African Wild Cat
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| Felis silvestris libyca Forster, 1770 |
The African wild cat or desert cat (Felis silvestris libyca) is a subspecies of the wild cat (F. silvestris). It was first domesticated by the Ancient Egyptians at least 4,000 years ago, and is generally believed to be the ancestor of the domestic cat.<ref>Kingdon, Jonathan (1988). East African Mammals: Carnivores. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226437213.</ref>
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[edit] Physical characteristics
The African wild cat is sandy brown to yellow gray in color, with black stripes on the tail. The fur is shorter than that of the European subspecies. It is also considerably smaller: the head-body length is 45 to 75 cm, the tail 20 to 38 cm, and the weight ranges from 3 to 6.5 kg.
[edit] Distribution and habitat
The African wild cat is found in Africa in the Middle East, in a wide range of habitats: steppes, savannas and bushland.
[edit] Behaviour
The African wild cat eats primarily mice, rats and other small mammals. If the situation permits, they also eat birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The cat approaches its prey slowly, and attacks as soon as it reaches a distance of about 1 meter.
The African wild cat is mainly active during the night and twilight. At daytime they usually hide in the bushes, although they are sometimes active on dark, cloudy days.
The territory of a male overlaps with that of a few females, who defend the territory against intruders. A female gives birth to two to six (three on average) kittens. The gestation lasts between 56 to 69 days. The kittens are born blind and need the full care of the mother. Most kittens are born in the wet season, when there is sufficient food. They stay with their mother for five to six months, and are fertile after one year.
[edit] Subspecies
Many biologists make a distinction between various geographical breeds. Some even consider them separate subspecies. Some examples are:
- Felis silvestris brockmani - Horn of Africa
- Felis silvestris caffra - Southern Africa
- Felis silvestris foxi - West Africa
- Felis silvestris griselda - Southwest Africa
- Felis silvestris libyca - North Africa
- Felis silvestris ocreata - Ethiopia
- Felis silvestris sarda - Sardinia, Sicily
[edit] External link
[edit] References
<references />ja:リビアヤマネコ nl:Afrikaanse wilde kat
