The four largest, most ferocious meat-eaters of the cat family are known as the “big cats.” The term is used informally to differentiate the larger cat species from the smaller ones. These members of the genus Panthera: the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard are the only cats able to roar. A more expansive definition of “big cats” also includes the cheetah, snow leopard and cougar which are sometimes referred to as the “great cats” to distinguish from the other big cats.
