In general, we know the family members of felines (Felidae) as felines. These eye-catching animals can be found all over the world except in the polar regions and southwest Oceania. Obviously, this is only true if we exclude the domestic cat (Felis catus), which has been distributed around the world with the help of humans.
The feline family includes 14 genes and 41 described species. Do you want to meet them? In this case, don’t miss this Animal Expert article about the different types of cats, their characteristics and some examples.
- All types of felines or felines have a number of common characteristics that allow them to group together.
- Here are some of them:.
Currently, there are only two subfamilies of felines
Throughout this article, we review all types of felines present in each of these groups.
Members of the Felinidae subfamily are known as real cats. These are 34 small to medium sized species. Its main difference with feline panthers lies in their phonation. Their vocal cords are simpler than those of panthers, so they can’t emit real roars. However, they can purr.
In this group we can find different types of cats or strains. Their grouping is based on their genetic relationship. Are:
Cats form the genus Felis, which includes some of the smallest species of all feline types. For this reason, they feed on small animals, such as rodents, birds, reptiles and amphibians. They also tend to eat large insects, such as grasshoppers.
All kinds of wild felines are characterized by hunting lurking and at night, thanks to a highly developed night vision. They are distributed throughout Eurasia and Africa, with the exception of the domestic cat (Felis catus), a feline that has been selected by humans of the African wild cat (F. lybica). Since then, he has accompanied our species on trips across all continents and islands.
The genus Felis is composed of 6 species
Leopard cats are part of the genus Prionailurus, with the exception of the cat Manul (Otocolobus manul). All are scattered throughout Southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago.
These cats are also nocturnal, although they vary in size and behavior. Among them is the world’s smallest type of feline, known as a reddish cat (P. rubiginosus). It is only 40 centimeters long. Also noteworthy is the fishing cat (P. viverrinus), the only feline that bases its diet on fish consumption.
In the group of leopard cats, we can find the following species
In this group, there are 3 species that, despite appearances, are very genetically related:
These three species are among the largest types of felines. They are very agile predators of daytime habits. The cheetah prefers arid and dry environments, where it awaits its prey, very close to water sources. The cougar, however, is more common in the high mountains.
If this type of cats is distinguished by anything, it is by the speed they can reach, thanks to their elongated and stylized body. The fastest animal in the world is the cheetah, which easily exceeds 100 km/h. This allows them to hunt their prey by hunting.
These cats are one of the most unknown types of felines due to their rarity. They inhabit the Indo-Malaise region of Southeast Asia and are characterized by their unique beauty and golden colors. Their color patterns allow them to camouflage themselves with the foliage of the soil and the bark of the trees.
In this group, we find 3 species or types of felines
The lynx (Lynx spp.) They are medium-sized felids with black spots on the body. They are mainly characterized by a short tail. In addition, they have large pointed ears that end with a black feather. This gives them excellent hearing that they use to detect their prey. They feed mainly on medium-sized mammals, such as rabbits or lagomorphs.
This type of feline includes 4 species:
Generally, we know cats of the genus Leopardus as wild cats. They are distributed in South and Central America, with the exception of the ocelot, which has populations in southern North America.
This type of cats are characterized by dark spots on a yellowish brown background. They are medium-sized and feed on animals, such as skunks and small monkeys.
In this group we can find the following species
This group of cats includes 3 genetically related species:
All these types of felines live in Africa, with the exception of the caracal, which is also found in southwest Asia. This and the serval prefer arid and semi-desert areas, while the African golden cat inhabits well-enclosed forests. They are all known to be poaching predators of medium-sized animals, especially large birds and rodents.
Panthers are part of the Pantherinae subfamily. These carnivorous animals differ from the other types of felines that exist in that they have long, thick and strong vocal cords. Their structure allows them to emit real roars. Although this is its main feature, some of the species we will see cannot roar.
This feline subfamily is less diverse than the previous one, as most of its species are extinct. Currently, there are only two strains:
Although they are commonly called panthers, these animals do not belong to the genus Panthera, but to Neofelis. Like many of the cats we’ve seen, panthers live in South Asia and the Indo-Malaysian islands.
This type of feline can reach a very large size, but not as much as its closest relatives. They’re basically arboreal. Climb trees to hunt primates or jump out of trees to capture medium-sized land animals.
The genus Neofelis includes 2 known species
Members of the genus Panthera are the largest types of felines in the world. Their sturdy bodies, sharp teeth and powerful claws allow them to feed on large animals, such as deer, wild pigs and even crocodiles. The fights between the latter and the tiger (P. tigris), which is the largest feline in the world and can reach 300 kilos, are well known.
Almost all big cats live in Africa and South Asia, where they live in the savannah or jungle. The only exception is the jaguar (P. onca): the largest cat in America. All are well known, with the exception of the snow leopard (P. uncia), which lives in the most remote mountainous regions of Central Asia. This is due to its particular white color, which is used to camouflage itself in snow.
Within the genus Panthera, we can find 5 species
It seems that today there are many types of felines, however, in the past there were many more species. In this section we tell you a little more about the extinct feline species.
Sabre-toothed tigers are the best known felines of all extinct. Despite their names, these animals are not related to today’s tigers. In fact, they form their own group: the subfamily Machairodontinae. They were all characterized by having very large teeth coming out of the mouth.
Sabre teeth spread all over the globe. The last species disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene, only about 10,000 years ago. Like today’s cats, these animals were very variable in size, although some species may have reached 400 kg. This is the case of the populator smilodon, a South American sword tooth.
Other examples of machairodontinae felines include
In addition to machairodontinae, there were many other types of cats that were extinct. Here are some of them:
Many subspecies or varieties of felines that currently exist are also extinct. This is the case of the American lion (Panthera leo atrox) or the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica). Some of them have disappeared in recent decades as a result of habitat loss and human-discriminated hunting. For this reason, many current subspecies and species are also at risk.
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