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THE WILD CATS
R. Roger Breton
Nancy J Creek
------------------------------
The Family of Cats
Technically, domestic cats belong to the class mammalia (mammals), the
order carnivora (meat-eaters), the family felidae (cats), the genus
felis (lesser cats), and the species cattus (domestic cats): that's
our cat, felis cattus.
There are three genera of the family felidae: panthera, the large or
greater cats; acinonyx, the cheetahs; and felis, the small or lesser
cats. A fourth genus, smilodon, the saber-toothed tigers, just missed
by only 12,000 years: almost no time at all, geologically speaking.
Since there is of necessity a lot of discussion about cat sizes using
the terms "large" and "small," we shall use the terms "greater" and
"lesser" in reference to the genera.
The terms "greater cats" and "lesser cats" refer to size only in
general: the larger lesser cats are larger than the smaller greater
cats. The most obvious difference between the two genera is that
greater cats can roar and the lesser cats cannot. The ability to roar
is determined by the structure of the throat: most significantly, the
small bones (the hyoid bones) that support the larynx. In the greater
cats, these bones have been partially replaced by cartilage, allowing
extraordinary flexibility of the throat and enabling the cat to roar.
In the lesser cats, these bones are rigid and roaring is impossible.
Contrast the deep-throated, deafening roar of a lion to the snarling
cough of a puma.
The genera are divided into species. Generally speaking, two dissimi-
lar animals belonging to the same genus are considered as belonging to
different species if they do not interbreed and produce viable off-
spring: they either physically cannot interbreed, such as a puma and
a housecat (boggles the mind, not to mention the housecat!); would not
interbreed naturally, such as a jaguar and a leopard, which just don't
have the right smells and signals to inspire mating; or their off-
spring would be sterile, such as a lion and a tiger, whose offspring
is a "liger" if the father is a lion or a "tigon" if he is a tiger,
but is always sterile. Conversely, if two such animals do interbreed
and produce viable offspring, they naturally and quickly become the
same species even if they weren't to start with -- interbreeding will
do that sort of thing -- though they may maintain enough differences
to be classed as separate subspecies.
There are some notable exceptions to this rule, particularly where man
has interfered. The species Geoffroy's cat, for example, can physi-
cally mate with the domestic cat and produce viable offspring, but
would not normally do so in the wild, as the smells and signals are
wrong and the mating instinct would not be triggered. Man has suc-
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The Wild Cats Page 1
cessfully circumvented this, however, and produced viable offspring in
a attempt to produce cats with wild-cat patterns. Such hybrid off-
spring are usually treated as a subspecies of one species or the
other, based upon dominant characteristics: so far, only new subspe-
cies of Geoffroy's cat have been produced, not new domestic cats.
This is not the case with other hybrids, most notably the Bengal is a
domestic cat-leopard cat hybrid.
Differing species come about through isolation. If some members of a
species become separated from the main body of their species by dis-
tance or natural obstruction, they will eventually evolve into a
different species, losing the ability to interbreed. All members of
the genus felis, subgenus felis, have a somewhat complex relationship
to each other. The parent species in this group is felis sylvestris,
the European wildcat, who first evolved some 600,000 years or so ago
in central Europe (where he can still be found). During the Second
Ice Age, he extended his domain into Africa and Asia. As the ice
receded the seas rose and the climates changed, the immigrant species
became isolated from each other by water, deserts, and mountains.
Over time, the isolated subspecies evolved into the Sand Cat, the
African Wildcat, the Forest Cat, the Black-Footed Cat, and the Chinese
Desert Cat: other species also evolved, but failed to survive.
Species are themselves further divided into subspecies (if wild) or
breeds (if domesticated): the two classifications are analogous to
each other. We should remember that panthera leo azandica (the Congo
Lion) has exactly the same relationship to panthera leo that Siamese
Cat has to felis cattus. Don't be fooled by the Latin: if a zoolo-
gist set up a "zoo" of domestic cats, he'd find a Latin or Greek word
for "Siamese," tack it on the end of "felis cattus," and call it a
subspecies. It would still be a breed.
All felids, regardless of genus or species, have certain basic things
in common. In appearance, they all look like cats. While this may be
arguable in the case of the Jaguarundi and, to a lesser degree, the
Flat-Headed Cat, it is definitely not true of some other families:
all members of the canid (dog) family, for example, do not look like
dogs (not even all dogs look like dogs!).
