User:Jts1882/Cataloguing cats

The history of the taxonomy of cats covers the taxonomy of cats since Linnaeus laid down the basis of modern zoological taxonomy. At present this draft article is a collection of useful lists that can be used by editors in other articles, but in time I hope that it will evolve into proper article.

This page also serves as a reference section, with citations and links to web resources on cat species, including:
 * Mammal Species of the World (web and online book )
 * IUCN Red List (doi and id links)
 * IUCN Cat Specialist Group (http://www.catsg.org)

Sources and notes
Main sources for history of taxonomy:
 * Salles (1992)
 * Werdelin (1996)
 * Werdelin (2010)

From Werdelin (2010):

"Many attempts have been made to investigate the interrelationships of Felidae. These have followed two broad approaches.
 * Some, like Matthew (1910), Kretzoi (1929a, b) and Beaumont (1978) have incorporated both fossil and extant felids in their analyses,
 * while others, such as Pocock (1917a), Herrington (1986), and Salles (1992) have focused exclusively on the living members of the family.
 * A new era in felid phylogenetics was ushered in with the introduction of molecular evidence (Collier and O’Brien 1985; O’Brien et al. 1985a; Johnson et al. 1996),
 * while the first study to use a total evidence approach was that of Mattern and McLennan (2000)."

Linneaus


The Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) introduced his infuential system for classifying living organisms in his Systema Naturae, in which he outlined what is now known as Linnaean taxonomy. In the 1735 first edition of Systema Naturae he divided animals in to six classes: Quadrupedia, Aves, Amphibia, PIsces, Insecta, Vermes. The Quadrupedia were divided into five orders: Anthropomorpha, Ferae, Glires, Jumenta, and Pecora. Cats were contained within three of the fifteen genera in Ferae: Leo, Tigris and Felis.

Linnaeus revised this scheme in subsequent editions. In the tenth edition of Systema Naturae (1758) the Quadrupdia were renamed Mammalia and the number of mammalian orders was increase to eight: Primates, Bruta, Ferae, Bestiae, Glires, Pecora, Belluae and Cete. The genera in Ferae were reduced to four: Phoca (seals), Canis (dogs & hyenas), Felis (cats), Viverra. All the cats were now contained in the genus Felis.

Revisions
Gray: Family Felidae within Carnivora

Living cats
Cat taxonomy has undergone many revisions since Linnaeus laid down the foundations for zoological taxonomy in his Systema Naturae. Different authorities have favoured lumping and splitting approaches with the cats placed into a few genera or divided into as many as 19 (23?) genera or 27 subgenera.

Linnaeus
In his 1735 first edition of Systema Naturae the cats were placed in three genera ]


 * Leo
 * Leo leo (lion)
 * Tigris
 * Tigris tigris (tiger)
 * Tigris panthera (leopard)
 * Felis
 * Felis felis (wildcat?)
 * Felis catus (domestic cat)
 * Felis lynx (Eurasian lynx)



The the 10th edition of the Systema Naturæ (1758) placed all his six recognised species in Felis:


 * Felis (cats)
 * Felis leo – lion
 * Felis tigris – tiger
 * Felis pardus – leopard
 * Felis onca – jaguar
 * Felis pardalis – ocelot
 * Felis catus – domesticated cat
 * Felis lynx – Eurasian lynx

Jardine (1834)
Jardine (1834) recognised five genera: Leo, Puma, Cynailurus, Lynchus and Felis. His classification is notable for recognising a group for the lynxes (although broader than the modern genus) and the relationship between the puma and jaguarundi. His Felis remained a collection of big, small and medium cats.


 * Leo (the two species of lion)
 * Puma (puma, jaguarundi, pampas cat (one colour phase))
 * Cynailurus (cheetah)
 * Lynchus (Eurasian and Canadian lynxes, caracal, African golden cat, Geoffroy's cat, jungle cat and black-footed cat)
 * Felis (all other species known at time: tiger, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, ocelot, margay, oncilla, leopard cat, clouded leopard, serval, pampas cat (other color phase), European, African and Asian wild cats)

Severtzov (1857-58)
The first real attempt to delineate felid relationships was made by Severtzov. His classification includes five genera and 27 subgenera. His Lynx is close to the modern one and his separation of the big cats anticipates the division between patherine and feline cats recognised today. His Felis contained 19 subgenera, which were mostly monotypic, but his Catolynx and Oncoides subgenera anticipate the modern Felis sensu stricto and Leopardus. Many of the names of his generic and subgenera names are used today, although not in exactly the same way.

