Like lions & tigers, etc.
2007-06-24 01:17:51 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
All members except those of the genus Panthera which includes the big cats lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars.
To purr you have to be able to do it while breathing out and and in. The big cats can not do that.
But other cats like mountain lions, cheetah and ocelots can purr.
2007-06-24 01:35:29 · answer #1 · answered by michael971 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"The ability to roar comes from an elongated and specially adapted larynx and hyoid apparatus. 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. Though jaguars are considered great cats, they are not often known to roar and have a less developed larynx. The snow leopard is also said to have a larynx nearly adapted for roaring, but it is far less developed than the jaguar. Cats that cannot roar have vocal chords more suited for purring, while roaring cats cannot purr."
So, as you can see, roaring cats such as lions and tigers cannot purr.
2007-06-24 12:24:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, purring occurrs only in the smaller cat species. The small cats have a solid hyoid bone and can purr. The roaring cats have a flexible hyoid bone which allows them to roar but does not permit them to purr. The determination of whether the cat is a small cat or big cat is made depending on whether or not the cat has a flexible hyoid bone.
2007-06-25 07:31:56 · answer #3 · answered by SC 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Members of the cat family can either purr, or roar, but cannot do both.
2007-06-25 17:32:56 · answer #4 · answered by iksnoko16 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, the big cats do not purr, presumably because they are not content with being called "Big". It can be quite offesive to some. Cheetahs are not counted amongst the big cats on the basis that it can purr.
2007-06-24 02:53:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no purring is not natural behaviour for a cat, cats only purr because humans answer to it, if u bring a cat up and dont answer to it purring it will not purr as it does not get ur attention but most cats will learn to purr of their mums or other cats around them
2007-06-27 07:18:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes although all members of the Panthera Genus can only purr when exhaling.
2007-06-24 06:49:40 · answer #7 · answered by chancer_d 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most big cats roar, and a memeber of the cat family can either purr or roar. Smaller cats will purr, while the big cats can roar.
2007-06-26 03:20:18 · answer #8 · answered by laxdefense13 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
All cats but the "big" cats purr.
However the big cats do what is called chuffing and they will do it when content, saying hello to others or when trying to kiss up to someone they have upset.
I can make the noise myself but it kinda hard to describe what it sounds like. Hmmm... I guess if you kinda... well no.... just ask a keeper to make the noise for you the next time you are at a zoo. It kinda sounds like purring but not really.
2007-06-24 03:03:06 · answer #9 · answered by The Cheshire 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about "all" (there are so very many species), but lions and tigers and ocelots and cheetahs and leopards and cougars and jaguars all purr when they are content.
Not sure about jennets and civets and others, though.
2007-06-24 01:27:32 · answer #10 · answered by Grendle 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