felid

Feline.

[From New Latin Fēlidae, family name, from Fēlis, type genus, from Latin fēlēs, cat.]

(Felidae)

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Thumbnail description
Small to large carnivores with lithe, agile bodies and short faces with small, broad skulls. Legs short to long, with large paws. Claws, teeth and strong jaws adapted for grasping and tearing. Tail usually long. Coat soft-furred, with cryptic color, plain or patterned with spots, patches or stripes

Size
Head and body length 14–120 in (35–300 cm); tail 2–40 in (5–100 cm); weight 2.5–670 lb (1–305 kg)

Number of genera, species
18 genera; 36 species

Habitat
All major habitat types except arctic tundra and polar ice

Conservation status
Critically Endangered: 1 species; Endangered: 4 species; Vulnerable: 12 species; Lower Risk/Near Threatened: 8 species

Distribution
Worldwide except Australia, Antarctica and oceanic islands

Evolution and systematics

Felidae are part of the ailurid (cat-like) branch of the order Carnivora, which also includes the hyena, mongoose, and civet families. The earliest cat-like animals can be dated back to the lower Eocene, some 40 million years ago. Today's cat species can be traced to an ancestor named Pseudailurus, from which wild cats and saber-toothed tigers evolved in the Oligocene, some 25-30 million years ago. Saber-tooths preyed on primitive, large, slow mammals and died out 10,000-20,000 years ago, but modern cats adapted to hunt large, fast ungulates, and prospered and evolved into the 36 cat species known today.

Cat taxonomy has been subject to considerable confusion and revision. Linnaeus originally classified all cats into a single genus, Felis. Later taxonomists subdivided this into as many as 23 genera, then, more recently there was a tendency to "lump" some genera together again. Until recently many authorities recognized only four genera: Felis for all small cats, Panthera for the "big cats" (defined by their ability to roar), Neofelis for the clouded leopard, intermediate between big and small cats, and Acinonyx for the cheetah.

In 1996, the Felid Taxonomic Advisory Group (TAG) of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) published a revised taxonomy which divided Panthera into 4 genera, and Felis into 13. There are now four genera (seven species) in the Pantherinae subfamily, one genus (one species: the cheetah) in the Acinonychinae subfamily, and 13 genera (28 species) in the Felinae subfamily. The Iriomote cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis), once considered a separate species, is now classed as a subspecies of the leopard cat.

The Felid TAG classification is used in this account, with older genus names indicated in parentheses. Molecular research is likely to lead to further revisions to felid taxonomy.

Physical characteristics

All cat species show considerable resemblance to the domestic cat, being carnivores with long, lithe, muscular bodies, but in a wide range of sizes. Head and body length ranges from 14 in (35.6 cm) for the diminutive black-footed cat (Felis nigripes), to more than 10 ft (3 m) for a large male Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). The weight range varies more than 300 fold, from as little as 1.7 lb (0.8 kg) for the small cat to in excess of 660 lb (300 kg) for the tiger. Males are larger and more muscular than females, but otherwise there is minimal sexual dimorphism, with the notable exception of lions (P. leo). A cat's head is short and rounded with large eyes, long whiskers, powerful jaws, specialized teeth for cutting and gnawing meat, and a rough, rasping tongue covered with horny papillae, to lick bones clean. Ears may be triangular or rounded. Legs are short to long, feet large and padded, with five toes on the front feet, four on the hind feet, and with hooked sickle-shaped claws, which in most species are sharp and retractile. Tails are furred and usually medium to long, up to 40 in (1 m) in large cats, but some species such as bobcats have short, rounded tails.

Coats are cryptically colored, pale gray to brown, with a paler underside and often with black and/or white markings on the face, tail and back of the ears. Many species are spotted, blotched, or striped, for camouflage. Melanistic (black) forms are common among several species, white forms occur rarely. Young often have different markings from the adult coloration—newborn cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) cubs have a long, white-gray mane, absent in the adult, for example. Individual cat species can show considerable variations in color, often linked to geographic location, with animals from warm, humid climates often darker than specimens of the same species living in cooler regions.

Cats have acute, binocular, color vision. The iris, which may be orange, yellow, gray, brown or green, reacts very quickly to darkness and contracts to a small point or slit in bright light. Night vision is very good, helped by a reflecting layer, the tapetum lucidum, outside the retinal receptor layer, which reflects back any light not absorbed by the receptor layer at first pass, and accounts for the eye shine we see in cats at night. Whiskers and long hairs above the eyes are sensitive to touch, which also helps the animals move around at night.

Most felids have acute hearing, especially those species with large ears, which are used like radar dishes to locate prey. The sense of smell is also very important to cats, with a major role in social interaction, maintaining territories, and advertising that females are ready to mate, though not in hunting. Scent glands are often present in foot pads, chin, cheeks and anus.

Distribution

Cats are found the world over, with the exception of Australia, the polar regions, and some oceanic islands where they are usually considered a serious pest. However, domestic cats have been introduced to almost all places settled by humans, including Australia and other islands. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to eight cat species, including the largest populations of lion, cheetah, and leopard (P. pardus). These big cats are also found in North Africa and southwest Asia, along with five other species, but their distribution has declined dramatically in this region, and only small, isolated populations remain. Tropical Asia is home to 12 species, including tiger (P. tigris), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), leopard, and a range of small cats adapted to jungle habitats. Eurasia has seven species, including snow leopard (Uncia uncia), lynx (Lynx lynx), and Iberian lynx (L. pardinus), but their populations are also under severe pressure. Cats are well represented in the Americas, with a dozen species, including jaguar (P. onca), puma (Puma concolor), and Canada lynx (L. canadensis).

Habitat

Cats have colonized almost all major habitat types from desert to equatorial rainforest, swamps, and high mountains. Only treeless tundra and polar ice are felid-free. Although a few species have become highly adapted to a limited range of habitats (the sand cat [F. margarita] of stony and sandy deserts, for example) most species are not habitat specialists and can be found in a range of environments.