Severtzov’s genera are as follows (based on Werdelin, 2010):
 * Tigris, which includes two subgenera,
 * Leo (lion)
 * Tigris (tiger)
 * Panthera, with the subgenera
 * Jaguarius (jaguar)
 * Panthera (leopard)
 * Uncia (snow leopard, clouded leopard)
 * Puma (puma)
 * Cynailurus, with a single species
 * Cynailurus jubatus (the cheetah).
 * Lynchus, with two subgenera:
 * Lynchus (Eurasian lynx, Canadian lynx, bobcat)
 * Urolynchus (caracal)
 * ''Felis, with 19 subgenera:
 * Herpailurus (jaguarundi)
 * Oncoides (ocelot, margay, and oncilla)
 * Lynchailurus (pampas cat)
 * Dendrailurus (unidentifiable species; Pocock identifies it as the pampas cat]
 * Oncifelis (Geoffroy’s cat)
 * Noctifelis (kodkod)
 * Pardofilis (marbled cat)
 * Catopuma (Temminck’ s golden cat)
 * Chrysailurus (one variety of the African golden cat)
 * Profelis (another variety of African golden cat)
 * Leptailurus (serval)
 * Otocolobus (manul)
 * Prionailurus (leopard cat)
 * Zibethailurus (fishing cat)
 * Ictailurus (flat-headed cat)
 * Otailurus (a species from Timor that Werdelin (2010) couldn't identify; possibly domestic cat from Timor mentioned by Pocock?)
 * Felis (preoccupied by Linnaeus’ Felis for the domestic cat)
 * ''Catolynx (domestic cat (including the European wildcat), African wildcat, and jungle cat)

Gray (1867)
Gray's began his work on cat taxonomy in 1821 and finished it in 1867. Although he published his classification a few years later, Gray was apparently unaware of Severtzov's work, and the two classifications sometimes used conflicting names, which led to much subsequent confusion. Gray's Lynx is the modern one and his Viverrceps anticipates the modern Prionailurus. The pantherines are split between four genera and the other felines into ten others. He named the cat family Felidae in 1832 (?).[online]


 * Gray (1867) (14 genera):
 * Leo (lion)
 * Tigris (tiger)
 * Leopardus* (leopard, jaguar, African golden cat, puma)
 * Uncia (snow leopard)
 * Neofelis (clouded leopard)
 * Pardalina (unidentified species P. himalayensis; possibly an ocelot wrongly assigned)
 * Catolynx (marbled cat; the genus is synonymous with Severtzov’s Pardofelis and a junior homonym of his Catolynx, which in turn is a junior synonym of Felis sensu stricto as it is based on same type species)
 * Viverriceps (fishing cat, flat-headed cat, rusty-spotted cat, one variety of leopard cat)
 * Pajeros (pampas cat)
 * Felis (ocelot, margay, oncilla, geoffroy’s cat, jaguarundi, serval, Asiatic golden cat, manul, the European, African and Asian wildcats, and the domestic cat)
 * Chaus (jungle cat)
 * Lynchus (Eurasian, Canadian and Iberian lynxes, and the bobcat)
 * Caracal (caracal)
 * Gueparda (cheetah)

* Leopardus: "Gray originally included four species in this genus, griseus, pictus, ellioti, and horsfieldi, but subsequently assigned griseus and pictus to Pardalis, ellioti to Viverriceps, ignored horsfieldi, and applied Leopardus to pardus and onca" (Pocock, 1917).

Matschie (1895) and Trouessart (1904)

 * Matschie (SB. Ges. Nat. Fr. Berlin, 1895, pp. 198-199) and
 * Trouessart (Cat. Mamm.j Suppl. Pp. 265-2785 1904).

