A List of the Different Types of Wild Cats

Wild cats are arguably the most dynamic animals. They are beautiful but deadly and their pace, grace and skill make them one of the most majestic creatures. Wild cats can be found in groups known as prides or be found stalking their terrains as stealthy loners.
There are basically 36 types of wild cats and they are outlined below. Soon, you will be able to click through to a page devoted solely to that type of wild cat, but this is a feature we are working on.
Types of Wild Cats
African Golden Cat – This is a relatively small cat compared to the other wild cats. It’s double the size of a normal domestic cat and it can be found in the forests of Central and West Africa. African golden cats, also known as Profelis Aurata, prey on birds, small monkeys and rodents and they come in a variety of colors including black, brown and reddish brown.
Andean Mountain Cat – Just as the name suggest, this wild cat lives in the Andes range in South America. It’s much like a domestic cat except for its big fur balls and the big furry tail.
Asiatic Golden Cat – This type of cat live in the rain forests of Asia and they’re size is akin to that of a big dog. They often have gold, red or plain brown coats but others have been spotted black or melanistic coats.
Canadian Lynx – This is a medium-sized wild cat that weighs somewhere between 16 and 25 pounds. They live in Canada and they’re known for their long ear tufts and the fur on the paws. This extra fur acts like snow shoes, making them able to move on the soft snow.
Cheetah – This is undoubtedly the fastest land animal, with speeds reaching up to 70 miles/hour. Cheetahs weigh somewhere between 110 and 140 pounds and they’re widely known for the spotted coat. In captivity a cheetah can live for approximately 20 years but it lives for 12 years while in the wild.
Clouded Leopard – Recent studies reveal that clouded leopards are wild cats. They are medium-sized, weighing between 30 and 50 pounds. Clouded leopards are incredibly powerful and have the longest canine teeth of any type of wild cat. Additionally, they have short legs but very large paws.
Eurasian Lynx – This is the largest cat in the lynx wild cat family and lives in Siberia and Parts of Northern Asia. The cats have gray or golden coats and prefer hunting large animals such as deer though they can prey on small animals such as rodents and rabbits.
Jaguar – These wild cats can be found in Central America and South Africa. They can be easily confused with leopards due to the similar colorings and patterns but jaguars have spots within the rosette markings. Again, they are larger and stockier than leopards, weighing somewhere between 250 and 400 pounds.
Leopards – Leopards are one of smaller big cats, weighting somewhere between 65 and 150 pounds. They stretch to approximately 6 feet long and can charge at 40 miles/hour, leap about 20 ft horizontally and 10 ft up in the air. They are excellent swimmers and have a life span of approximately 15 years.
Lion – the lion is the king of the jungle, known to be the most powerful animal. A male lion is 4 ft tall, 8 ft long and weigh about 450 pounds. A female lion on the other hand, weighs about 300 pounds. Male lions have large manes that often grow fuller and darker as they grow old.
Puma – the puma is also known as the mountain lion, panther or cougar. In the smaller wild cats list, puma is the largest and actually the most adaptable wild cat as it can live virtually anywhere from deserts to forests and swamps. They are slender and muscular with brown coats and rounded ears. In addition to that, pumas weigh about 150 pounds.
Tiger – the tiger is the largest cat, with some males (Siberian tigers) weighting close to 800 pounds. However, there are some small subspecies (Sumatran tiger) that weigh 220 pounds. In the cat family, tigers are the only ones with stripes which are often used as their unique fingerprints.
Wildcat – the wildcat is the type that gave rise to the domestic cat species. They thrive in Africa, Parts of Arabia, Asia and Europe. Wildcats look like a normal domestic cat and it’s actually arduous to differentiate the two. They mainly prey on rodents, small reptiles and birds.
Other types of wildcats include the caracal, the jungle cat, onchila, pampas cat and bobcat. However, those mentioned here are the most common. We will fill out the rest in the list here in due time. In the meantime, let us know what your favorite big cat is in the comments below.
you did not mention the shy leopard, as a soldier in Borneo we were often followed by them during night patrols.