Behavior

The social organization and behavior of cats show remarkable similarity between the majority of species. Most are truly solitary, coming together only to mate. In the closed habitat favored by many species prey is usually dispersed and too small to share, so hunting alone is more efficient. Both males and females have home ranges, with those of males generally larger and often incorporating the range of one or more females. Adult males are usually territorial, defending at least part of their range, while females may or may not be territorial. The notable exception to the typical feline social organization is the lion, which has developed a unique clan-based society, based on close bonds between related females, and involving cooperative hunting, feeding and raising young. Tigers and leopards may also occasionally hunt together. Cheetahs also differ since males may hunt in groups.

Although cats do fight over territory, physical aggression is mostly avoided. Instead cats use scent-marking and calling to advertise their home range and specific whereabouts, enabling even animals with overlapping ranges to avoid running into one another. Cats may sharpen their claws on trees, leaving visual signs of their presence. Big cats also rake their hind feet in the earth as they spray backwards onto above ground objects to leave a scent trail as they patrol. Where fights do occur, usually in contests over an estrous female, they vary in intensity, but may be very serious and even deadly. Territorial fights usually involve a sudden fast attack without preliminary display.

Most cats are primarily nocturnal, but often show activity peaks around dusk and dawn, related to increased prey activity at these times. Their secretive, nocturnal behavior means many species have not been extensively studied in the wild.

Apart from cheetah, tigers, and lions, cats are good climbers, but most climb trees for rest and safety, rather than hunting. Cats have a famous ability to land on their feet, a result of a well-developed sense of equilibrium, important in arboreal species. In treeless environments, cats may den underground, appropriating the burrows of other animals. Most cats have an aversion to entering water, but some are strong swimmers. Tigers will chase prey into lakes, and some small cats catch fish.

Cats have a wide range of calls, include meowing, purring, panting, gasping, yowling, snorting, growling, and hissing. Small cats lack the roaring distance call of big cats, but some advertise estrous with loud wails. Close range communication involves not just vocalization, but sophisticated visual signals. Cats have a large variety of facial expressions and body language, enabling complex, often ritualized communication, which may avert dangerous physical confrontations between animals armed with sharp claws and teeth. The arched back seen in domestic and other small cats is a defensive threat posture.

Feeding ecology and diet

Cats are generally the purest of carnivores, sitting at the top of the food chain. Small cats prey predominantly on rodents, rabbits and hares, but will also take reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustacea, birds, and insects. Large cats prefer ungulates, but feed opportunistically on any available meat. Many cats will also scavenge carrion. Some species supplement a carnivorous diet with fruit, and desert lions are known to eat tsama melon (Citrullus lanatus), though this is for their water content, rather than food. Cats will also swallow grass, which helps rid the body of fur balls formed inside the intestinal tract from hair swallowed when grooming.

Cats mainly hunt at night, though the cheetah is diurnal. Most rely on stealth to approach prey before a final rush or pounce. Even the fastest cats can only outrun their prey over a short distance, as with comparatively small hearts they have very limited stamina and quickly tire.

Small prey animals are pounced on with both front paws, and killed with a specialized bite to the back of the neck, severing the spinal cord, before being eaten, starting with the head. Large, fast-running prey animals are tripped with a foreleg; slower animals grappled over the rump, back, or shoulder. The cat keeps its back legs on the ground for purchase, hooks claws into the quarry's skin, and pulls it off balance. A powerful jawlock on the prey's throat or muzzle then suffocates it.

Cats may gnaw meat from the bone, or pull it off in lumps and swallow it without chewing. Excepting the snow leopard, which eats crouched over food like small cats, all big cats eat lying down and never hold the meat with their fore paws. Whereas small cats use just their molars to pull at meat, big cats (and sometimes the clouded leopard as well) use not only the molars but the incisors and canines as well, grabbing the meat and jerking the head up. Cats have a tooth formation in the upper and lower jaws of three pairs of incisors, one pair of canines, two or three pairs of premolars, and one pair of molars. The molar is modified to a powerful shearing tooth, or "carnassial," so cats bite with the side of the mouth, not with the front. Large kills are often cached by covering with leaves, grass or dirt, or carried into trees. Species that mainly eat small prey such as rodents may feed every day, but for larger cats, feeding often means gorging on large kills for several days, then going hungry for several more days before another successful kill.

Cats are stimulated to stalk and catch prey even when satiated, which explains why even a well-fed domestic cat—or wild lion—cannot resist an easy kill. Given that waiting for suitable prey is the most time-consuming part of predation, this stimulus response ensures cats make the most of every opportunity. It also explains why a caracal or puma in a field of sheep will kill many more animals than it can eat.

Reproductive biology

Female small cats may reach sexual maturity at less than one year old, big cats at around two years, but a female may not produce her first litter until she has established a home range, which might not be until age three or four. Gestation ranges from two months in small cats to over three months in lion and tiger. Litters may contain up to eight cubs, but two to four is usual. Small cats may reproduce yearly, larger ones at intervals of at least 18 months, unless they lose a litter, in which case they can come into estrous again within weeks. Many cats are non-seasonal breeders, but in areas with strongly seasonal climatic or prey availability conditions breeding occurs at the most favorable time of year.

Cats are polygamous. Estrus may last from one day to three weeks, depending on the species. Females have multiple estrous cycles until they conceive. They advertise their condition by scent marking, calling, and by becoming hyperactive. Local males may compete for mating rights with displays and sometimes fighting. The successful male may consort with the female for several days, courting with specific calls, by presenting his head, and by rubbing against the female. Females court the male with behavior that is alternatively inviting and defensive, increasingly taking the initiative as they come more into heat. Copulation itself typically lasts less than a minute, but may be repeated several times an hour for up to three days or even longer. Repeated copulation probably serves to induce ovulation in the female. During copulation the female lies prone on her belly, while the male mounts her. In small cats the male bites the female's neck during copulation, but big cats only grab the neck symbolically at ejaculation. Copulation ends with the female twisting to hiss and strike at the male with her paw, before often rolling onto her back. She then resumes affectionate behavior. After several days the male may lose interest and another male may take his place.