Pocock (1917) described two similar schemes, by Matchue and Trusessart, respectively, although he thought they had little merit.

According to Pocock (1917), Matschie grouped the species as follows :
 * Genus Uncia concolor, tigris, leo.
 * Genus Leopardus pardus (including uncia), onca.
 * Genus Galeopardus viverrina, marmorata, serval, pardalis.
 * Genus Felis microtis, scripta, shawiana, bengalensis, rubiginosa, ornata, nigripes, tigrina, macrura [wiedii], geoffroyi, guigna.
 * Genus Catus catus, manul, caudata, planiceps, chaus, maniculata [ocreata], pajeros, colocolo, etc.
 * Genus Lynx lynx, caracal, etc.
 * Genus Neofelis nebulosa.
 * Genus [Self-coloured Cats] temmincki, aurata, yaguarondi.

According to Pocock (1917), Trouessart followed Matschie in some respects, but used different names in several cases:


 * Genus Felis.
 * Subgenus Uncia leo, tigris, concolor.
 * Subgenus Leopardus pardus, uncia, onca.
 * Subgenus Zibethailurus viverrina, marmorata, nebulosa, serval, pardalis (Matchie's Galeopardus plus the clouded leopard)
 * Subgenus Oncoides microtis, shawiana, scripta, bengalensis, rubiginosa, ornata, wiedii, tigrina, geoffroyi, guigna (Matchie's Felis, minus nigripes)
 * Subgenus Felis catus, manul, planiceps, libyca [ocreata], nigripes, pajeros, colocolo (Matchie's Catus"" plus nigripes, minus chaus and caudata'').
 * Subgenus Catopuma temmincki, badia, aurata, yaguarondi.
 * Genus Lynx
 * Subgenus Lynx
 * Subgenus Cervaria
 * Subgenus Caracal

Pocock
Pocock brought some order to cat taxonomy in his 1917 work, which also divided the Felidae into three subfamilies based on the structure of the hyoid (extent of ossification) and digits (presence of cutaneous lobe protecting retracted claw):
 * Pantherinae (imperfectly ossified hyoid, cutaneous lobe protecting retracted claw),
 * Felinae (ossified hyoid, cutaneous lobe protecting retracted claw),
 * Acinonychinae (ossified hyoid, no cutaneous lobe).

Pococks genera were assigned as follows:


 * Pantherinae (2 genera)
 * Panthera (lion, tiger, leopard, and jaguar)
 * Uncia (the snow leopard)
 * Acinonychinae (single species)
 * Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah)
 * Felinae (14 genera),
 * Felis, divided into "three three categories":
 * medium-sized cats from Europe, southwest Asia, and Africa (wildcats, "e.g. F. silvestris, ocreata, ornata, and caudata, which are grouped closely round the typical form of the genus, F. catus, and the other domesticated breed, F. torquata");
 * larger species ranging from Burma, through India, parts of central Asia to South Africa ("e.g. F. chaus (subspecies furax etc.) and F. shawiana ... These constitute the genus Chaus of Gray"); and
 * the very small South African species ''Felis nigripes" (the black-footed cat).
 * Lynx, again divided into three groups:
 * one for the Eurasian, Iberian and Canadian lynxes ("The typical lynxes, comprising L. lynx, pardellus, isabellinus, and canadensis, and probably other species or subspecies");
 * one for the bobcat ("The lynxes of temperate America, L. ruffus, fasciatus, etc."); and
 * one for the caracal (Lynx caracal)
 * Trichaelurus
 * Trichaelurus manul (the manul)
 * Puma
 * Puma concolor (puma)
 * Leptailurus
 * Leptailurus serval (serval)
 * Prionailurus
 * Prionailurus bengalensis (leopard cat)
 * Prionailurus rubiginosus (rusty-spotted cat)
 * "Other known forms that certainly, or probably, fall under Prionailurus have been named javensis, sumatranus, herschelii, chinensis, microtis, and scripta."
 * Pardofelis
 * Pardofelis marmorata (marbled cat)
 * Pardofelis badia (Bornean bay cat)
 * Profelis (the first association of the two golden cat species)
 * Profelis aurata (African golden cat)
 * Profelis temmincki (Asiatic golden cat)
 * Zibethailurus
 * Zibethailurus viverrina (fishing cat; Pocock speculates that this could have been included in Prionailurus)
 * Ictailurus
 * Ictailurus planiceps (flat-headed cat)
 * Neofelis
 * Neofelis nebulosa (clouded leopard)
 * Leopardus ("An uncertain number of species or subspecies referable to two groups typified respectively by pardalis and wiedii (macrura)")
 * Leopardus pardalis (ocelot)
 * Leopardus wiedii (margay)
 * Dendrailurus (pampas cat, which Pocock identifies with the type species of Severtzov's Dendrailurus)
 * "two species, if distinct, namely colocolo and pajeros"
 * Herpailurus (the other small South American cats: the jaguarundi, kodkod, Geoffroy’s cat, and oncilla)
 * Herpailurus yaguarondi (jaguarundi or eyra)
 * Herpailurus geoffroyi (Geoffroy’s cat)
 * Herpailurus guigna (kodkod)
 * Herpailurus pardinoides
 * Herpailurus tigrina (oncilla)

