▁con color ) ▁cub s ▁change ▁to ▁a ▁uniform ▁fur ▁during ▁their ▁ont ogen y . ▁Those ▁living ▁in ▁cold ▁environments ▁have ▁thick ▁fur ▁with ▁long ▁hair , ▁like ▁the ▁snow ▁le op ard ▁( Pan ther a ▁un cia ) ▁and ▁the ▁P allas ' s ▁cat ▁( O tocol ob us ▁man ul ). ▁Those ▁living ▁in ▁tropical ▁and ▁hot ▁climate ▁zones ▁have ▁short ▁fur . ▁Several ▁species ▁exhib it ▁mel an ism ▁with ▁all - black ▁individuals . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁great ▁majority ▁of ▁cat ▁species , ▁the ▁tail ▁is ▁between ▁a ▁third ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁body ▁length , ▁although ▁with ▁some ▁exceptions , ▁like ▁the ▁Lyn x ▁species ▁and ▁marg ay . ▁Cat ▁species ▁vary ▁greatly ▁in ▁body ▁and ▁sk ull ▁sizes , ▁and ▁weights : ▁ ▁The ▁largest ▁cat ▁species ▁is ▁the ▁t iger ▁( Pan ther a ▁t ig ris ), ▁with ▁a ▁head - to - body ▁length ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁, ▁a ▁weight ▁range ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁, ▁and ▁a ▁sk ull ▁length ▁r anging ▁from ▁. ▁Although ▁the ▁maximum ▁sk ull ▁length ▁of ▁a ▁l ion ▁is ▁slightly ▁greater ▁at ▁, ▁it ▁is ▁generally ▁smaller ▁in ▁head - to - body ▁length ▁than ▁the ▁former . ▁ ▁The ▁smallest ▁cat ▁species ▁are ▁the ▁rust y - sp otted ▁cat ▁( Pr ion ail urus ▁rub igin os us ) ▁and ▁the ▁black - fo oted ▁cat ▁( F el is ▁n ig ri pes ). ▁The ▁former ▁is ▁ ▁in ▁length ▁and