Besides a similarity of appearance, all cats have retractable claws:
even the cheetah, the most primitive of all modern cats, has partial-
ly-retractable claws.
The most cat-unique common characteristic, however, is purring: all
cats, and nothing but cats, purr. For some time it was believed that
the greater cats didn't purr: some texts still say this even today.
This is patently not true, all cats purr: lions purr, tigers purr,
cheetahs purr, leopards purr, jaguars purr, pumas purr, bobcats purr,
domestic cats purr; all cats purr, without exception. This alone
proves common ancestry: probably pseudailurus, 28 million years ago,
or dinictis, 40 million years ago, depending upon whether saber-
toothed tigers purred, something our own Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon
ancestors failed to note. There are also a whole slew of internal
similarities, as would be expected.
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The Wild Cats Page 2
Besides the biological similarities among cats, which one would ex-
pect, there is one other distinguishing characteristics. Wherever it
has adapted, in whatever ecological niche in whatever part of the
world, the cat reigns supreme among carnivores in its size class. It
is the penultimate hunter, with a finely-honed stalking and killing
ability that other carnivores can only dream about. The typical
member of family felidae scores in 30 percent of its hunts: no other
carnivore, including man, comes close. It is also a merciful hunter,
killing quickly and cleanly by severing the spinal column of its prey
and minimizing the pain and suffering.
Some zoologists break the three genera down further into subgenera
based upon subtle or newly-discovered differences. As an example, the
subgenus leopardus, the South American lesser cats, have 36 chromo-
somes instead of the usual 38, (probably through a fusion of two
chromosomal pairs). This is a major distinction, even though it is
invisible to the eye and depended upon modern technology for its
discovery, and is usually considered a legitimate subgenus. The
subgenus lynx, on the other hand, is based upon the lynx and its
relatives having short tails and tufted ears, a more obvious but also
more trifling distinction. The subgenus of a wild species is given in
brackets in the species list, and would replace the genus in nomencla-
ture: "felis [puma] concolor" may be "puma concolor" instead of
"felis concolor," but never "felis puma concolor." The relationships
between subgenera can be clearly seen in the family chart.
All species of cats have differing subspecies (breeds), not just the
domestic cat. There are, for example, nine subspecies of lions:
Panthera leo azandica: Congo Lion
Panthera leo bleyenberghi: Bleyenbergh's Lion
Panthera leo hollisteri: Hollister's Lion
Panthera leo massaicus: Massai Lion
Panthera leo persica: Persian Lion
Panthera leo roosevelti: Roosevelt's Lion
Panthera leo senegalensis: Senegal Lion
Panthera leo somaliensis: Somalian Lion
Panthera leo verneyi: Verney's Lion
The difference in lion subspecies reflects variations in size, color,
territory, etc., with the names coming from the discoverer, classifier
or territory. The number of recognized subspecies of a wild cat
species will be given, but individual subspecies will not be named.
One small footnote: don't let the "scientific" name of the various
cats fool you. Zoologists are as silly as the rest of us when it
comes to naming things, but they hide their silliness behind a Latin
or Greek facade. As an example, the scientific name for the common
stripped skunk, mephitis mephitis, translates to "smelliest of the
smelly."
In our own case, the Latin word "felis," generic for "cat," is derived
from the older Latin word "felix," meaning "happy," probably because
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The Wild Cats Page 3
cats are not shy about letting the world know when they are happy,
which is most of the time: they purr (purring also makes the cat
owner feel happy). This means that "felis cattus" could be translated
as "happy cat" or "purring cat," and the family "felidae" means "one
of those who are happy." Deep stuff here!
In order to be fair, and to give the zoologists their due, the Romans
did call just any old cat "cattus," and one of their cats "felix
cattus." (No, "felix cattus" does not mean "Felix the Cat," though
we can see where Otto Messmer may have gotten the name.)
The Species of Cat
All in all, there are 38 recognized species of cats: six greater
cats, panthera; one cheetah, acinonyx; and 31 lesser cats, felis,
including the domestic cat. All of them except the domestic cat (and
even some of those) have one thing in common: they are wild carni-
vores and will often bite and scratch when encountered (bigger ones
may also eat!). Count your fingers after petting!
A description of each of the 38 species is given. Considerable
thought went into the order in which the species should be listed.
Most lists give the greater cats, then the cheetah, then the lesser
cats, with the order within each genus being either the alphabetical
order of their English or Latin names or the territory in which they
were first discovered. None of this seemed to make sense here, so we
decided to list them by weight and size, largest to smallest. Alter-
nate English names are given after the primary name, and subgenera are
given in brackets. The weights and lengths shown are for average male
specimens of the various subspecies of each species: females tend to
be slightly smaller. Please remember that new subspecies, or even new
species (see the Iriomote cat), may be discovered at any time.
When taking the domestic cat as a species we intentionally chose to
use the typical feral cat a a model -- one that has returned to the
wild state. Because of random interbreeding among feral domestic
breeds, the dominance of certain genes, and the non-survival charac-
teristic of certain traits, there has come to be estabished a definite
and distinctive species: the medium sized brown or red mackeral tabby
shorthair.
When discussing the subspecies (breeds) of the domestic cat taken as a
species, it is important to remember that several new breeds are
created each year, several breeds are discontinued each year, and
there is no agreement among "experts" as to what defines a new breed,
making the exact number of breeds impossible to compute. As an exam-
ple of this disagreement, a blue (grey) British Shorthair is usually
classed as a separate breed, the British Blue, but a black British
Shorthair is not. Overall, there is a definite upward trend in the
number of cat flavors.
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The Wild Cats Page 4
Tiger
Name: Tiger
Species: Panthera Tigris
Weight: 200-500 pounds
Head/Body: 60-72 inches
Tail: 24-36 inches
Subspecies: 7
The largest cat and one of the most powerful land carnivores in the
world (exceeded in strength but not speed by the Kodiak bear), the
tiger is a massively built cat of awesome size and power, with some
exceptional individuals reaching 800 pounds. Its distinctive coat is
white to orange-brown with black, brown, or grey stripes. Its small
round ears have black backs with a central white spot. The males of
some subspecies sport side whiskers.
The tiger may be found in all types of terrain of southern and south-
eastern Asia and of eastern Asia northward to Mongolia and Siberia,
where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks game of all types.
It is an excellent swimmer.
The tiger is the only truly striped cat, with a completely non-agouti
coat. All other striped cats are tabbies.
Lion
Name: Lion
Species: Panthera Leo
Weight: 300-500 pounds
Head/Body: 96-108 inches
Tail: 24-36 inches
Subspecies: 9
The lion is very large cat with a balanced and well-proportioned body
and a large head. Its coat varies from tawny to brownish-yellow with
a black-tipped tail and black patches on its ears. The males have a
heavy body-color, brown, or black mane.
The lion may be found in all parts of Africa south of the Sahara and
in the Gir Forest of India and, until recently, in all parts of the
Near East and on the Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas of Europe, where it
hunts by night or day, from the ground, and seeks game of all types.
The females do most of the hunting. It has been known to scavenge.
The lion is unique in that it is the only wild cat that lives in a
group, called a pride, consisting of one mature male and any number of
females, cubs, and immature males.
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The Wild Cats Page 5
Jaguar
Name: Jaguar
Species: Panthera Onca
Weight: 90-300 pounds
Head/Body: 72 inches
Tail: 22 inches
Subspecies: 8
The jaguar, often incorrectly called a panther (a panther is a leop-
ard), is a massive and powerfully built cat, with a deep-chested body
and a large head. Its coat is yellowish-brown with dark brown spots
in center-spotted rosettes. Some individuals are very dark brown,
almost black, effectively masking their spots.
The jaguar may be found near water in savannahs and forests in all
parts of North and South America south of the United States. The last
native jaguar in the U.S. died in the early 1960's. It hunts by
twilight, from the ground, and seeks peccary, capybara, coypu, otter
and fish. It is an excellent swimmer.
Puma
Name: Puma, Mountain Lion, Cougar
Species: Felis [Puma] Concolor
Weight: 100-200 pounds
Head/Body: 48-60 inches
Tail: 28 inches
Subspecies: 29
The largest of the lesser cats, the puma, often incorrectly called a
panther (a panther is a leopard), is a large and powerful cat with a
graceful and narrow body and exceptionally strong legs. It is the
champion jumper among cats, able to execute a 30 ft. standing broad
jump or an 18 ft. jump straight up the face of a cliff. Its head is
small, with small rounded ears. Its has a distinctive call midway
between a cough and a snarl. Despite its size, it is a lesser cat and
cannot roar. Its coat is a uniform tawny color with lighter under-
parts and white on the chin and throat. It sports a white moustache.