See also:

Weigel (1956)
Weigel (1956) after Salles (1992)

Hemmer (1978)
Hemmer (1978) after Salles (1992)

Herrington (1986)
Herrington (1986) after Salles (1992)

Molecular revolution
Collier & O'Brien (1985)

O'Brien (1996)

Johnson et al (2006)

O'Brien & Johnson (2007)

From Werdelin (2010):

"Recently, two of us (Warren E. Johnson and Stephen J. O’Brien) published a phylogeny of Felidae based on a data set of 22,789 base pairs of DNA, including autosomal, Y-linked, X-linked, and mitochondrial gene segments (Johnson et al. 2006b)."

Species Lists
There is no definitive number for the number of cat species, with disagreements on which cats should be counted as species rather than subspecies. The following summarizes consensus and the main differences of opinion.


 * 35 cats are traditionally recognised as species, although no list I have seen has only 35.
 * The 36th species is usually the Chinese desert cat or the domestic cat, which both are otherwise classified as a subspecies of wildcat.
 * The wildcat gets categorised as a single species or several, with the domestic cat being an addition complication
 * One species including the wildcats, domestic cat and Chinese desert cat
 * Two species with domestic cat as a separate species
 * Two species with Chinese desert cat as a separate species
 * Three species:
 * European wildcat
 * Felis lybica: African wildcat including South African and Asiatic wildcats and the domestic cat
 * Chinese desert cat
 * Three species:
 * European wildcat
 * Domestic cat
 * Chinese desert cat
 * Four species (the latest assessment by the IUCN Specialist Cat Group):
 * European wildcat
 * Felis lybica: African wildcat including South African and Asiatic wildcats
 * Domestic cat
 * Chinese desert cat
 * The Pampas cat was described as three species by Garcia-Perez (1994) ...
 * The Iriomote cat was described a disitinct species, although is now generally recognised as a subspecies of leopard cat (Leopardus bengalensis).
 * The oncilla was described as at least two species ...
 * A third or possibly fourth species may be justified...
 * A third or possibly fourth species may be justified...
 * A third or possibly fourth species may be justified...

Recent molecular studies propose some splits;
 * Clouded leopards into two species ... (universally accepted)
 * Neofelis nebulosa
 * Neofelis diardi (Sunda clouded leopard)
 * Leopard cats into two species. (recent support)
 * Prionailurus bengalensis (leopard cat including Irimore leopard cat)
 * Prionailurus javanensis (Sunda leopard cat)
 * Tiger into three species ... (generally ignored)



Wozencraft (1993)/ Mammal species of the world (2nd ed.)
Wozencraft, W.C. 1993. Order Carnivora. Pp. 286-346 in D.E. Wilson and D.M. Reeder, eds. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference (Second edition). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. and London.

The Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan (eds K. Nowell & P. Jackson). IUCN, Gland, Swizterland, 1996, 383pp.


