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The term big cat is used to distinguish the larger cat species from smaller ones. One definition of big cat includes only the four species of cat in the genus Panthera the tiger, lion, leopard, and jaguar. Members of this genus are the only cats able to roar, and this is sometimes considered a distinguishing characteristic of big cats. A more expansive definition also includes the cheetah, snow leopard, clouded leopard, and cougar. The roaring cats may also be distinguished from the other big cats by referring to them as "great cats". Three of the four largest cats are members of the genus Panthera; the cougar is the fourth largest cat, exceeding the leopard in size. Some medium-sized cats like the Eurasian lynx may weigh as much as 30 kg (66 lb), but they are not considered big cats. Despite enormous differences in size, the various species of cat are amazingly similar in both structure and behavior. All cats are carnivores and efficient predators. Their range includes the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe; Australia and Antarctica have no indigenous species of cats. The ability to roar comes from an elongated and specially adapted larynx and hyoid apparatus.[1] When air passes through the larynx on the way to the lungs, the cartilage walls of the larynx vibrate, producing sound. The lion's larynx is longest, giving it the most robust roar. Only four cats have the physical structure of the throat needed for making the deep, loud, and resonant sound of a roar. They are jaguars, leopards, lions, and tigers.
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