[4][19], Knowledge of the African golden cat's reproductive habits is based on captive individuals. The sprawling Kruger National Park stretches across the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces in South Africa. Diana Robinson Photography/ Getty Images. These two species, together with the serval (Leptailurus serval), form the Caracal lineage, one of the eight lineages of Felidae. Some are spotted, with the spots ranging from faded tan to black in colour. [8] The color of the fur ranges from creamy to gray or reddish gray. [10], Skins of African golden cats can be identified by the presence of a distinctive whorled ridge of fur in front of the shoulders, where the hairs change direction. They are solitary animals, and are normally crepuscular or nocturnal, although they have also been observed hunting during the day, depending on the availability of local prey. They have longer legs than the domestic cat, giving them a more upright posture in the sitting position and a different walking form. Botswana's national parks are enormous and strikingly varied in terms of scenery. Wallpaper Groups . They are not particularly social creatures and contact between individuals is rare, although not unheard of. Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. Whether this is the same with African wild cats is unknown, but some observations of individuals hunting together do support this theory. Because they are so active in the wild, the African Wildcats are lean, muscular, and nearly always in ideal body condition. [9] [4], The African golden cat is threatened by extensive deforestation of tropical rainforests, their conversion to oil palm plantations coupled with mining activities and road building, thus destroying its essential habitat. Felis lybica was the scientific name proposed in 1780 by Georg Forster who based his description on a specimen from Gafsa on the Barbary Coast that had the size of a domestic cat, but a reddish fur, short black tufts on the ears, and a ringed tail. This is because of the diverse range of in which their prey – rodents, lizards, birds, insects and hares or rabbits – can be found in. The wide distribution translates to a variety of prey availability and size, which dictates the size of the wild cat. The Wildcat ranges over Africa, Europe and central Asia to India, China and Mongolia. The wildcat and the “domestic cat” were one and the same animal in terms of mental and physical characteristics. [2] Its body size ranges from 61 to 101 cm (24 to 40 in) with a 16 to 46 cm (6.3 to 18.1 in) long tail. Slightly larger than a domestic cat. Males and females are generally around the same size, weighing an average of 3.2 to 4.5 kg in total. Another example is the jaguar. The wildcat has an estrus period in December to February and another one in May to July. We are also working on a special book with information and photos of all species. Body length usually varies within the range of 61 to 101 cm (24 to 40 in). They mark their territory and home ranges by spraying or urinating or by leaving piles of feces which they cover with sand, like domestic cats do. Its undersides and areas around the eyes, cheeks, chin, and throat are lighter in colour to almost white. Felis neglecta proposed by John Edward Gray in 1838 was a brownish grey cat skin from Sierra Leone. [21], In Uganda's Kibale National Park, an African golden cat was recorded in an old growth forest patch in 2008. In Afrikaans (South Africa) vaalboskat means 'grey bush cat'. The Scottish wildcat evolved from a population of European wildcats which became isolated by the English Channel over 9000 years ago. Wildcats are polygynous. In Gabon, Liberia and Togo, hunting regulations are in place.[24]. Its rounded head is very small in relation to its body size. They are hunted down and threatened by a number of predators, which include just about any other cat or dog species, such as jackals, leopards, lions or caracals, in addition to eagles and other birds of prey who might easily make a meal out of their newborn kittens. The wild cats (known to […] From these tamed animals, the domestic cat was bred. Zambia's top safari areas include South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi and Kafue. AFRICAN WILDCAT. Lifespan: Up to 20 years in captivity. The golden cat is found at elevations of up to 3,000 m from sea level. Multiple Languages. The African wildcat is a shy, wild cousin of the domestic house cat which occurs widely across the continent. Place of Photo. Its eye colour ranges from pale blue to brown. Photo Details. [1] Hunting African golden cats is prohibited in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. Their survival as a species is greatly advantaged by their domestication and close ties with humans, with many local people having wildcats as house pets. At the moment of domestication the African wildcat or the European wildcat was also a semi-domesticated cat attached to some households. [1], The African