 * Family Felidae G. Fischer, 1817
 * Subfamily Acinonychinae Pocock, 1917
 * Acinonyx Brookes, 1828
 * Acinonyx jubatus Schreber, 1776 [Cheetah]
 * Subfamily Felinae Fischer, 1817
 * Caracal
 * Caracal caracal (Schreber, 1776) [Caracal]
 * Catopuma Severtzov, 1858
 * Catopuma badia (Gray, 1874) [Bornean bay cat]
 * Catopuma temmincki* (Vigors and Horsfield, 1827) [Asiatic golden cat]
 * Felis
 * Felis bieti Milne-Edwards, 1892 [Chinese mountain (desert) cat]
 * Felis chaus Schreber, 1777 [Jungle cat]
 * Felis margarita Loche, 1858 [Sand cat]
 * Felis nigripes Burchell, 1824 [Black-footed cat]
 * Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 [Wildcat of Africa and Eurasia]
 * Herpailurus
 * Herpailurus yaguarondi Lacepede, 1809 [Jaguarundi]
 * Leopardus Gray, 1842
 * Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) [Ocelot]
 * Leopardus tigrinus (Schreber, 1775) [Oncilla, Little tiger cat]
 * Leopardus wiedi* (Schinz, 1821) [Margay]
 * Leptailurus Severtzov, 1858
 * Leptailurus serval (Schreber, 1776) [Serval]
 * Lynx Kerr, 1792
 * Lynx canadensis Kerr, 1792 [Canada lynx]
 * Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758) [Eurasian lynx]
 * Lynx pardinus (Temminck, 1824) [Iberian lynx]
 * Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1776) [Bobcat]
 * Oncifelis Severtzov, 1858
 * Oncifelis colocolo (Molina, 1782) [Pampas cat]
 * Oncifelis geoffroyi (d'Orbigny and Gervais, 1844) [Geoffroy’s cat]
 * Oncifelis guigna (Molina, 1782) [Kodkod]
 * Oreailurus Cabrera, 1940
 * Oreailurus jacobitus* (Cornalia, 1865) [Andean mountain cat]
 * Otocolobus Brandt, 1842
 * Otocolobus manul (Pallas, 1776) [Pallas’s cat]
 * Prionaiiurus Severtzov, 1858
 * Prionaiiurus bengalensis (Kerr, 1792) [Leopard cat]
 * Prionaiiurus planiceps (Vigors and Worsfield, 1827) [Flat-headed cat]
 * Prionaiiurus rubiginosus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831) [Rusty-spotted cat]
 * Prionaiiurus viverrinus (Bennett, 1833) [Fishing cat]
 * Profelis Severtzov 1858.
 * Profelis aurata (Temminck, 1827) [African golden cat]
 * Puma Jardine, 1834.
 * Puma concolor (Linnaeus 1771) [Puma, Cougar, or Mountain lion]
 * Subfamily Pantherinae Pocock 1917
 * Neofelis Gray, 1867'''
 * Neofelis nebulosa (Griffith, 1821) [Clouded leopard]
 * Panthera Oken, 1816.
 * Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) [Lion]
 * Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) [Jaguar]
 * Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) [Leopard]
 * Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) [Tiger]
 * Pardofelis Severtzov, 1858
 * Pardofelis marmorata Martin, 1837 [Marbled cat]
 * Uncia Gray 1854
 * Uncia uncia (Schreber, 1758) [Snow leopard]


 * jacobita, wiedii, and temminckii in Wozencraft (1993) amended to jacobitus, wiedi, and temmincki in accordance with the 1985 International Code of Zoological Nomenclature Article 31a mandating that patronymic species names follow the rules of Latin grammar.

Note: Brackets round the name of the authority indicate that the genus has been changed since first publication by that authority.

