Pictures > Exotics > Big Cats

African Lion	Bengal Tiger	Black Leopard
Caracal	Cheetah	Jaguar
Leopard	Leopard Cat	Lion
Mountain Lion	Ocelot	Serval

Modern big cats — lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, leopards, panthers, and so forth - are like their Eurasian ancestors of 20 millions years ago. Speed over land, agility in treetops, day and nocturnal hunting varies; round pupils under lights rather than a slit (lynx excepted) and feeding position lying down (snow leopard excepted) are shared. Without exception, the hyoid bone, connecting the tongue to the roof of the mouth, has an elastic segment unlike small felines with hard ones.