%20a%20dark%20tip.
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/cheetah
https://globalconservation.org/endangered-species/clouded-leopard
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/clouded-leopard
https://livingplanetaquarium.org/animal/clouded-leopard/