Wozencraft (2005) in Mammal species of the world (3rd ed.)
Wozencraft (2005) in Wilson & Reeder's Mammal species of the world (3rd ed.):


 * Family Felidae
 * Subfamily Pantherinae (6 species)
 * Neofelis
 * Neofelis nebulosa (clouded leopard)
 * Panthera
 * Panthera leo (lion)
 * Panthera onca (jaguar)
 * Panthera pardus (leopard)
 * Panthera tigris (tiger)
 * Uncia
 * Uncia uncia (snow leopard)
 * Subfamily Felinae (34 species)
 * Catopuma
 * Catopuma badia (Bornea bay cat)
 * Catopuma temminckii (Asiatic golden cat)
 * Pardofelis
 * Pardofelis marmorata (marbled cat)
 * Caracal
 * Caracal caracal (caracal)
 * Leptailurus
 * Leptailurus serval (serval)
 * Profelis
 * Profelis aurata (African golden cat)
 * Leopardus
 * Leopardus braccatus (Pantanal Cat)
 * Leopardus colocolo (colocolo)
 * Leopardus geoffroyi (Geoffroy's cat)
 * Leopardus guigna (guigna or kodkod)
 * Leopardus jacobitus (Andean mountain cat)
 * Leopardus pajeros (Pampas cat)
 * Leopardus pardalis (ocelot)
 * Leopardus tigrinus (oncilla)
 * Leopardus wiedii (margay)
 * Lynx
 * Lynx canadensis (Canadian lynx)
 * Lynx lynx (Eurasian lynx)
 * Lynx pardinus (Iberian lynx)
 * Lynx rufus (bobcat)
 * Acinonyx
 * Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah)
 * Puma
 * Puma concolor (puma, cougar, or mountain lion)
 * Puma yagouaroundi (jaguarundi)
 * Prionailurus
 * Prionailurus bengalensis (leopard cat)
 * Prionailurus iriomotensis (Iriomote cat) [subspecies of P. bengalensis]
 * Prionailurus planiceps (flat-headed cat)
 * Prionailurus rubiginosus (rusty-spotted cat)
 * Prionailurus viverrinus (fishing cat)
 * Felis
 * Felis bieti (Chinese mountain cat)
 * Felis catus (domestic cat)
 * Felis chaus (jungle cat)
 * Felis manul (Pallas' cat) [Otocolobus manul]
 * Felis margarita (sand cat)
 * Felis nigripes (black-footed cat)
 * Felis silvestris (wildcat)

IUCN Red List
38 species specified by the IUCN red list. The same 38 species are used in Luke Hunters Wild Cats of the World (2015).


 * Panthera lineage
 * Panthera leo (Lion)
 * Panthera onca (Jaguar)
 * Panthera pardus (Leopard)
 * Panthera tigris (Tiger)
 * Panthera uncia (Snow Leopard)
 * Neofelis diardi (Sunda Clouded Leopard)
 * Neofelis nebulosa (Clouded Leopard)


 * Bay cat lineage
 * Catopuma badia (Borneo Bay Cat)
 * Catopuma temminckii (Asiatic Golden Cat)
 * Pardofelis marmorata (Marbled Cat)


 * Caracal lineage
 * Caracal aurata (African Golden Cat)
 * Caracal caracal (Caracal)
 * Leptailurus serval (Serval)


 * Ocelot lineage
 * Leopardus colocolo (Pampas Cat)
 * Leopardus geoffroyi (Geoffroy's Cat)
 * Leopardus guigna (Guiña)
 * Leopardus guttulus (Southern Tiger Cat)
 * Leopardus jacobita (Andean Cat)
 * Leopardus pardalis (Ocelot)
 * Leopardus tigrinus (Northern Tiger Cat)
 * Leopardus wiedii (Margay)


 * Lynx lineage
 * Lynx canadensis (Canada Lynx)
 * Lynx lynx (Eurasian Lynx)
 * Lynx pardinus (Iberian Lynx)
 * Lynx rufus (Bobcat)


 * Puma lineage
 * Puma concolor (Puma)
 * Herpailurus yagouaroundi (Jaguarundi)
 * Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah)


 * Leopard cat lineage
 * Prionailurus bengalensis (Leopard Cat)
 * Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis (Iriomote cat)
 * Prionailurus planiceps (Flat-headed Cat)
 * Prionailurus rubiginosus (Rusty-spotted Cat)
 * Prionailurus viverrinus (Fishing Cat)
 * Otocolobus manul (Pallas's Cat)


 * Domestic cat lineage
 * Felis bieti (Chinese Mountain Cat)
 * Felis chaus (Jungle Cat)
 * Felis margarita (Sand Cat)
 * Felis nigripes (Black-footed Cat)
 * Felis silvestris (Wild Cat)

IUCN Cat Specialist Group
Links to the 'IUCN Cat Specialist Group species assessment pages for the 38 felid species specified by the IUCN red list. The pages contain a general description of the cat species and its subspecies, an account of its habitat, ecology and behaviour, and an assessment of its current distribution, status as a threaten species and conservation efforts.


