Types of Wild Cats: Compare Them Side by Side

How many types of wild cats are there?

Overall, there are 40 types of wild cats, according to the IUCN Cat Specialist Group (Kitchener et al., 2017). They range from a 1 kg rusty-spotted cat to a tiger more than 200 times heavier. Moreover, scientists keep finding more. For example, a 2026 study split the South American tiger cats into five species.

I built this explorer to answer the questions spotted cats raise. Is that a jaguar or a leopard? Is a black panther a real animal? Why does a cheetah look so different up close? Seeing the cats side by side, true to scale, therefore answers most of it in seconds.

Generally, all these types of wild cats fall into two big branches. Firstly, there are the big cats of the genus Panthera: the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar and snow leopard. Secondly, there's every other cat, from the cheetah and the cougar down to the black-footed cat. Meanwhile, the clouded leopard sits just outside Panthera, in a genus of its own.

Big cats

These are the cats most people mean when they say "big cats". Only four of them can roar, though: the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar. However, the snow leopard can't, and neither can the cheetah or the cougar. Then tap a picture to open that cat in the explorer.

Small and medium wild cats

In fact, most types of wild cats are small, and many are rarely seen. For example, the margay can turn its ankles 180 degrees and run down trees head first. Meanwhile, the fishing cat dives for fish in South Asian wetlands. Pallas's cat, on the other hand, lives on cold steppes up to 5,600 m.

Some of these cats are also surprisingly close relatives of the big ones. In particular, the jaguarundi's closest relatives are the cougar and the cheetah. Yet it looks more like an otter.

Extinct cats

Until the end of the last ice age, even bigger cats walked the Americas. For instance, the American lion was about 25% bigger than an African lion. Similarly, Smilodon populator may have weighed more than 400 kg. You can also put any of them next to a modern lion in the explorer.

Popular wild cat matchups

These are also the comparisons people search for most. Each card opens the matchup in the explorer above, and then the guides go deeper.

Jaguar vs leopard

First of all, look inside the rosettes. A jaguar's are bigger and usually have dots in the middle, whereas a leopard's are smaller and empty. Besides, they never meet in the wild. Jaguars live in Central and South America, while leopards live in Africa and Asia. Read my full guide to jaguar vs leopard.

Cheetah vs leopard

In this case, look at the face first. Unlike leopards, cheetahs have black tear lines from the eyes to the mouth, and their spots are solid dots, not rosettes. In addition, they're built for speed, with long legs and a small head. More in my guide to cheetah and leopard differences.

How to read a cat's coat

Basically, a coat works like a name tag. Once you know the patterns, most spotted types of wild cats are easy to tell apart. Then, when you're ready, play Spot the cat in the explorer and try it without the names.

Black panthers also deserve a special mention. They aren't a species. Instead, they're leopards or jaguars with extra dark pigment, and their rosettes still show in the right light. In fact, in the forests of the Malay Peninsula, almost every leopard is black (Kawanishi et al., 2010).

Where do wild cats live?

Wild cats live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. In fact, Asia has the most species on this chart, with 15. Australia, by contrast, has none of its own, only feral house cats.

Wild cat infographics to download

Finally, these are my wild cat infographics. Tap one to see it full size, or download it for a class or a project. Please credit Wildlife Nomads when you share them.

Why wild cats need our help

Sadly, most types of wild cats are in trouble. For example, on this chart alone, the tiger and the flat-headed cat are Endangered. In addition, the lion, leopard, cheetah, snow leopard, clouded leopard and four more are Vulnerable.

Generally, the main threats are the same almost everywhere: habitat loss, fewer prey animals, poaching and conflict with farmers. As apex predators, big cats also keep whole ecosystems in balance. I explain how in my guide to apex predators, so take a look. You can also read more about why tigers are endangered.

Frequently asked questions

How many types of wild cats are there?

There are 40 wild cat species, according to the IUCN Cat Specialist Group's 2017 review. However, a 2026 study splits the tiger cats of South America into five species. If it's adopted, the total rises to 43.

What is the biggest wild cat?

The tiger. Big male Bengal tigers weigh about 200 to 260 kg, while lions come a close second. In the past, though, the extinct Smilodon populator may have passed 400 kg.

What is the smallest wild cat?

The rusty-spotted cat of India and Sri Lanka, at about 1 to 1.6 kg. Meanwhile, the black-footed cat of southern Africa is a close second.

Which big cats can roar?

The lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar. The snow leopard belongs to the same genus but can't roar, and neither can cheetahs or cougars.

Is a black panther a real species?

No. Instead, a black panther is a leopard or a jaguar with melanism, a gene that makes the fur black. The rosettes are still there underneath.

What is the difference between a jaguar and a leopard?

Jaguars are stockier, with bigger rosettes that usually have dots inside. Leopards, however, are slimmer, with small, empty rosettes and a longer tail. Also, jaguars live in the Americas, whereas leopards live in Africa and Asia.

What is the difference between a cheetah and a leopard?

Cheetahs have solid spots, black tear lines and a slim, long-legged body. Leopards, on the other hand, have rosettes, no tear lines and a stockier build.

Are there wild cats in Australia?

Australia has no native wild cats. Instead, the cats in the bush are feral house cats that arrived with Europeans. Today there are about 2 million of them.

References

• Kawanishi, K., Sunquist, M. E., Eizirik, E., Lynam, A. J., Ngoprasert, D., Wan Shahruddin, W. N., Rayan, D. M., Sharma, D. S. K., & Steinmetz, R. (2010). Near fixation of melanism in leopards of the Malay Peninsula. Journal of Zoology, 282(3), 201–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2010.00731.x
• Kitchener, A. C., Breitenmoser-Würsten, C., Eizirik, E., Gentry, A., Werdelin, L., Wilting, A., Yamaguchi, N., Abramov, A. V., Christiansen, P., Driscoll, C., Duckworth, J. W., Johnson, W., Luo, S.-J., Meijaard, E., O'Donoghue, P., Sanderson, J., Seymour, K., Bruford, M., Groves, C., … Tobe, S. (2017). A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. Cat News, Special Issue 11.
• Wilson, A. M., Lowe, J. C., Roskilly, K., Hudson, P. E., Golabek, K. A., & McNutt, J. W. (2013). Locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs. Nature, 498(7453), 185–189. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12295

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