Roaring cats
These are the only cats that can roar - the leopard, lion, tiger and jaguar. Members of genus Panthera are all big cats, although there are also big cats in other genera.
Species
Jaguar (onca)Jaguars are formidable beasts and the largest cats of the Americas. The Yanomami Indians call jaguars the 'Eaters of Souls', owing to their belief that it consumes the spirits of the dead.
Leopard (pardus)Leopards are one of the prize sightings on a safari. Stealthy and elusive, they are also surprisingly well camouflaged.
Lion (leo)Lions are unique in that they are the only cats to live in groups (prides). Male lions are also the only cats that have manes, giving them a regal appearance that has earned them the title 'king of the beasts'.
Tiger (tigris)Tigers are the largest of all the cats. Sadly, this magnificent animal has been pushed to the edge through hunting and habitat loss.
About
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae (the cats), which contains four well-known living species: the Tiger, the Lion, the Jaguar, and the Leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats. One meaning of the word panther is to designate cats of this subfamily.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the origin of the word is unknown. A folk etymology derives the word from the Greek pan- ("all") and thēr ("beast of prey") because they can hunt and kill almost everything. The Greek word πάνθηρ, pánthēr, referred to all spotted Felidae generically. Although it came into English through the classical languages, some believe panthera could be of Sanskrit origin, meaning "the yellowish animal," or "whitish-yellow".
Only the four Panthera cat species have the anatomical structure which enables them to roar. The primary reason for this was formerly assumed to be the incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx. The Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia, which is sometimes included within Panthera, does not roar. Although it has an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, it lacks the special morphology of the larynx.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. If you find the content in the 'About' section factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia. For more information on our use of Wikipedia please read our FAQ.
Site links
BBC links
© MMIX
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.