The puma was until recently found in all parts of North and South
America except the arctic, but is rapidly vanishing from large por-
tions of the U.S. and Canada. It is strongly territorial, claiming an
exceptionally wide range, and is solitary even by cat standards,
avoiding its own kind except to mate. It hunts by day, primarily from
the ground but occasionally from high rocks, low cliffs, or trees, and
seeks deer, sheep, goats, peccary, capybara and other similarly-sized
game. It will occasionally stalk livestock when other prey is scarce.
It avoids humans and their settlements and farms when establishing its
territory, but is not shy about contact when a human moves into an
already established territory. It is intensely curious about every-
thing in its range, and has been known to enter houses on occasion,
even while occupied. In one recorded incident in Arizona, a puma
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The Wild Cats Page 6
entered a house and stole the roast from the dinner table while the
couple was sitting there. They (probably wisely) opted not to move
nor to challenge its right to do so.
Old wives tales and Hollywood notwithstanding, there has never been a
substantiated case of a puma attacking a human, even a child, unless
cornered, injured, ill, or protecting its cubs. Hunters' and ranch-
ers' dogs are a different story, and do not fare well upon encounter.
Unfortunately, the hunters and ranchers usually take the dogs' side.
An exceptionally gentle cat for one so large, the puma is easily
tamed, especially when taken as a cub, and does well in captivity.
Snow Leopard
Name: Snow Leopard, Ounce
Species: Panthera [Uncia] Uncia
Weight: 150 pounds
Head/Body: 41 inches
Tail: 35 inches
Subspecies: 1
A rare cat, the snow leopard is a large, graceful cat with a long,
lithe build. Its coat is smoke grey with dark grey spots in broken
rosettes.
The snow leopard may be found above the tree line in the high moun-
tains of central Asia, where it hunts by day, from the ground, and
seeks grazing animals and large birds.
Little is known about this cat, partly because of its rarity and
partly because of its habitat: only a brave, mountain-climbing zoolo-
gist can study it in the wild. Some zoologists classify the snow
leopard as a lesser cat, sticking with the genus uncia, as its hyoid
bones are intermediate between the two extremes: it can roar softly
(though louder than the clouded leopard). Most zoologists, however,
place it in the genus panthera, and classify it as a greater cat.
Leopard
Name: Leopard, Panther
Species: Panthera Pardus
Weight: 90-150 pounds
Head/Body: 48 inches
Tail: 24 inches
Subspecies: 15
The leopard or panther is a large, graceful cat with a long, lithe
build. Its coat is pale brown to yellowish-brown with dark brown
spots in rosettes. Some individuals are very dark brown, almost
black, effectively masking their spots and producing the famous black
panther.
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The Wild Cats Page 7
The leopard may be found in all parts of Africa south of the Sahara,
Asia east of the Indus and south of Mongolia, and Indonesia, where it
hunts by night, by twilight, and by day in late afternoon and early
morning, from the ground or from trees, often dropping silently on its
prey, and seeks large or small game of almost any type.
A solid-colored leaopard or "black panther" is often of a more agres-
sive nature than those with a spotted coat. This is because normal
spotted mothers tend to dislike solid-color cubs, often driving them
away prematurely. This ostracism produces mean-tempered, intolerant
individuals, just as it does with humans. No satisfactory explanation
has ever been given for this phenomenon.
Cheetah
Name: Cheetah
Species: Acinonyx Jubatus
Weight: 65-110 pounds
Head/Body: 48-60 inches
Tail: 20-30 inches
Subspecies: 6
The most primitive of all cats, evolving some 18 million years ago,
the cheetah is a tall, slim, long-legged cat, built along the lines of
the greyhound. Its claws are only semi-retractable, and it has a
distinctly dog-like muzzle. Its coat is yellowish-brown with dark
brown spots and a long white-tipped tail.
The cheetah may be found in open grassland and nearby forests in all
parts of Africa, the Middle East, and south-central Asia, where it
hunts by day, from the ground, and seeks antelope and other grazing
animals.
The cheetah is unique in several ways, and is the only member of genus
Acinonyx. It is easily tamed and trained to the hunt and is the
fastest four-footed animal on Earth, often achieving speeds in excess
of 80 mph for short distances.