 * Panthera lineage
 * Panthera leo (Lion)
 * Panthera onca (Jaguar)
 * Panthera pardus (Leopard)
 * subspecies:fusca, tulliana , nimr , melas , kotiya , orientalis , delacouri, pardus
 * Panthera tigris (Tiger)
 * subspecies: tigris, corbetti , amoyensis , altaica , sumatrae , virgata , sondaica , balica , jacksoni
 * Panthera uncia (Snow Leopard)
 * Neofelis diardi (Sunda Clouded Leopard)
 * Neofelis nebulosa (Clouded Leopard)


 * Bay cat lineage
 * Catopuma badia (Borneo Bay Cat)
 * Catopuma temminckii (Asiatic Golden Cat)
 * Pardofelis marmorata (Marbled Cat)


 * Caracal lineage
 * Caracal aurata (African Golden Cat)
 * Caracal caracal (Caracal)
 * Leptailurus serval (Serval)


 * Ocelot lineage
 * Leopardus colocolo (Pampas Cat)
 * Leopardus geoffroyi (Geoffroy's Cat)
 * Leopardus guigna (Guiña)
 * Leopardus guttulus (Southern Tiger Cat)
 * Leopardus jacobita (Andean Cat)
 * Leopardus pardalis (Ocelot)
 * Leopardus tigrinus (Northern Tiger Cat)
 * Leopardus wiedii (Margay)


 * Lynx lineage
 * Lynx canadensis (Canada Lynx)
 * Lynx lynx (Eurasian Lynx)
 * Lynx pardinus (Iberian Lynx)
 * Lynx rufus (Bobcat)


 * Puma lineage
 * Puma concolor (Puma)
 * Herpailurus yagouaroundi (Jaguarundi)
 * Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah)


 * Leopard cat lineage
 * Prionailurus bengalensis (Leopard Cat)
 * Prionailurus planiceps (Flat-headed Cat)
 * Prionailurus rubiginosus (Rusty-spotted Cat)
 * Prionailurus viverrinus (Fishing Cat)
 * Otocolobus manul (Pallas's Cat)


 * Domestic cat lineage
 * Felis bieti (Chinese Mountain Cat)
 * Felis chaus (Jungle Cat)
 * Felis margarita (Sand Cat)
 * Felis nigripes (Black-footed Cat)
 * Felis silvestris (European wildcat)
 * Felis lybica (African and Asiatic wildcats)
 * Felis catus (domestic cat)

Wildcat
One species or five?


 * Felis silvestris (wildcat): all wildcats as one species , with the following subspecies: F. s. silvestric (European wildcat), F. s. lybica (African wildcat), F. s. cafra (Cape wildcat), F. s. ornata (Asiatic wildcat), F. s. bieti (Chinese mountain cat), and F. s. catus (domestic cat).
 * Felis bieti (Chinese mountain cat): generally considered a separate species , but sometimes included as subspecies of Felis silvestris.
 * Felis lybica (African wildcat), including F. s. cafra (Cape wildcat), F. s. ornata (Asiatic wildcat), but generally now included as subspecies of Felis silvestris.
 * Felis ornata (Asiatic wildcat), but generally now included as subspecies of Felis silvestris.
 * Felis catus (domestic cat): often included as a separate species in the past, but most analyses include the cat in Felis silvestris lybica or Felis lybica, from which it originated.

Nowadays there is general consensus for two species: Felis silvestris (wildcat) and Felis bieti (Chinese mountain cat)

Pampas cat
The colocolo (Leopardus colocolo) is a small spotted and striped cat native to the west Andean slope in central and northern Chile. Until recently, it included the more widespread Pampas cat (L. pajeros) and Pantanal cat (L. braccatus), and some maintain these as subspecies of the colocolo. Confusingly, when these are treated as subspecies of the colocolo, the "combined" species is sometimes referred to as the Pampas cat.

