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Why do ocelots purr but jaguars roar? Researchers hypothesize that this difference between the two feline species may be partly due to a U-shaped bone in their throats. This bone is called the hyoid. Ocelots, which are much smaller than jaguars, have a rigid hyoid that rumbles when the cat's larynx vibrates, resulting in a purr. By contrast, jaguars have a somewhat flexible hyoid, and the bone is attached to the skull with a stretchy ligament that ocelots lack. These traits allow jaguars and most other species of big cats to roar. The same traits may also prevent most big cats from purring.