With the exception of lions, males apparently play no further part in raising young. Feline young are born blind, deaf, and barely able to crawl. They remain hidden in a den or nest for several weeks until mobile. In some species, individuals in the litter develop a teat order while nursing, with dominant kittens getting the most milk. The mother will defend her kittens aggressively, even against the odds, and will move the hiding place if disturbed, carrying cubs one-by-one by the head, nape or skin on the back. Mothers start to train cubs to hunt from a very young age, bringing back first dead then live prey for them to practice catching and eating. However, cubs may not be independent for up to 18 months or more in the case of some big cats. When the mother is ready to produce a new litter they depart, but may stay within the mother's home range for another year, or indefinitely in the case of females. Young cats play extensively, mainly developing behaviors of importance in adult predatory behavior. Longevity is commonly approximately 15 years for most species, with some individuals reported to have lived over 30 years.

Conservation status

No fewer than 25 of the 36 cat species are listed by the IUCN, and even those which are not are often subject to serious threat at local or subspecies level, or their population status may simply be insufficiently known to classify. The most immediate threat of extinction is faced by the Iberian lynx, found in only small, isolated, populations in Spain and Portugal. But not far behind are such iconic species as the tiger and the snow leopard.

While many species of cat have long been persecuted by farmers on the grounds of their real or imagined threat to livestock, the principal direct human threat to cat species in recent decades has been commercial trapping for fur. A fashion for furs in Western society in the 1960s and 1970s saw large numbers of tiger, leopard, jaguar, and snow leopard pelts appearing in shops, and small cats were also traded extensively, peaking at 600,000 pelts traded in a single year. Species such as the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and Geoffroy's cat (Oncifelis geoffroyi) were hit particularly hard.

Concern that commercial fur trading at unsustainable levels could drive some cat species to extinction was a major factor behind the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Although some countries have been slow to enforce legislation banning trade in endangered species, the international trade in spotted cat pelts has now reduced dramatically, a trend strengthened by public awareness of the impact of fur harvesting on species survival. Today's fur trade relies on three species of lynx and the Chinese leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), supplied by the United States, Canada, China, and Russia. Commercial fur trading is not currently considered a significant threat to cat species, with the possible exception of the leopard in some areas.

Illegal poaching driven by a demand for cat body parts for use in traditional Oriental medicine is still a major problem for large Asian cats such as the tiger, which could soon be driven to extinction in the wild.

Habitat loss has mostly affected cats associated with forest habitat. Deforestation, especially in tropical Asia, has made several species vulnerable, through the absolute loss of habitat and the fragmentation of populations. Important habitats including tropical rainforest, major wetlands, and tropical montane complexes are declining globally. However, many cat species are adaptable and can survive in modified habitat. The indirect threat of human development posed by the depletion of prey species may be of more immediate concern for the conservation of some cats as well as the incidence of disease in several populations.

Significance to humans

Domestication of the cat can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians, some 7,000–4,000 years ago. The distinctive upright, long-legged posture of sitting cats in Egyptian paintings suggests it was the African version of the wildcat that gave rise to today's domestic tabby. Wildcats were undoubtedly attracted to the granaries and fields of early settlement, where they performed a valuable service preying on rodents and would have grown used to human contact. African, Asian, and old Germanic tribes have also revered the cat. Mohammed called the cat his favorite animal, and the keeping of domestic cats spread across Africa and Asia with the spread of Islam.

Human fear and persecution of cats no doubt dates back to the prehistoric days of the saber-toothed tiger, which appears in cave paintings dating back tens of thousands of years. Our modern species of big cat still engender fear among communities living close by, with some justification—tigers, lions, and leopards have all been recorded as human-eaters. Human casualties are generally the result of accidental confrontations, or involve injured or sick animals, but in the Sunderbans swamps of India tigers have learned that fishermen and wood gatherers make easy prey, and several dozen people may fall victim in a single year.

A much more widespread cause of conflict with humans is predation on livestock. Although predation rates are usually fairly low, losses may be important to individual owners, especially in developing countries. Conservationists are looking at measures including culling of problem animals, improved anti-predator stock management, and paying compensation for lost livestock, to discourage large scale persecution of cats by farmers.

Cat pelts have been a symbol of status and power in cultures both ancient and modern. While international trade in the fur of endangered species has been reduced to relatively insignificant levels, domestic trade persists in some countries. Unlike animals such as fox or mink, cats killed for fur are entirely caught in the wild, and pelts are of high value compared with other species. Some conservationists have suggested that controlled harvesting, generating relatively high revenues from low level culling, could be one way of encouraging sustainable exploitation of cats.

Larger cat species have an economic value in attracting tourists to national and private reserves in Africa and India. Trophy hunting under quota is carried on in a number of African countries. In Botswana, selective hunting of "trophy" lions, usually by dominant males, is alleged to have caused social imbalance and inbreeding among prides. There has also been controversy in South Africa over "canned lion" hunts, where captive-bred lions habituated to people are "hunted" in enclosures or immediately after release.

Species accounts

Resources

Nowell, Kristin, and Peter Jackson. Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan (IUCN). Gland: IUCN, 1996.

Sunquist, M., and F. Sunquist. Wild Cats of the World. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002.

Biswas, S., and K. Sankar. "Prey Abundance and Food Habit of Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India." Journal of Zoology 256 (2002): 411–420.

Daniels, M. J., M. A. Beaumont, P. J. Johnson, D. Balharry, D. W. Macdonald, and E. Barratt. "Ecology and Genetics of Wild-living Cats in the North-east of Scotland and the Implications for the Conservation of the Wildcat." Journal of Applied Ecology 38, no. 1 (2001): 146–161.

Funston, P. J., M. G. L. Mills, and H. C. Biggs. "Factors Affecting the Hunting Success of Male and Female Lions in the Kruger National Park." Journal of Zoology 253 (2001): 419–431.