[The Pampas cat] has traditionally been included in the colocolo (L. colocolo), but was split primarily based on differences in pelage colour/pattern and cranial measurements. The split is not supported by genetic work, leading some authorities to maintain it as a subspecies of the colocolo. Confusingly, when the colocolo includes the Pampas cat and Pantanal cat as subspecies, the "combined" species is sometimes referred to as the Pampas cat.

The Pantanal cat (Leopardus braccatus) is a small cat native to tropical South America. It is named after the Pantanal wetlands in central South America, but mainly inhabits grassland, shrubland, savannas and deciduous forests. It has traditionally been treated as a subspecies of the larger colocolo, but was split primarily based on differences in pelage colour/pattern and cranial measurements. This split is not supported by genetic work.

It is considered a subspecies of L. colocolo by IUCN assessors. Others regard it as "likely [a] distinct species". The validity of the genetic work has been questioned.

Iriomote cat
From Masuda & (1995):

The Iriomote cat was discovered in 1960, and classified as a new species Mayailurus iriomotensis, based on peculiar cranial characters: the ventral border of paroccipital process separated from the auditory bulla; the oval disc on basisphenoid and basioccipital region; the postero-external corner of the third upper premolar evenly rounded without cingulum cusp [12]. In addition, this wildcat has a shorter tail, longer body, and shorter legs than the southern Asian leopard cat Felis (or Prionailurus) bengalensis Kerr, 1792 [16]. The Iriomote cat is brown and covered with dark spots, while the typical leopard cat is yellowish with many black spots [16]. Although subsequent taxonomists [7, 21, 26] disagreed to recognizing the new genus Mayailurus, they considered the Iriomote cat as a valid species Felis (or Prionailurus) iriomotensis. By contrast, Glass and Todd [5] reported that the Iriomote cat's key characters showed by Imaizumi [12] are polymorphic in the leopard cat, and Wozencraft [34] considered the Iriomote cat as a synonym of the leopard cat. To clarify the taxonomic problem, we previously examined molecular phylogeny of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences on the Iriomote cat and other feline species, and revealed that this cat is most closely related to the leopard cat in the family Felidae [24]. Suzuki et al. [33] reported no difference in restriction sites of nuclear ribosomal DNA between the Iriomote cat and the leopard cat. The close relationship between these two wildcats revealed by molecular analyses was in agreement with the similarity showed by karyological analysis [35].

[12] Imaizumi, Y. 1967. A new genus and species of cat from Iriomote, Ryukyu Islands. J Mamm Soc Japan 3:75–108. [24] Masuda, R., M. C. Yoshida, F. Shinyashiki, and G. Bando. 1994. Molecular phylogenetic status of the Iriomote cat Felis iriomotensis, inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis. Zool Sci 11:597–604. [33] 	Suzuki, H., T. Hosoda, S. Sakurai, K. Tsuchiya, I. Munechika, and V. P. Korablev. 1994. Phylogenetic relationship between the Iriomote cat and the leopard cat, Felis bengalensis, based on the ribosomal DNA. Jpn J Genet 69:397–406. [35] 	Wurster-Hill, D. H., T. Doi, M. Izawa, and Y. Ono. 1987. Banded chromosome study of the Iriomote cat. J Hered 78:105–107

Extinct cats and relatives
From Werdelin (2010):

"Though previously included in the Felidae (Matthew 1910; Piveteau 1961), the former, Nimravidae, is now known to be diphyletic.
 * Its Paleogene (65.5–23.0 million years ago [Ma]; Gradstein et al. 2004) members form a basal clade within either Feliformia or Carnivora as a whole (Neff 1983; Hunt 1987; Morlo et al. 2004),
 * while its Neogene (23.0 Ma—recent) members are placed in a separate family, Barbourofelidae, with affinities to Felidae (see below). "

Cats on wikipedia

 * Uses material from User:Catn7 (need to flag in talk page)