Art, obsession, and identity
Jaguars like to swim, and have a strong affinity with water. They'll take to rivers in pursuit of prey.
It's estimated that a cheetah can reach speeds of up to 93 km/h (57 mph) in short bursts, and can accelerate faster than a sports car.
Leopards like to rest in trees, but they also hunt from them. They use their elevated position to scan for potential prey and then launch a surprise attack from above.
Lions, both male and female, are the only big cats with tassels at the end of their tails.
Tigers don't just have whiskers around their nose. They also have them on their cheeks, above their eyes, behind their front legs, and dispersed throughout their fur.
The smallest of the big cats, cloud leopards are named after the distinctive 'clouds' on their coats.
The snow leopard is the only "big cat" that calls the frigid deserts of Asia home. Furthermore, this is the only species of big cat that can't roar.
Servals have the largest ears of any cat—almost the length of their face.
Back in the day in India and Iran, the caracal was trained to hunt birds. This was done by placing the cat in an arena containing a flock of pigeons, with wagers set on how many the agile feline would take down. Hence the expression "to put a cat among the pigeons."
Both males and females of the species emit a long-range "yowl" in the mating season as well as a short-range "meow." They've also been known to "mutter" to one another.
Named after French zoologist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1772–1844), this cat species has been observed to stand up on its hind legs to scan the surrounding landscape and use its tail as a support—an unusual behavior among cats.
Young oncillas have been known to purr, while adults have been observed making short, gurgling calls when in close proximity to one another.
The Iberian lynx is the most endangered feline in the world. Its population in the wild has declined by over 80% in the past 20 years.
The second-most endangered cat on the planet is the amur leopard, with the population in the wild numbering just 90 individuals.
Also known as a puma and the mountain lion, the cougar has the largest range of any native land mammal in the western hemisphere.
The jaguarundi is a chatterbox. The animal demonstrates up to 13 different vocalizations, used to communicate, mark territory, and find mates.
About the size of a domestic cat, this species has the longest and densest fur of any feline, with all the fluff creating the illusion of a much bigger animal.
One of the smallest cat species in the world (about two times smaller than domestic felines), the rusty-spotted cat is known as "kola diviya" or "balal diviya" in Sri Lanka.
In 2001, the fossilized remains of leopard cats were excavated at Neolithic villages in Central China, indicating that this diminutive species was domesticated at least 5,000 years ago. Pictured is an inquisitive kitten.
Along with the jaguar, one of the few other species of cat that actually likes water, the fishing cat is well adapted to its hunting environment—to the point of having developed discernible webbed paws!
Europe's third largest predator after brown bears and wolves, this is also the largest of the lynx species.
Long, round feet each with a big toe set at a wide-angle help distribute the weight of this cat and allow it to stay on top of deep snow. In fact, this feline has natural snowshoes for paws!
It's known that ancient Egyptians trained jungle cats to hunt wildfowl. A few mummified remains of this revered feline have been found in tombs.
See also: The world's most expensive cat breeds.
True to its name, the sand cat is the only feline living primarily in desert regions, from the Sahara through the Middle East to Turkestan.
The bobcat likes to pounce, and can leap over 3 m (9.8 ft) in length to capture prey.
A margay has been observed to mimic the vocalization of an infant pied tamarin while hunting. The pied tamarin is a critically endangered primate species, and a prize meal for this solitary and nocturnal cat.
One of the least known cats of South America, so little information is available about this species that even its longevity, both in captivity and in the wild, remains a mystery.
This cat's name is a slight misnomer: its fur can also be brown, cinnamon, grey, or black—colors that have evolved depending on an individual feline's habitat.
A black panther is either a leopard or jaguar with melanism—the increased development of the dark-colored pigment melanin in the skin or hair.
Lynx, leopards, cheetahs, tigers... who doesn't like big cats? But did you know that there are 40 cat species out there, fantastic felines of dazzling variety that inhabit all areas of the world (except Australia and Antarctica)?
Click through the following gallery and admire these lithe, agile, sometimes fearsome, but always beautiful creatures... without having to get too close!
From fast to fierce: fascinating facts about wild cats
30 of our favorite felines on the planet
LIFESTYLE Wildlife
Lynx, leopards, cheetahs, tigers... who doesn't like big cats? But did you know that there are 40 cat species out there, fantastic felines of dazzling variety that inhabit all areas of the world (except Australia and Antarctica)?
Click through the following gallery and admire these lithe, agile, sometimes fearsome, but always beautiful creatures... without having to get too close!