Is the study of big cats in the field of zoology called mammalology or is there another latin name for it?

It would be a branch of mammalogy. Personally, I hate "felinology" as a Greek-Latin hybrid. How about "ailurology" or "galeology", which are at least coined from a single language (Greek)?

Is the study of big cats in the field of zoology called mammalology or is there another latin name for it?
im pretty sure its mammology. im not sure. but thats what i realllllly wanna do when i grow up! study big cats!! ahhh!!!








if im wrong, please let me know!
Reply:Greator Felinologist would be a scientist who would study the great cats.





There is no word felidalogist that I could find. There is a field of mammalotogy though, but it would cover a lot more animals than just cats never mind the big cats.





According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae


"Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. They are the most strictly carnivorous mammals of the nine families in the order Carnivora. The first felids emerged during the Oligocene, about 30 million years ago. The most familiar felid is the Domestic Cat or House Cat, which first became associated with humans about 10,000 years ago. Its wild relative, the Desert Wildcat, still lives in the Near East and Africa, although habitat destruction has restricted its range."





According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat


"Felinology is the study of cats. The term has a Latin-Greek origin and comes from the Latin word felinus (of cats, feline) and the Greek -logos (science). Felinology is concerned with studying the anatomy, genetics, physiology, and breeding of domestic cats."





According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah


"The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a member of the cat family (Felidae) that is unique for making up in speed and stealth what it lacks in climbing abilities. As such, it is placed in its own genus, Acinonyx."





According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalogy


"In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals 鈥?a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous systems. Mammalogy has also been known as "mastology," "theriology," and "therology.""





Here is a paper of the field of mammalogoy: http://www.mammalsociety.org/committees/...


I didn't see any specific field for cats or other specilizations.





I looked at WordWeb Online: http://www.wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w... and http://www.wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w...


For any word that had cat or feline and scientist in it or that related to them and Felinologist was the closest I could get.
Reply:definitely Felinology or Felidae








http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae