What Is Felidae?

Felidae is the scientific name of the family of animals commonly called cats or felines. All 37 cat species, whether domesticated or wild in nature, are included in this family. There are two subfamilies of Felidae, with Pantherinae comprised of animals such as tigers and lions and Felinae made up of the domesticated breeds, cougars, and cats including lynxes. All members of the family Felidae are carnivorous animals.

Characteristics

Except for the lion, all members of the Felidae family are solitary animals. The diet of the wild cats consists almost exclusively of meat gained by killing other creatures. Most are nocturnal hunters and live in forested regions of the world, but some can exist in other habitats such as plains and deserts. All cats have fine vision, four toes on the back feet and five on the front. Among the Felidae family, only the cheetah does not have retractable claws. These animals are native on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica.

Pantherinae

The subfamily of Felidae known as Pantherine contains the largest members of the cat family. These cats are able to make roaring sounds. Leopards, lions, tigers and jaguars are included in this group. The tiger is the largest of the cats, weighing up to 800 lbs. in some subspecies including the Siberian tiger. Today the tiger's range is limited to Southeast Asia, India and parts of western Asia. Lions are found in Africa with a few pockets in Asia; leopards have the largest range of what are commonly called "big cats," living in Africa and various parts of Asia. The jaguar is an American big cat, living from Mexico south into South America.

Cheetah

The cheetah is the fastest land mammal, with some clocked at speeds over 60 miles per hour. It's confined to portions of southwestern Asia and to Africa, and belongs to its own subfamily of Acinonychinae. It cannot roar but is considered one of the big cats. Like all cats, the cheetah kills its prey by grabbing it by the throat and cutting off its air supply by crushing the windpipe, or by breaking the animal's spine with a severing blow. The cheetah has its own subfamily among Felidae because it has different physical attributes--such as long legs and claws that don't retract, used to gain purchase when it runs after prey.

Felinae

The members of the Felinae subfamily can't roar like the big cats due to the way their larynx is developed. These cats include all of the domesticated breeds, as well as many smaller cats including the ocelot, jaguarundi, serval, lynx, bobcat and others. The cougar, a large cat found throughout North America at one time and now limited in its range, is also a part of the Felinae subfamily.

Felidae Teeth

The teeth of cats are very highly developed for the job they must do. Most cats have 16 teeth on the top and 14 on the bottom, with some having even less. This smaller number of teeth when compared to other carnivores stems from the fact that cats eat very little plant matter and need no grinding molars. Cats only have the ability to move their jaws up and down and can't go side to side with them. Cats will also usually eat by chewing their food with just one side of the mouth. The canine teeth are exaggerated in Felidae, being large and sensitive and able to push into prey, because there is much room between them and the other teeth.