The genus that includes the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, and snow leopard is Panthera.
Panthera is a genus within the cat family, Felidae. Its living members are the lion Panthera leo, tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, jaguar Panthera onca, and snow leopard Panthera uncia. These five species are often called the big cats, although “big cat” is a popular grouping rather than a formal taxonomic rank.
Members of Panthera share anatomical features associated with powerful predation, including robust skulls and specialized vocal anatomy. The lion, tiger, leopard, and jaguar can produce a true roar; the snow leopard is traditionally included in Panthera but cannot roar in the same way.
A frequent mistake is choosing Neofelis, the genus of clouded leopards, or Acinonyx, the cheetah’s genus. Puma contains the cougar, while Panthera is specifically the genus containing these five iconic species. The genus name comes from an ancient term associated with large or powerful cats.