The big cats, being strong predators, have competed with humans throughout history. They occupy vast areas of land per individual, which makes their conservation even more difficult, due to the loss of habitat that occurs day after day due to human actions.
In this article on our site we will talk about the 10 largest cats in the world, some of them seriously threatened.
1. Liger
The ligre ( Panthera leo ♂ x Panthera tigris ♀), is a hybrid created by the human being through the union of a male lion with a female tiger. They are not found in nature, only in zoos, mostly Chinese and American.
They can reach 500 kilograms in weight and measure about 4 meters in length. Many of the hybrid animals created by humans are sterile, but in the case of the liger they are not, although many of the female ligers are.
two. Siberian Tiger
Currently, the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is Danger of extinction, although their populations seem stable. It inhabits a small wooded region on the border between Russia and China, west of the Asian continent, near the Amur River, which is why it is also known as Amur Tiger Apart from the brown bear, it has no natural competitors. They usually feed on ungulates, such as deer.
They can weigh more than 300 kilograms and some specimens have exceeded 3 meters in length. Its skin and bones are highly coveted on the black market, making it another threat to this species.
3. Bengal tiger
The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is one of the most studied tiger species. Like other tigers, it is also in danger of extinction due to habitat destruction and fragmentation and illegal trafficking. The number of individuals of this species continues to decrease.
These tigers can reach 250 kilograms in weight, but the average is around 200 kilograms. Like the Siberian tiger, it can measure up to 3 meters from the head to the end of the tail.
4. Lion
The lion (Panthera leo) occupied large regions of the African continent, but its populations are being threatened and it is currently considered a species vulnerable to extinction, indeed, in many areas it has completely disappeared. Likewise, it has been one of the most exploited feline species in circuses and zoos
Usually they reach 200 kilograms in weight, but some specimens have weighed more than 400 kilograms. The measurement of the body is around 2 or 3 meters in length, with the females being smaller.
5. Jaguar
The jaguar (Panthera onca) inhabits the Amazon forest and part of Central AmericaIt is considered a near threatened species, but the truth is that there is not enough data due to the difficulty of exploring the area in which they live, but it is believed that the population has decreased by around 20% in recent years.
The size of these animals varies depending on the region in which they live. Thus, the largest specimens are found in the populations of the open areas of alluvial plains in the Llanos in Venezuela and the Pantanal in Brazil, some weighing 160 kilograms The smallest specimens are found within the dense forest areas of Central America and the Amazon and weigh about 40 kilograms.
6. Cougar
The puma (Puma concolor) lives in many habitats, all types of forest, mountains, lowlands, or desert. We can find them throughout the entire American continent The conservation status of the cougar is of minor concern according to the IUCN, although the number of individuals is decreasing.
Like the jaguar, the size of the puma varies depending on where it lives, so the pumas that live near the poles are from larger, reaching 120 kilograms in weight, than those that live near the equator, which are around 60 kilograms. In length they are smaller than the felines seen so far, as they usually measure around 2 meters.
7. Leopard
Populations of leopard (Panthera pardus) used to range from the African continent to China, except for polar areas and the Sahara desert. Today, it has been relegated to some areas of Africa and India.
Despite being a generalist predator, capable of hunting from insects to ungulates weighing more than 40 kilograms, the leopard has difficulty finding food due to human pressure. In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation. The average weight of this species is 60 kilograms
8. Cheetah
Ethiopia, Algeria, Chad, Tanzania, Namibia or Iran are among the few countries where we can observe cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in the wild. This feline is considered vulnerable by the IUCN, due to the fragmentation of its ecosystem. These animals need wide areas to be able to hunt
It is one of the fastest animals on the planet, graceful and slender, its weight is around 45 kilograms, never weighing more than 60.
9. Snow Panther
The snow panther (Panthera uncia) is considered a species vulnerablesince there are only less than 10,000 mature individuals left in the wild and the population continues to decline. This species ranges from the Himalayas in the south, through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the mountains of Central Asia to the mountains of southern Siberia in the north.
Adults barely exceed 30 kilograms in weight and a meter in length, so, of the big cats, the panther of the snows is one of the smallest.
10. Eurasian lynx
The Eurasian lynx or Common lynx (Lynx lynx) is the largest cat in its group. It inhabits the entire Siberian forest and northern Europe Their populations remain stable for the time being, but a short time ago they were highly persecuted for their fur and to avoid problems with livestock.
They usually weigh less than 30 kilograms and are more than a meter long.