Gros, Paule M. "The Status and Conservation of the Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in Tanzania." Biological Conservation 106, no. 2 (2002): 177–185.

Ogutu, J. O., and H. Dublin. "Demography of Lions in Relation to Prey and Habitat in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya." African Journal of Ecology 40 (2002): 120–129.

Riley, Shawn J., and R. A. Malecki. "A Landscape Analysis of Cougar Distribution and Abundance in Montana, USA." Environmental Management 28 (2001): 317–323.

Rodriquez, A., and M. Delibes. "Population Fragmentation and Extinction in the Iberian Lynx" Biological Conservation 109, no. 3 (2003): 321–331.

Organizations

Cheetah Conservation Foundation. P.O. Box 1380, Ojai, CA 93024 United States. Phone: (805) 640-0390. Fax: (805) 640-0230. E-mail: info@cheetah.org Web site:

Florida Panther Society. Rt. 1, Box 1895, White Springs, FL 32096 United States. Phone: (386) 397-2945. E-mail: old_florida@earthlink.net Web site:

International Snow Leopard Trust. 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 United States. Phone: (206) 632-2421. E-mail: info@snowleopard.org Web site:

IUCN Cat Specialist Group. Thunstrasse 31, Muri b, Bern, 3074 Switzerland. Phone: 41 (31) 951 9020. Fax: 41 (31) 951 9040. E-mail: urs.breitenmoser@ivv.unibe.ch Web site:

Mountain Lion Foundation. P.O. Box 1896, Sacramento, CA 95812 United States. Phone: (916) 442-2666. Fax: (916) 442-2871. E-mail: mlf@mountainlion.org Web site:

Other

African Lion Working Group (IUCN).

Asiatic Lion Information Centre.

Big Cats Online.

Carnivore Conservation.

Tiger Information Center.

WorldLYNX.

[Article by: Ann and; Stephen B. Toon]

The family of cats; includes the domestic cat (Felis catus) and feral cats of approximately the same dimensions. There are a large number of breeds of the former (see under cat) and a larger number of genera of the latter. See also lion, tiger, leopard, lynx, mountain lion, jaguar, ocelot, cheetah (acinonyx jubatus).

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: any of various lithe-bodied round-headed fissiped mammals many with retractile claws
  Synonym: feline

For other uses, see Felidae (disambiguation).

Felids[1] Fossil range: 25–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Late Oligocene to Recent
Tiger (Panthera tigris)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Felidae G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
Subfamilies
Felinae Pantherinae †Machairodontinae †Proailurinae[2]

Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the sixteen mammal families in the order Carnivora. The most familiar felid is the Domestic Cat, which first became associated with humans about 10,000 years ago, but the family includes all other wild cats including the big cats.

Extant felids belong to one of two subfamilies: Pantherinae (which includes the Lion, the Tiger, the Jaguar, and the Leopard), and Felinae (which includes the Cougar, the Cheetah, the Serval, the Lynxes and Caracal, along with the Ocelot and Domestic Cat).

The first felids emerged during the Oligocene, about 25 million years ago. In prehistoric times, there was a third subfamily known as Machairodontinae, which included the "saber-toothed cats" such as the well known Smilodon. There were also other cat-like mammals, such as Thylacosmilus or the Nimravidae which are not included in Felidae despite superficial similarities.

Contents 1 Evolution 2 Characteristics 2.1 Physical appearance 2.2 Senses 2.3 Dentition 3 Classification 3.1 Extant species 3.2 Alternative classification 4 Fossil felids 5 Genera of the Felidae 6 See also 7 Cited references 8 General references

Evolution

There are 41 known species of felids in the world today, which have all descended from the same ancestor.^[1] This taxon originated in Asia and spread across continents by crossing land bridges. As reported in the journal Science, testing of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA by Warren Johnson and Stephen O'Brien of the U.S. National Cancer Institute demonstrated that ancient cats evolved into eight main lineages that diverged in the course of at least 10 migrations (in both directions) from continent to continent via the Bering land bridge and Isthmus of Panama, with the Panthera genus being the oldest and the Felis genus being the youngest. They estimated that 60 percent of the modern species of cats developed within the last million years.^[3]

Most felids have a haploid number of 18 or 19. New World cats (those in Central and South America) have a haploid number of 18, possibly due to the combination of two smaller chromosomes into one larger chromosome.^[4] Prior to this discovery, biologists had been largely unable to establish a family tree of cats from the fossil record because the fossils of different cat species all look very much alike, differing primarily in size.

The felids' closest relatives are thought to be the civets, hyenas, and mongooses. All felid species share a genetic anomaly that prevents them from tasting sweetness.^[5]

Characteristics

Felids are purely carnivorous animals, subsisting almost entirely on other vertebrates. Aside from the Lion, they are solitary. Feral domestic cats do however form feral cat colonies. They are generally secretive animals, are often nocturnal, and live in relatively inaccessible habitats. Around three-quarters of cat species live in forested terrain, and they are generally agile climbers. However, felids may be found in almost any environment, with some species being native to mountainous terrain or deserts.

Wild felids are native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

Physical appearance

Skull of the machairodontine Smilodon (Reconstruction)

Lion skull

The various species of felid vary greatly in size. One of the smallest is the Black-footed Cat at between 35-40 cm in length, while the largest is the Siberian Tiger. Compared with many other mammals, they have relatively short faces, and good binocular vision.

The fur of felids takes many different forms, being much thicker in those species that live in cold environments, such as the Snow Leopard. The colour of felids is also highly variable - although brown to golden fur is common in most species - often marked with distinctive spots, stripes, or rosettes. Many felid species also have a "tear stripe," a black stripe running from the corner of each eye down the side of the muzzle.

The tongue of felids is covered with horny papillae, which help to rasp meat from their prey. Almost all felids have fully retractable claws (one exception is the Cheetah). Cats have five toes on their forefeet and four on their hindfeet, reflecting their reliance on gripping and holding down their prey with their claws.

