Thanks to their exceptional hunting skills, members of the cat family can thrive and develop on nearly every continent. These species are not only much fiercer, but their size compared to domestic cats can be described as “giant”.
The Largest Cat Species in the World
Below are the 9 largest cat species in the world, ranked from smallest to largest. The size of the largest species may surprise you!
9. Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard can grow up to 1 meter long and weigh up to 25 kg.
The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is smaller than the leopard and other big cat species. They can grow up to 1 meter long and weigh up to 25 kg.
Clouded leopard populations span from Nepal, through Southeast Asia, to China. However, their numbers have been fragmented and decreased due to human activities such as deforestation and illegal hunting. They eat various animals, including slow lorises (a small primate) and small deer.
8. Lynx
The largest lynx can be 1.3 m long and weigh up to 36 kg.
The lynx (Lynx) is a wild cat species characterized by tufts of black hair on their ears and a short, bushy tail. They can be found in North America, Europe, and Asia. There are four species of lynx, with the bobcat (Lynx rufus) being the smallest, only twice the size of a domestic cat, while other lynx species are significantly larger. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is the largest lynx species, measuring up to 1.3 m long and weighing up to 36 kg. Lynx have a varied diet that includes rodents, birds, and deer.
7. Snow Leopard
Snow leopards can measure over 2 m including their tail and weigh up to 54 kg.
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits mountainous regions in Central Asia, including Afghanistan and China. Despite being called “leopard,” they are not true leopards; they are a distinct species. However, snow leopards belong to the same genus Panthera as leopards and other big cats, such as lions. They can be up to 1.3 m long excluding the tail, which can add another meter to their overall length. They can weigh up to 54 kg.
Snow leopards prefer to hunt sheep and other cliff-dwelling animals. However, human activities have reduced their habitat and prey, leading these big cats to sometimes hunt livestock, such as goats. This has resulted in conflicts with local herders and occasional killings of the cats.
6. Cheetah
The cheetah is the fastest land animal and the sixth largest cat species in the world.
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest terrestrial animal on Earth, capable of running at speeds up to 112 km/h. They can grow up to 2.3 m long, including the tail. According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, this species typically weighs between 34 and 57 kg.
Cheetahs are primarily found in northern, eastern, and southern Africa. They also inhabit parts of Asia but are nearly extinct there, with only a small population remaining in Iran. They usually hunt prey that is small to medium-sized, including gazelles.
Giant cheetahs once roamed the Earth that were much larger than today’s cheetahs. In 2011, scientists discovered fossils over 1.8 million years old in a location in Georgia, belonging to an extinct cheetah species named Acinonyx pardinensis, estimated to weigh around 110 kg.
5. Cougar
The cougar can grow nearly 2.5 m long and weigh up to 100 kg.
The cougar (Puma concolor) is the most widely distributed big cat in the Americas, known by various names such as mountain lion, puma, or catamount. According to Panthera, a big cat conservation organization, cougars can be found from southern Alaska and Canada in the western half of North America to southern Chile at the southern tip of South America. Their range used to be much larger, but they have been extirpated from the eastern half of North America, except for a small population remaining in Florida. Many cougar populations are also declining in Central and South America due to threats such as habitat loss and illegal hunting.
The U.S. Forest Service states that cougars can grow nearly 2.5 m long, including their tail, and weigh between 59 and 68 kg. However, some individuals can be even larger, weighing up to 100 kg. Cougars hunt small, medium, and large prey; in North America, they primarily hunt deer.
4. Leopard
Leopards can measure nearly 3 m including their tail and weigh up to 75 kg.
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a powerful and dangerous predator found throughout Africa and Asia. They can grow up to 1.9 m long (excluding the tail); their tails can add another meter and they can weigh as much as 75 kg.
Leopards are sometimes attacked and killed by larger cats that compete with them for food, including lions in Africa and tigers in Asia. To avoid this, leopards typically hunt at different times and locations than other predators. They usually prey on medium-sized animals, including small antelopes and gazelles.
3. Jaguar
Jaguars are the largest cat species in the Americas and the third largest in the world.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest big cat in the Americas. They inhabit North, Central, and South America, with most residing in the Amazon rainforest. Jaguars are sometimes found near the Mexico-U.S. border, but they have been eliminated from most of the northern regions, including Arizona and New Mexico, due to human activities.
Jaguars can grow 1.5 to 1.8 m long excluding the tail and up to 2.7 m when the tail is included. According to Panthera, they can weigh up to 158 kg. Jaguars hunt various animals within their range, including deer, monkeys, and fish.
2. Lion
Lions are the second largest cat species in the world and the most social.
The lion is the second largest cat species in the world and is often referred to as the “king of beasts” or “lord of the jungle.” They are social animals that live in groups. Male lions are larger than females and have a magnificent mane. Males can grow up to 3 m long, including the tail, and weigh up to 250 kg.
Lion populations are declining, but they can still be found in most sub-Saharan African countries, such as Botswana, Tanzania, and the Central African Republic. There is also a small population of Asiatic lions living in the Gir Forest in northwestern India. Lions primarily hunt medium to large prey, including antelopes and zebras.
1. Tiger
Tigers can reach lengths of up to 3 m and weigh three times that of the heaviest cougar.
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), these striped cats can also reach 3 m in length like lions, but tigers are heavier, weighing up to 300 kg. They can weigh three times that of the heaviest cougar.
Tigers primarily inhabit tropical forests in Asia, including India, Indonesia, and occasionally in colder climates like the Russian Far East and the mountains of Bhutan. They are at the top of the food chain and prey on animals such as deer, elk, and wild boar.
Tigers once had a wider range and significantly larger populations, but their numbers have drastically declined over the past 100 years due to human activities such as poaching and habitat loss. According to Panthera, there are only about 3,900 tigers left in the wild.
