From tigers to cougars to fluffy your neighbour’s pet, cats live all over the world. We’ve tracked down the largest recorded animal in each species to map and weigh them! The idea started when Earth Ranger Optimus Prime wrote a comment here on the Wild Wire that said “can you show us more life diversity bros, like big cats for example” and like the awesome bros that we are we jumped into action to bring you the top ten biggest cats.

Since measuring the mass of the largest recorded animal in each species of cat can be kinda confusing we’ve measured them out in pounds, kilograms and bowling balls. For the bowling balls we’ve used a standard 16 pound ball, the heaviest one in a regulation game, that way the next time you run into the largest cheetah you’ll know he weighs around 7.4 bowling balls!

10. Caracal (Caracal caracal)

How big are we: 19kg, 42 pounds or 2.6 bowling balls

Where we live: Africa, Central Asia and Southwestern Asia

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Caracal_caracal.html

9. Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)

How big are we: 23kg, 51 pounds or 3.2 bowling balls

Where we live: South of the Himalayas around Nepal, Bhutan and some areas of Northeastern India

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Neofelis_nebulosa.html

8. Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx)

How big are we: 36kg, 79 pounds or 4.9 bowling balls

Where we live: From Western Europe to Russia to Tibet and Central Asia

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lynx_lynx.html

7. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

How big are we: 54 kg, 119 pounds or 7.4 bowling balls

Where we live: Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Iran

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Acinonyx_jubatus.html

6. Leopard (Panthera pardus)

How big are we: 65kg, 143 pounds or 8.9 bowling balls

Where we live: Africa and Asia

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_pardus.html

5. Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)

How big are we: 75kg, 165 pounds or 10.3 bowling balls

Where we live: Central Asia to Northwestern China and Tibet

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Uncia_uncia.html

4. Cougar (Aka Puma and Mountain Lion) (Puma concolor)

How big are we: 120kg, 264 pounds or 16.5 bowling balls

Where we live: From Southern Argentina and Chile to Southeastern Alaska

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Puma_concolor.html

3. Jaguar (Panthera onca)

How big are we: 136kg, 299 pounds or 18.7 bowling balls

Where we live: Southern Arizona and New Mexico to Northern Argentina and Northeastern Brazil.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_onca.html

2. Lion (Panthera leo)

How big are we: 272 kg, 598 pounds or 37.4 bowling balls

Where we live: Sub-Saharan Africa expect in desert and rainforests

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_leo.html

1. Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris)

How big are we: 423kg, 931 pounds or 58.2 bowling balls

Where we live: Northeastern China, Korea, Russia, parts of India and around the Himalayas

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_tigris.html

If you think animals are amazing, the Earth Rangers Podcast is for you!

Join Earth Ranger Emma as she travels the world on a quest to solve some of nature’s greatest mysteries! With top ten countdowns, animal guessing games and epic animal showdowns, this is a journey you won’t want to miss!