Senses

Felids have relatively large eyes, situated to provide binocular vision. Their night vision is especially good, due to the presence of a tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back inside the eyeball, and gives felid eyes their distinctive shine.

The ears of felids are also large, and especially sensitive to high-frequency sounds in the smaller cats. Felids also have a highly developed sense of smell, although not to the degree seen in canids; this is further supplemented by the presence of a vomeronasal organ in the roof of the mouth, allowing the animal to "taste" the air. The use of this organ is associated with the Flehmen response, in which the upper lip is curled upwards.

Felids possess highly sensitive vibrissa (whiskers) set deep within the skin, and provide the cat with sensory information about the slightest air movement around it. For this reason, whiskers are very helpful to nocturnal hunters. Most felids are able to land on their feet after a fall, an ability which relies on vision and the sense of balance acting together.

Dentition

With a few exceptions such as the lynx, felids have the dental formula:

Dentition
3.1.3.1
3.1.2.1

The canine teeth are large, reaching exceptional size in the extinct saber-tooth species. The upper third premolar and lower molar are adapted as carnassial teeth, suited to tearing and cutting flesh.

The jaws of felids can only move vertically. This prevents them from being able to chew, but makes it easier for their powerful masseter jaw muscles to hold struggling prey.

Classification

Traditionally five subfamilies are distinguished, the Felinae, the Pantherinae, the Acinonychinae (Cheetahs) and the extinct Machairodontinae and Proailurinae.^[2]

Extant species

Lion

Cheetah

Jaguar

Eurasian Lynx

Margay

Wild Cat

• FAMILY FELIDAE^[1]
  • Subfamily Felinae
    • Genus Felis
      • Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis bieti)
      • Domestic Cat (Felis catus)
      • Jungle Cat (Felis chaus)
      • Pallas's Cat (Felis manul)
      • Sand Cat (Felis margarita)
      • Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes)
      • Wild Cat (Felis silvestris)
    • Genus Prionailurus
      • Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
      • Iriomote Cat (Prionailurus iriomotensis)
      • Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps)
      • Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus)
      • Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
    • Genus Puma
      • Cougar (Puma concolor)
      • Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi)
    • Genus Lynx
      • Canadian Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
      • Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)
      • Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)
      • Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
    • Genus Leopardus
      • Pantanal Cat (Leopardus braccatus)
      • Colocolo (Leopardus colocolo)
      • Geoffroy's Cat (Leopardus geoffroyi)
      • Kodkod (Leopardus guigna)
      • Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobitus)
      • Pampas Cat (Leopardus pajeros)
      • Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
      • Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus)
      • Margay (Leopardus wiedii)
    • Genus Leptailurus
      • Serval (Leptailurus serval)
    • Genus Caracal
      • Caracal (Caracal caracal)
    • Genus Profelis
      • African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata)
    • Genus Catopuma
      • Bay Cat (Catopuma badia)
      • Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii)
    • Genus Pardofelis
      • Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata)
  • Subfamily Pantherinae
    • Genus Neofelis
      • Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
      • Bornean Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi)
    • Genus Panthera
      • Lion (Panthera leo)
      • Jaguar (Panthera onca)
      • Leopard (Panthera pardus)
      • Tiger (Panthera tigris)
    • Genus Uncia
      • Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)
  • Subfamily Acinonychinae
    • Genus Acinonyx
      • Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Alternative classification

Genetic research gives a more concise classification for the living members of the cat family^[1][6][7]:

• Lineage 1: Panthera, Uncia, Neofelis
• Lineage 2: Pardofelis, Catopuma,
• Lineage 3: Leptailurus, Caracal, Profelis
• Lineage 4: Leopardus
• Lineage 5: Lynx
• Lineage 6: Puma, Acinonyx
• Lineage 7: Prionailurus, Otocolobus
• Lineage 8: Felis

The last four lineages are more related to each other than to the first four, and form a clade within Felinae.

Fossil felids

The American Lion was one of the abundant Pleistocene megafauna, a wide variety of very large mammals who went extinct about 10,000 years ago.^[8]

The probably oldest known true felid (Proailurus) lived in the late Oligocene and early Miocene epochs. During the Miocene it gave way to Pseudaelurus. Pseudaelurus is believed to be the latest common ancestor of the two extant subfamilies and the extinct subfamily, Machairodontinae. This group, better known as the saber-tooth cats, became extinct in the Late Pleistocene era. The group includes the genera Smilodon, Machairodus and Homotherium. The Metailurini were originally classified as a distinct tribe within the Machairodontinae, though they count as members of the Felinae in recent times.^[9][10]. Most extinct cat-like animals, once regarded as members of the Felidae, later turned out to be members of related, but distinct, families: the "false sabretooths" Nimravidae and Barbourofelidae. As a result, sabretooth "cats" seem to belong to four different lineages. The total number of fossil Felids that are known to science is low compared to other Carnivoran families such as dogs and bears. Felidae radiated quite recently and most of the extant species are relatively young.

Genera of the Felidae

The list follows McKenna and Bells Classification of Mammals for prehistoric genera (1997)^[2] and Wozencraft (2005) in Wilson and Reeders Mammal Species of the World for extant genera.^[1] Pseudaelurus is included here in the Felinae according to McKenna & Bell despite its basal position in felid evolution. Inconsistent to McKenna and Bell three additional prehistoric genera, Miracinonyx, Lokontailurus and Xenosmilus are listed. Sivapanthera is included into the Felinae (not Acinonychinae) and Ischrosmilus is included in the genus Smilodon.