golden cat is listed in CITES Appendix II. After some recent taxonomic changes, the wildcat species have been separated into the African and Asiatic wildcat, and the European wildcat. The information below is a copy of the overview on our sister website Wild Cats Magazine where the descriptions reside. .mw-parser-output table.clade{border-spacing:0;margin:0;font-size:100%;line-height:100%;border-collapse:separate;width:auto}.mw-parser-output table.clade table.clade{width:100%;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-label{width:0.7em;padding:0 0.15em;vertical-align:bottom;text-align:center;border-left:1px solid;border-bottom:1px solid;white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-fixed-width{overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-fixed-width:hover{overflow:visible}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-label.first{border-left:none;border-right:none}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-label.reverse{border-left:none;border-right:1px solid}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-slabel{padding:0 0.15em;vertical-align:top;text-align:center;border-left:1px solid;white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-slabel:hover{overflow:visible}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-slabel.last{border-left:none;border-right:none}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-slabel.reverse{border-left:none;border-right:1px solid}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-bar{vertical-align:middle;text-align:left;padding:0 0.5em;position:relative}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-bar.reverse{text-align:right;position:relative}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-leaf{border:0;padding:0;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-leafR{border:0;padding:0;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output table.clade td.clade-leaf.reverse{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output table.clade:hover span.linkA{background-color:yellow}.mw-parser-output table.clade:hover span.linkB{background-color:green}, The African golden cat has a fur colour ranging from chestnut or reddish-brown, greyish brown to dark slaty. They grow and develop rapidly in comparison with other small cat species. 2012-06-12 14:52 . Between the late 18th and 20th centuries, several naturalists and curators of natural history museums described and proposed new names for wildcat holotypes from Africa and the Near East, including: In captivity, they live up to 12 years. It is, however, less diverse in its appearance, as its fur color is typically brown and grey on most of its back and side, with black stripes covering its front and hind legs. [4], Felis aurata was the scientific name used by Coenraad Jacob Temminck who described a reddish-brown coloured cat skin in 1827 that he had bought from a merchant in London. Two color morphs, a red and a grey phase, were once thought to indicate separate species, rather than colour variations of the same species. African Wildcats Adventure Safaris is an African-owned, Kenyan-owned company with staff drawn from seven of Kenya’s forty-two language groups. There are three medium-sized African wild cats - the Caracal, Serval and African Golden Cat which weigh up to a maximum of 16 to 19kg.. All three cats belong to the Caracal lineage. The Somalian, Ethiopian, Sudanese and Egyptian coastlines are also full of them, and their range also extends along the entire Mediterranean coastline within Africa. African Golden Cat. It is threatened due to deforestation and bushmeat hunting and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It has small, rounded ears. The African golden cat (Caracal aurata) is a wild cat endemic to the rainforests of West and Central Africa. [4], Overall, the African golden cat resembles the caracal, but has shorter untufted ears, a longer tail, and a shorter, more rounded face. Females: 158 to 192 cm. The African wildcat has longer legs than the domestic cat giving it a more upright posture in the sitting position and a different walking form. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Africa photos available for quick and easy download. It is about twice the size of a domestic cat. This lineage evolved nearly 8.5 million years ago. Big cats 954 60 1. A black cat skin from eastern Congo was proposed as Felis maka in 1942. Original Size. However, the cat's fur colour and size does resemble a Savannah cat, a cross between a domestic cat and a serval African wildcat, similar to the one seen roaming through Highgate in … Whether your kitty meows or roars, it is a descendant of the Felis silvestris species, which is divided into the African wildcat, European wildcat and Steppe wildcat.. Litters range in size from 1 to 7 kittens. It is about half the size of the domestic cat. Kafue National Park in Zambia has been suggested as a good spot for the wildcat. 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