Wikijunior:Big Cats/Classification
Scientists classify all living things into different groups. This helps to see what some animals have in common and how related some animals are. It is like building a family tree for living things. They classify cats as well. All cats are in the family Felidae.
In English, a Puma may be called a cougar in one place or a mountain lion somewhere else. Animals also have different names in other languages like Russian, Greek and Spanish. To prevent confusion, scientists agree on a single Latin name for each animal. Some early humans did draw pictures of mammoths, mastodons, and European cave lions, but any common names for these extinct animals are forgotten. That's why many fossil big cats have an odd scientific name like Miraconyx inexpectatus instead of a short, graceful name like Cheetah.
Below is a list of the classification of the cats in this book.
Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
- Phylum: Chordata (Animals with spinal cords)
- Subphylum: Vertebrata (Vertebrates)
- Class: Mammalia (Mammals)
- Order: Carnivora (most Carnivorous Mammals)
- Family: Felidae (Cats)
- Subfamily Acinonychinae
- Genus Acinonyx
- Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
- Genus Acinonyx
- Subfamily Felinae
- Genus Caracal
- Caracal, Caracal caracal
- Genus Felis
- Wild Cat, Felis silvestris (of which the domestic cat is a subspecies)
- Sand Cat, Felis margarita
- Genus Herpailurus
- Jaguarundi, Herpailurus yaguarondi
- Genus Leopardus
- Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis
- Margay, Leopardus wiedii
- Genus Leptailurus
- Serval, Leptailurus serval
- Genus Lynx
- Eurasian Lynx, Lynx lynx
- Iberian Lynx, Lynx pardinus
- Canadian Lynx, Lynx canadensis
- Bobcat, Lynx rufus
- Genus Otocolobus
- Pallas Cat, Otocolobus manul
- Genus Prionailurus
- Rusty-spotted Cat, Prionailurus rubiginosus
- Genus Puma
- Puma, Puma concolor
- Genus Caracal
- Subfamily Pantherinae
- Genus Neofelis
- Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa
- Genus Panthera
- Lion, Panthera leo
- Tiger, Panthera tigris
- Leopard, Panthera pardus
- Jaguar, Panthera onca
- Liger, Panthera × leogris (hybrid)
- Tigon, Panthera × tigreo (hybrid)
- Genus Pardofelis
- Marbled Cat, Pardofelis marmorata
- Genus Uncia
- Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia
- Genus Neofelis
- Subfamily Acinonychinae
- Family: Felidae (Cats)
- Order: Carnivora (most Carnivorous Mammals)
- Class: Mammalia (Mammals)
- Subphylum: Vertebrata (Vertebrates)