Proailurus

Leopard cat (Prionailurus)

Ocelot (Leopardus)

Lion (Panthera)

Megantereon

• †Proailurinae
  • †Proailurus
• Felinae
  • †Pseudaelurus
  • †Sivaelurus
  • †Vishnufelis
  • †Pikermia
  • †Abelia
  • †Nimravides
  • †Pratifelis
  • †Adelphailurus
  • †Metailurus
  • †Dinofelis
  • †Dolichofelis
  • †Sivapardus
  • †Jansofelis
  • †Sivapanthera
  • Acinonyx
  • †Miracinonyx
  • Puma
  • Felis
  • Prionailurus
  • Lynx
  • Leopardus
  • Leptailurus
  • Caracal
  • Profelis
  • Catopuma
  • Pardofelis
• Pantherinae
  • †Leontoceryx
  • †Dromopanthera
  • †Schaubia
  • †Viretailurus
  • Panthera
  • Neofelis
  • Uncia
• †Machairodontinae
  • †Machairodus (Late Miocene, Africa, Eurasia, North America)
  • †Homotherium (Pliocene, Pleistocene; Africa, Eurasia, North America)
  • †Xenosmilus (Pleistocene; North America)
  • †Lokontailurus (Latest Miocene; Africa)
  • †Miomachairodus (Middle Miocene; Africa, Asia)
  • †Hemimachairodus
  • †Paramachairodus (Late Miocene; Eurasia, Africa)
  • †Megantereon (Pliocene, Pleistocene; North America, Africa, Eurasia)
  • †Smilodon (Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene; North- and South America)

See also

• Felid hybrid
• Panthera hybrid
• Big cat

Cited references

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532-548. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} McKenna, Malcolm C.; Susan K. Bell (2000-02-15). Classification of Mammals. Columbia University Press. pp. 631. ISBN 978-0231110136. 
3. ^ Mott, Maryann (2006-01-11). "Cats Climb New family Tree". National Geographic News. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0111_060111_cat_evolution.html. Retrieved on 2006-07-15. 
4. ^ Vella, Carolyn; et al. (2002). Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians, 4th ed.. Oxford: Butterworh-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-4069-3. 
5. ^ Xia, Li; Weihua Li, Hong Wang, Jie Cao, Kenji Maehashi, Liquan Huang, Alexander A. Bachmanov, Danielle R. Reed, Véronique Legrand-Defretin, Gary K. Beauchamp and Joseph G. Brand (July 2005). "Pseudogenization of a Sweet-Receptor Gene Accounts for Cats' Indifference toward Sugar". Public Library of Science 1 (1): e3. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0010003. http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.0010003. Retrieved on 2008-06-30. 
6. ^ Johnson WE, Eizirik E, Pecon-Slattery J, et al. (January 2006). "The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: a genetic assessment". Science (journal) 311 (5757): 73–7. doi:10.1126/science.1122277. PMID 16400146. 
7. ^ O'Brien SJ, Johnson WE (2005). "Big cat genomics". Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 6: 407–29. doi:10.1146/annurev.genom.6.080604.162151. PMID 16124868. 
8. ^ Ice Age Animals, Illinois State Museum
9. ^ van den Hoek Ostende, Lars W.; Michael Morlo and Doris Nagel (July 2006). Fossils explained 52 Majestic killers: the sabre-toothed cats. 22. pp. 150–157. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/gday/2006/00000022/00000004/art00006;jsessionid=pajs4k97owon.alexandra. Retrieved on 2008-06-30. 
10. ^ Turner, Alan (1997-04-15). The Big Cats and their fossil relatives. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 60. ISBN 978-0231102285. 

General references

• Shoemaker, Alan (1996). "1996 Taxonomic and Legal Status of the Felidae". Felid Taxonomic Advisory Group of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. http://www.csew.com/felidtag/pages/Reports/taxon_legal.htm. Retrieved on 2006-07-15. 
• Turner, A. (1997). The big cats and their fossil relatives. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-10229-1. 
• Kirby, G. (1984). "Cat family". in Macdonald, D.. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Facts on File. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 

