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Lions (Panthera leo).
Higher-Order Classification
Cats belong to the group of vertebrates known as mammals. Within the mammals cats are classified with other meat eaters in the Order Carnivora (known commonly as 'carnivores'). The classification of cats is as follows:
- Kindom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Carnivora
- Suborder Feliformia
- Family Felidae
Subfamilies
The family Felidae is broken down into two subfamilies:
- Subfamily Felinae
- Subfamily Pantherinae
The Subfamily Felinae are the small cats (cheetahs, pumas, lynx, ocelot, domestic cat, and others) and the Subfamily Pantherinae are the large cats (leopards, lions, jaguars, and tigers).
Sources
For a list of sources used in the creation of this visual guide, please see the Recommended Reading page.