Glossary

Family

A rank below order, gathering related genera. Animal family names end in -idae.

Felidae is the cat family; Canidae is the dog family. The family is shown on every species card on this site because it is often the most recognisable grouping.

Related terms

Rank: A level in the classification hierarchy, such as genus, family or order.
Order: A rank below class. Carnivora, the order of cats, dogs, bears and their relatives, is one.
Genus: A rank below family: a group of closely related species. It is the first word of a scientific name.