There are different numbers of recognized wild cat species, but according to the Cat Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are 41 species in the family Felidae (including the domestic cat) . The Felidae family is made up of two subfamilies: Pantherinae, which is constituted by the 7 big cats, and Felinae, which represents the 33 small cats. The 7 big cats are lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, and Sunda clouded leopard. However, some sources list 38 species of wild cats, including the big cats and small wild cats. Here is a list of the 7 big cats:
- Lion
- Tiger
- Jaguar
- Leopard
- Snow leopard
- Clouded leopard
- Sunda clouded leopard
It is important to note that taxonomy is a complex and evolving field, and the number of recognized species may change as new genetic analysis is conducted.
