How many species are in the genus Panthera?

The genus Panthera contains five living species.

Those five species are the lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard. Panthera is a genus within the cat family, Felidae, and its members are traditionally known as the roaring cats because of specialized structures in the larynx and throat. The snow leopard is the notable exception: it produces other vocalizations but cannot roar like the other living Panthera species.

The genus has changed as scientific research improved. The snow leopard was once placed in its own genus, Uncia, but genetic evidence supported its inclusion in Panthera. This is why some older books or quiz sources may list only four species.

Panthera also includes numerous extinct species and lineages, including the cave lion and American lion. Those fossil species do not change the answer to a question asking how many species are in the genus today, because the standard modern count refers to the five living species.