Is it true that big cats don purr, but they emit a sound like that ?
A. A very common theory! Let me go into Science Professor mode. There are two main genera of cats: the small Felis cats such as Felis serval (serval), F. nigripes (Blackfooted cat), F. catus sylvestris (domestic cat), etc, and the big Panthera cats, such as Panthera tigris (tiger), P. leo (lion), P. onca (jaguar). The small Felis cats have a throat bone, the hyoid, which supports the larynx (voice box). The big Panthera cats lack this throat bone, which means the larynx is mounted very loosely in the throat and when the animal uses full power in his voice, the whole larynx vibrates, producing the characteristic roar. Lions have an extra feature: as well as the loose, vibrating voice box, there is a horn made of cartilage just above it which acts just like a megaphone – amplifying the sound and making the lion the loudest cat in the world. Because the small cats – the Felis genus – have a bone supporting the larynx, it cannot vibrate when the vocal cords inside operate, so the small cat
