Wild cats first appeared on earth 25 million years ago during the Oligocene epoch when tropical forests decreased in size, grasslands expanded and the ecosystems we are familiar with today began to emerge.

History

The wild cats we see today come from a common ancestor that first lived in Asia during the late Miocene Epoch (about 10.4 to 5 million years ago) and then migrated to other parts of the world using the land that connected the continents as bridges.

There were approximately 10 migrations that resulted in the current distribution of wild cats.  It is believed that the cats traveled around the globe to places where there was less competition for food. New wild cat species developed when the land bridges disappeared and isolated the cats.

Big cats like lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards began appearing 6.4 million years ago, followed by smaller wild cats such as the Asian golden cat, bay cat, serval, caracal, marbled cat and African golden cat. Today dozens of species and subspecies have been identified.

Wild cats are considered native to all of the continents except Australia and Antarctica. You can find them living in many different habitats, including forests, mountains and deserts.

wild cats history Wild cat types

Wild cats refers to big and small cats that live in the wild. They are members of the Felidae family of cats. A member of the Felidae family is also known as a felid. Domestic cats are also members of this family.

wild cat typesLions, tigers, jaguars, snow leopards, clouded leopards and leopards belong to the Pantherinae, a Felidae subfamily

The remaining wild cat species belong to another Felidae subfamily called Felinae

Saber-toothed cats, an extinct group of wild cats, belonged to a third Pantherinae subfamily called Machairodontinae.

There is also a fourth subfamily – Proailurinae. There is only one member of this group, a prehistoric small wild cat.

What wild cats look like

Wild cats typically have strong, flexible and muscular bodies with fur with that varies in thickness depending on where the cat lives. 

Different species have different colors of fur, including white, beige, light brown and golden brown, orange, orange-brown reddish-brown and black. The fur is often spotted, striped or marked with rosettes (a rose-shaped patch of color) . 

The cats range is size from small (around 2-3 lbs.) to large (over 600 lbs.). Tigers are the biggest wild cats, and the largest cats in the world. They can grow almost 12 feet long and weigh more than 660 lbs. Lions are the next biggest cat, followed by the jaguar, cougar, leopard, cheetah and snow leopard. Some of the smallest wild cats are the rusty-spotted cat, the black-footed cat and the sand cat.

Other characteristics include:

  • Whiskers on their cheeks, above their eyes and muzzle – the protruding part of their face.
  • Generally large eyes with binocular vision that gives a wider field of view.
  • A tongue covered with a rough texture that makes it easier to groom and scrape meat from their prey.
  • Fives toes on their front feet and our toes on their back feet.
  • The ability to lengthen or extend their claws (protractible claws). With some species like the cheetah, the claws can be seen even when the cat is relaxed or resting.
  • Like cats in general, most wild cats have around 30 teeth.
  • Excellent night vision, sensitive ears and an acute sense of smell.
  • Back legs are longer than front legs.

 

Wild cat behavior

All wild cats can growl, snarl, spit, mew and hiss. Lions, leopards, tigers and jaguars also roar, and snow leopards, clouded leopards, tigers and jaguars snort. Smaller cats gurgle and wah-wah (a deep, short vocalization).  Other types of vocalizations include squealing, chirping, clicking, grunting and purring.

Excluding lions and cheetahs, wild cats usually lead a solitary life. Some are active during the day, while others are more active in the evening or at night.

Most will roam in territories that they mark with urine, feces and claw marks.

Their average lifespan is around 10 to 15 years. In captivity, they will usually live longer.

 

What wild cats eat

Wild cats are carnivores. This means they get their energy and nutrition from animal meat such as deer, rabbit, antelope, zebra, African buffalo, giraffe, boar and primates.  Some cats also eat reptiles, birds acnd fish.

Wild cats in culture

Chauvet Cave Lions

You can find depictions of wild cats dating back many thousands of years in cultures throughout the world. The oldest paintings of lions were discovered in the Chauvet Cave (southern France) in 1994. The cave is considered one of the most important prehistoric art sites in the world.

Sculptures of lions have been around since the beginning of civilization. You can also find lion statues in many middle-eastern cultures, like the Lion Gate of ancient Mycenae (Greece),

In more modern times, lions and other wild cats have become icons like the Cowardly Lion from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Tigger from Winnie the Pooh; Shere Khan from The Jungle Book; Elsa, the lioness from Born Free and Aslan from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Other famous wild cats include Hobbes – Calvin’s best friend in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes; Daniel Striped Tiger from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Bubsy the bobcat from the Bubsy video games.

Wild cats have even become commercial mascots, like Tony the Tiger (Frosted Flakes), Chester Cheetah (Cheetos) and Leo (Metro Goldwyn Mayer).

The different wild cat species have been assigned a conservation status by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

When a species is of Least Concern, there are still many of them living in the wild. A Near Threatened species could become Vulnerable or Endangered in the future. Vulnerable means “facing a high risk of extinction in the wild”. A wild cat species that is Endangered is likely to become extinct in the future.

Several wild cat species and subspecies are critically endangered. Many others are vulnerable or near threatened.

Wild cat populations are declining worldwide due to habitat loss (deforestation), human conflict, loss of prey and poaching. Big cats, including tigers and leopards, are aggressively hunted for their pelts, organs and even bones. Some populations of large wild cat species have been reduced by 90% over the past 10 years.

You can see a list of their conservation status here.

 

Big cats - history and origins

Big Cats

Big cats is a term used to describe the larger species of wild cats, including the lion, tiger, cheetah, jaguar, ...

Comments

Wild Cats — 6 Comments

  1. Hi Richard,

    Taking care of a big cat isn’t easy. At some point, It would be a good idea to spend some time as a volunteer at a wild cat sanctuary so you understand more about their needs.

    Best,
    D.R.

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