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Table of Contents
The African Wildcat (Felis lybica) is about the size of a large house cat. They have longer legs than domestic cats, which gives them a more erect sitting posture and a different walking style.
See the fact file below for more information on the African Wildcat, or you can download our 29-page African Wildcat worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
HISTORY
- An African wildcat was discovered in a burial site in Cyprus, next to a human skeleton, in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement Shillourokambos. Their proximity suggests that the cat had been domesticated or tamed.
- Around 173,000 years ago, the African wildcat genetically diverged into three clades: the Near Eastern wildcat, the Southern African wildcat, and the Asiatic wildcat.
- African wildcats were first domesticated in the Near East around 10,000 years ago and are the ancestors of domestic cats (Felis catus).
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
- Felis libyca is an African wildcat, also known as the African bush cat.
- Felis is the type genus of Felidae comprising true or typical cats.
Scientific Name: | Felis lybica |
Genus: | Felis |
Family: | Felidae |
Subfamily | Felinae |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
TAXONOMY
- Naturalist Georg Forster proposed the scientific name Felis lybica in 1780, based on a specimen from Gafsa on the Barbary Coast with the size of a domestic cat but reddish fur, short black tufts on the ears, and a ringed tail.
- Since 2017, three African wildcat subspecies have been recognized as valid taxa: Felis libyca, the nominate subspecies in North Africa and Sinai to Sudan, Southern African wildcat (Felis libyca cafra) in Southern Africa, and Asiatic wildcat (Felis libyca ornata) in Asia.
CHARACTERISTICS
- The fur of the African wildcat is light sandy grey, sometimes with a pale yellow or reddish tint, but almost whitish on the belly and throat. The ears have small tufts and are reddish to gray, with long, light yellow hairs around the pinna.
- Two stripes run horizontally on the cheek from the outer corner of the eye to the jaw, a smaller one from the inner corner of the eye to the rhinarium, and four to six across the throat. The forelegs are surrounded by two dark rings, and the hind legs are striped.
- The length of their head to the body is 45-80 cm (17-31in). Their tail length is 24.1-36.8 cm (9.4-14 in). African wildcats usually weigh 3-8 kg (6-18 lbs). Their speed is 56 km per hour.
BEHAVIOR
- Wildcats are very similar to house cats since they can interbreed.
- They mark their territory and home ranges by spraying, urinating, or leaving feces piles that they cover with sand, similar to domestic cats.
- When females are ready to reproduce, they make short “want” calls. The African wildcat marks with urine, droppings, and tree scratching to communicate with neighbors and members of the opposite sex. Urine spray patterns in females advertise their reproductive status. Females can spray up to 50 times per night, while males can spray up to 183 times per night.
FEEDING BEHAVIOR
- African wildcats stalk their prey, crouch, rush, and then pounce. They prefer hunting at night but will hunt during the day, depending on the season and food availability.
- African wildcats hunt alone, though pairs or family groups occasionally hunt together. Males only associate with females when they are in estrous; females remain alone the rest of the time. The social system is structured by marking territories. Female ranges do not overlap, but to ensure reproduction, a resident male’s territory may overlap with several female ranges.
- Rodents account for roughly 80% of their food, including hares, rabbits, squirrels, and the young of antelopes, goats, and sheep. When rodents are scarce, African wildcats eat insects and other invertebrates—along with whatever else they can catch.
REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN
- Mating occurs for only a few days while a female is in heat, driven by her need to mate and her instinct to expand her family and ensure the survival of her species. This period lasts about four days and is followed by ovulation to ensure successful copulation.
- The number of kittens is usually two or three, and they are born in any secluded spot their mother can find in the habitat.
- Newborns weigh between 2.75 and 4.5 ounces. Their eyes open by the tenth day, and they begin to walk between the sixteenth and twentieth. Hunting starts at 12 weeks, and they are self-sufficient by five months. Around 11 months, they reach sexual maturity.
- They can live for up to 16 years in captivity.
HABITAT
- African wildcats require some form of cover and protection throughout their range, which includes rocky hillsides, bushes, dwarf shrubs, reed beds, and tall grasses.
- The African wildcat exists in many habitats, including deserts, semi-deserts, savannahs, scrub grassland, open forests, hilly and rocky terrain, and mixed forests. It appears to be absent only in tropical rainforests.
DISTRIBUTION
- The African wildcat ranges across most of Africa, southwest and central Asia, and into India, China, and Mongolia. It is found throughout most of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Caspian Sea.
- It can be found in every country in East and Southern Africa.
- They run from Morocco through Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya into Egypt. It is widely distributed in West Africa, from Mauritania to the Horn of Africa, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
PREDATORS
- African wildcats hiss in response to attacks or distress calls, much like house cats. They also give out warning signs, such as low-pitched humming or growling, to which their opponent either flees or approaches.
- When a predator approaches, they may flee, which may be the most realistically safe option in Africa.
- They are hunted and threatened by various predators, including almost any other cat or dog species, such as jackals, leopards, lions, or caracals, as well as eagles and other birds of prey that could easily make a meal of their newborn kittens.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
- African wildcats can be hunted for their fur. For example, communities in the Kalahari, Khomani San, and Mier wear various pieces of fur as traditional garments.
- The expansion of wildlife ranches, game farms, and large, isolated protected areas will become increasingly important as habitats for pure African wildcats. Efforts must be made to prevent the introduction of domestic cats into these areas and to maintain exclusion zones around the periphery of protected areas, where possible.
THREATS AND CONSERVATION
- The main threat to the wildcat is hybridization with domestic cats. Cross-breeding has been discovered in southern and northern Africa.
- Feral domestic cats compete for prey and habitat with wildcats. Diseases transmitted by domestic cats can also affect wildcats.
- Wildcats are also killed by vehicles, by catches of predator control measures, or by rodenticides. They are considered pests in southern Africa due to their predation on poultry and lambs.
- The wildcat is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Still, it is not protected in most of its African range.
- The wildcat (Felis silvestris and F. lybica) is listed as the Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- F. lybica has not yet been assessed separately in the IUCN Red List.
African Wildcat Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the African Wildcat across 29 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about the African Wildcat, which is about the size of a large house cat but has longer legs than domestic cats.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- African Wildcat Facts
- Describing A Cat
- Subspecies Table
- Progress Report
- PAWfect
- Choose My Range
- Trace The Place
- Attack And Go!
- CAT-mouflage
- Day And Night
- Action Protection
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do African wildcats live?
Wildcats can live up to 16 years in the wild. After that, they are threatened mainly by hybridizing with domestic cats. Reports of cross-breeding have come from both North Africa and South Africa.
How big do African wildcats get?
The African wildcat is a little bigger than the average house cat. It is 18 to 30 inches long and weighs 6 to 14 pounds. That is about the same size as some of the larger breeds of shorthair domestic cats like Abyssinians and Bengals.
Can wildcats meow?
You may be surprised to learn that meowing is not solely a trait of domestic cats. Snow Leopards, Lion cubs, Cougars, and Cheetahs also use this call to communicate – whether for locating one another or simply asking for food or love.
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Link will appear as African Wildcat Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 30, 2022
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.