v • d • e Extant Carnivora species Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Laurasiatheria   Suborder Feliformia Nandiniidae Nandinia African Palm Civet (N. binotata) Herpestidae (Mongooses) Atilax Marsh Mongoose (A. paludinosus) Bdeogale Bushy-tailed Mongoose (B. crassicauda} · Jackson's Mongoose (B. jacksoni) · Black-footed Mongoose (B. nigripes) Crossarchus Alexander's Kusimanse (C. alexandri) · Angolan Kusimanse (C. ansorgei) · Common Kusimanse (C. obscurus) · Flat-headed Kusimanse (C. platycephalus) Cynictis Yellow Mongoose (C. penicillata) Dologale Pousargues's Mongoose (D. dybowskii) Galerella Angolan Slender Mongoose (G. flavescens) · Somalian Slender Mongoose (G. ochracea) · Cape Gray Mongoose (G. pulverulenta) · Slender Mongoose (G. sanguinea) Helogale Ethiopian Dwarf Mongoose (H. hirtula) · Common Dwarf Mongoose (H. parvula) Herpestes Short-tailed Mongoose (H. brachyurus) · Indian Gray Mongoose (H. edwardsii) · Indian Brown Mongoose (H. fuscus) · Egyptian Mongoose (H. ichneumon) · Small Asian Mongoose (H. javanicus) · Long-nosed Mongoose (H. naso) · Collared Mongoose (H. semitorquatus) · Ruddy Mongoose (H. smithii) · Crab-eating Mongoose (H. urva) · Stripe-necked Mongoose (H. vitticollis) Ichneumia White-tailed Mongoose (I. albicauda) Liberiictus Liberian Mongoose (L. kuhni) Mungos Gambian Mongoose (M. gambianus) · Banded Mongoose (M. mungo) Paracynictis Selous' Mongoose (P. selousi) Rhynchogale Meller's Mongoose (R. melleri) Suricata Meerkat (S. suricatta) Hyaenidae (Hyenas) Crocuta Spotted Hyena (C. crocuta) Hyaena Brown Hyena (H. brunnea) · Striped Hyena (H. hyaena) Proteles Aardwolf (P. cristatus) Felidae Large family listed below Viverridae Large family listed below Eupleridae Large family listed below   Family Felidae Felinae Acinonyx Cheetah (A. jubatus) Caracal Caracal (C. caracal) Catopuma Bay Cat (C. badia) · Asian Golden Cat (C. temminckii) Felis Chinese Mountain Cat (F. bieti) · Cat (F. catus) · Jungle Cat (F. chaus) · Pallas' Cat (F. manul) · Sand Cat (F. margarita) · Black-footed Cat (F. nigripes) · Wildcat (F. silvestris) Leopardus Pantanal Cat (L. braccatus) · Colocolo (L. colocolo) · Geoffroy's Cat (L. geoffroyi) · Kodkod (L. guigna) · Andean Mountain Cat (L. jacobitus) · Pampas Cat (L. pajeros) · Ocelot (L. pardalis) · Oncilla (L. tigrinus) · Margay (L. wiedii) Leptailurus Serval (L. serval) Lynx Canadian Lynx (L. canadensis) · Eurasian Lynx (L. lynx) · Iberian Lynx (L. pardinus) · Bobcat (L. rufus) Pardofelis Marbled Cat (P. marmorata) Prionailurus Leopard Cat (P. bengalensis) · Iriomote Cat (P. iriomotensis) · Flat-headed Cat (P. planiceps) · Rusty-spotted Cat (P. rubiginosus) · Fishing Cat (P. viverrinus) Profelis African Golden Cat (P. aurata) Puma Cougar (P. concolor) · Jaguarundi (P. yagouaroundi) Pantherinae Neofelis Clouded Leopard (N. nebulosa) · Bornean Clouded Leopard (N. diardi) Panthera Lion (P. leo) · Jaguar (P. onca) · Leopard (P. pardus) · Tiger (P. tigris) Uncia Snow Leopard (U. uncia)   Family Viverridae (includes Civets) Paradoxurinae Arctictis Binturong (A. binturong) Arctogalidia Small-toothed Palm Civet (A. trivirgata) Macrogalidia Sulawesi Palm Civet (M. musschenbroekii) Paguma Masked Palm Civet (P. larvata) Paradoxurus Asian Palm Civet (P. hermaphroditus) · Jerdon's Palm Civet (P. jerdoni) · Golden Palm Civet (P. zeylonensis) Hemigalinae Chrotogale Owston's Palm Civet (C. owstoni) Cynogale Otter Civet (C. bennettii) Diplogale Hose's Palm Civet (D. hosei) Hemigalus Banded Palm Civet (H. derbyanus) Prionodontinae (Asiatic linsangs) Prionodon Banded Linsang (P. linsang) · Spotted Linsang (P. pardicolor) Viverrinae Civettictis African Civet (C. civetta) Genetta (Genets) Abyssinian Genet (G. abyssinica) · Angolan Genet (G. angolensis) · Bourlon's Genet (G. bourloni) · Crested Servaline Genet (G. cristata) · Common Genet (G. genetta) · Johnston's Genet (G. johnstoni) · Rusty-spotted Genet (G. maculata) · Pardine Genet (G. pardina) · Aquatic Genet (G. piscivora) · King Genet (G. poensis) · Servaline Genet (G. servalina) · Haussa Genet (G. thierryi) · Cape Genet (G. tigrina) · Giant Forest Genet (G. victoriae) Poiana Leighton's Linsang (P. leightoni) · African Linsang (P. richardsonii) Viverra Malabar Large-spotted Civet (V. civettina) · Large-spotted Civet (V. megaspila) · Malayan Civet (V. tangalunga) · Large Indian Civet (V. zibetha) Viverricula Small Indian Civet (V. indica)   Family Eupleridae Euplerinae Cryptoprocta Fossa (C. ferox) Eupleres Falanouc (E. goudotii) Fossa Malagasy Civet (F. fossana) Galidiinae Galidia Ring-tailed Mongoose (G. elegans) Galidictis Broad-striped Malagasy Mongoose (G. fasciata) · Grandidier's Mongoose (G. grandidieri) Mungotictis Narrow-striped Mongoose (M. decemlineata) Salanoia Brown-tailed Mongoose (S. concolor)   Suborder Caniformia (cont. below) Ursidae (Bears) Ailuropoda Giant Panda (A. melanoleuca) Helarctos Sun Bear (H. malayanus) Melursus Sloth Bear (M. ursinus) Tremarctos Spectacled Bear (T. ornatus) Ursus American Black Bear (U. americanus) · Brown Bear (U. arctos) · Polar bear (U. maritimus) · Asian Black Bear (U. thibetanus) Mephitidae (Skunks) Conepatus (Hog-nosed skunks) Molina's Hog-nosed Skunk (C. chinga) · Humboldt's Hog-nosed Skunk (C. humboldtii) · American Hog-nosed Skunk (C. leuconotus) · Striped Hog-nosed Skunk (C. semistriatus) Mephitis Hooded Skunk (M. macroura) · Striped Skunk (M. mephitis) Mydaus Sunda Stink Badger (M. javanensis) · Palawan Stink Badger (M. marchei) Spilogale (Spotted skunks) Southern Spotted Skunk (S. angustifrons) · Western Spotted Skunk (S. gracilis) · Eastern Spotted Skunk (S. putorius) · Pygmy Spotted Skunk (S. pygmaea) Procyonidae Bassaricyon (Olingos) Allen's Olingo (B. alleni) · Beddard's Olingo (B. beddardi) · Bushy-tailed Olingo (B. gabbii) · Harris's Olingo (B. lasius) · Chiriqui Olingo (B. pauli) Bassariscus Ring-tailed Cat (B. astutus) · Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti) Nasua (Coatis inclusive) White-nosed Coati (N. narica) · South American Coati (N. nasua) Nasuella (Coatis inclusive) Mountain Coati (N. olivacea) Potos Kinkajou (P. flavus) Procyon Crab-eating Raccoon (P. cancrivorus) · Raccoon (P. lotor) · Cozumel Raccoon (P. pygmaeus) Ailuridae Ailurus Red Panda (A. fulgens)   Suborder Caniformia (cont. above) Otariidae (Eared seals) (includes fur seals and sea lions) (Pinniped inclusive) Arctocephalus South American Fur Seal (A. australis) · Australasian Fur Seal (A. forsteri) · Galápagos Fur Seal (A. galapagoensis) · Antarctic Fur Seal (A. gazella) · Juan Fernández Fur Seal (A. philippii) · Brown Fur Seal (A. pusillus) · Guadalupe Fur Seal (A. townsendi) · Subantarctic Fur Seal (A. tropicalis) Callorhinus Northern Fur Seal (C. ursinus) Eumetopias Steller Sea Lion (E. jubatus) Neophoca Australian Sea Lion (N. cinerea) Otaria South American Sea Lion (O. flavescens) Phocarctos New Zealand Sea Lion (P. hookeri) Zalophus California Sea Lion (Z. californianus) · Galápagos Sea Lion (Z. wollebaeki) Odobenidae (Pinniped inclusive) Odobenus Walrus (O. rosmarus) Phocidae (Earless seals) (Pinniped inclusive) Cystophora Hooded Seal (C. cristata) Erignathus Bearded Seal (E. barbatus) Halichoerus Gray Seal (H. grypus) Histriophoca Ribbon Seal (H. fasciata) Hydrurga Leopard Seal (H. leptonyx) Leptonychotes Weddell Seal (L. weddellii) Lobodon Crabeater Seal (L. carcinophagus) Mirounga (Elephant seals) Northern Elephant Seal (M. angustirostris) · Southern Elephant Seal (M. leonina) Monachus Mediterranean Monk Seal (M. monachus) · Hawaiian Monk Seal (M. schauinslandi) Ommatophoca Ross Seal (O. rossi) Pagophilus Harp Seal (P. groenlandicus) Phoca Spotted Seal (P. largha) · Harbor Seal (P. vitulina) Pusa Caspian Seal (P. caspica) · Ringed Seal (P. hispida) · Baikal Seal (P. sibirica) Canidae Large family listed below Mustelidae Large family listed below   Family Canidae Atelocynus Short-eared Dog (A. microtis) Canis Side-striped Jackal (C. adustus) · Golden Jackal (C. aureus) · Coyote (C. latrans) · Gray Wolf (C. lupus) · Black-backed Jackal (C. mesomelas) · Ethiopian Wolf (C. simensis) Cerdocyon Crab-eating Fox (C. thous) Chrysocyon Maned Wolf (C. brachyurus) Cuon Dhole (C. alpinus) Lycalopex Culpeo (L. culpaeus) · Darwin's Fox (L. fulvipes) · South American Gray Fox (L. griseus) · Pampas Fox (L. gymnocercus) · Sechuran Fox (L. sechurae) · Hoary Fox (L. vetulus) Lycaon African Wild Dog (L. pictus) Nyctereutes Raccoon Dog (N. procyonoides) Otocyon Bat-eared Fox (O. megalotis) Speothos Bush Dog (S. venaticus) Urocyon Gray Fox (U. cinereoargenteus) · Island Fox (U. littoralis) Vulpes Bengal Fox (V. bengalensis) · Blanford's Fox (V. cana) · Cape Fox (V. chama) · Corsac Fox (V. corsac) · Tibetan Sand Fox (V. ferrilata) · Arctic Fox (V. lagopus) · Kit Fox (V. macrotis) · Pale Fox (V. pallida) · Rüppell's Fox (V. rueppelli) · Swift Fox (V. velox) · Red Fox (V. vulpes) · Fennec Fox (V. zerda)   Family Mustelidae Lutrinae (Otters) Aonyx African Clawless Otter (A. capensis) · Oriental Small-clawed Otter (A. cinerea) Enhydra Sea otter (E. lutris) Hydrictis Spotted-necked Otter (H. maculicollis) Lontra North American River Otter (L. canadensis) · Marine Otter (L. felina) · Neotropical Otter (L. longicaudis) · Southern River Otter (L. provocax) Lutra European Otter (L. lutra) · Hairy-nosed Otter (L. sumatrana) Lutrogale Smooth-coated Otter (L. perspicillata) Pteronura Giant Otter (P. brasiliensis) Mustelinae (including Badgers) Arctonyx Hog Badger (A. collaris) Eira Tayra (E. barbara) Galictis Lesser Grison (G. cuja) · Greater Grison (G. vittata) Gulo Wolverine (G. gulo) Ictonyx Saharan Striped Polecat (I. libyca) · Striped Polecat (I. striatus) Lyncodon Patagonian Weasel (L. patagonicus) Martes (Martens) American Marten (M. americana) · Yellow-throated Marten (M. flavigula) · Beech Marten (M. foina) · Nilgiri Marten (M. gwatkinsii) · European Pine Marten (M. martes) · Japanese Marten (M. melampus) · Fisher (M. pennanti) · Sable (M. zibellina) Meles Japanese Badger (M. anakuma) · Asian Badger (M. leucurus) · European Badger (M. meles) Mellivora Honey Badger (M. capensis) Melogale (Ferret-badgers) Bornean Ferret-badger (M. everetti) · Chinese Ferret-badger (M. moschata) · Javan Ferret-badger (M. orientalis) · Burmese Ferret-badger (M. personata) Mustela (Weasels) Amazon Weasel (M. africana) · Mountain Weasel (M. altaica) · Ermine (M. erminea) · Steppe Polecat (M. eversmannii) · Colombian Weasel (M. felipei) · Long-tailed Weasel (M. frenata) · Japanese Weasel (M. itatsi) · Yellow-bellied Weasel (M. kathiah) · European Mink (M. lutreola) · Indonesian Mountain Weasel (M. lutreolina) · Black-footed Ferret (M. nigripes) · Least Weasel (M. nivalis) · Malayan Weasel (M. nudipes) · European Polecat (M. putorius) · Siberian Weasel (M. sibirica) · Back-striped Weasel (M. strigidorsa) · Egyptian Weasel (M. subpalmata) Neovison (Minks) American Mink (N. vison) Poecilogale African Striped Weasel (P. albinucha) Taxidea American Badger (T. taxus) Vormela Marbled Polecat (V. peregusna)

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