There are some few zoologists who classify the cheetah as a lesser
cat, on the basis that it is definitely not a greater cat (can't roar)
and must therefore be a lesser cat. These zoologists belong to the
"you can't have a genus of one" school of biology. In our opinion,
this is total nonsense. The world abounds with single-species genera
-- the tuatara, a New Zealand reptile unlike any other reptile that
isn't already extinct and roughly related to other reptiles the way
the platypus is related to other mammals, comes to mind. Some of
these zoologists do write books, however, and do get their ideas in
print, which is why we mention them at all.
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The Wild Cats Page 8
Clouded Leopard
Name: Clouded Leopard, Mint Leopard
Species: Panthera [Neofelis] Nebulosa
Weight: 40-66 pounds
Head/Body: 36-42 inches
Tail: 30-36 inches
Subspecies: 4
The clouded leopard is a slim, well proportioned, medium-sized cat.
Its coat varies from pale brown to rich brown with large irregular
blotches, said by the Chinese to resemble the shape of mint leaves
(hence the name mint leopard in China). Its head is banded, with
small, round, black ears with a central grey spot. Its underparts are
pale or white, and its tail is ringed in black.
The clouded leopard may be found in the dense forest and scrub of
southern and southeastern Asia, where it hunts by night or day, from
trees, dropping silently down onto its prey, and seeks medium-sized
game of all types. Completely at home in the trees, this cat is one
of the best climbers -- the margay is arguably better, but is nowhere
near the same size -- and can run up and down a tree like a huge
squirrel.
Some zoologists classify the clouded leopard as a lesser cat, sticking
with the genus neofelis, as its hyoid bones are intermediate between
the two extremes: it can only roar softly. Most zoologists, however,
place it in the genus panthera, and classify it as a greater cat.
Northern Lynx
Name: Northern Lynx, Lynx
Species: Felis [Lynx] Lynx
Weight: 30-65 pounds
Head/Body: 40 inches
Tail: 7 inches
Subspecies: 9
The northern lynx is a large cat with a powerful body, short, sturdy
legs, and a very short tail. It has a large head with side whiskers
and large tufted ears. Its coat is yellowish-brown fading to white on
its undersides, and may be spotted with dark brown: the presence of
spots and the spotting pattern varies considerably between subspecies.
The northern lynx may be found in the pine forests and thick scrub
south of the arctic in North America, Europe and Asia, where it hunts
by night, from the ground, and seeks rodents, birds, fish, small deer,
goats, and sheep.
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The Wild Cats Page 9
Spanish Lynx
Name: Spanish Lynx
Species: Felis [Lynx] Pardina
Weight: 54 pounds
Head/Body: 38 inches
Tail: 57 inches
Subspecies: 1
Very similar to but slightly smaller than the northern lynx, the
Spanish lynx is also a large cat with a powerful body, short, sturdy
legs, and a very short tail. It too has a large head with side whisk-
ers and large tufted ears. It has exceptionally keen eyesight, the
best of all the cats. Its coat is yellowish-brown fading to white on
its undersides, and is strikingly spotted with black.
The Spanish lynx may be found in the pine forests of the Iberian
peninsula, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks ro-
dents, birds, fish, termites, and small deer, goats, and sheep.
Caracal
Name: Caracal, Caracal Lynx
Species: Felis [Caracal] Caracal
Weight: 35-50 pounds
Head/Body: 29 inches
Tail: 9 inches
Subspecies: 9
The largest African lesser cat and an exceptional climber and jumper,
the caracal is a slenderly built cat with long legs and a short,
sharply tapered tail. Its coat is reddish-brown with distinctive
tufted ears and white markings around its eyes and on its throat,
chin, and belly.
The caracal may be found in the deserts, scrub, savannahs, mountains
and rocky areas of Africa, Arabia, and southern Asia as far east as
India, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks small
animals, birds of all sizes, and the young of the larger grazing
animals.
Serval
Name: Serval
Species: Felis [Leptailurus] Serval
Weight: 30-40 pounds
Head/Body: 32 inches
Tail: 16 inches
Subspecies: 14
The serval is a lightly built cat, with long legs, large ears, and
short tail. Its coat is light brown with dark spots, black-tipped
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The Wild Cats Page 10
tail, and black ears with distinctive white spots.
The serval may be found near water and in the reedbeds and marshes of
Algeria and Africa south of the Sahara, where it hunts by night, from
the ground, and seeks rodents, reptiles, birds, and small deer.
African Golden Cat
Name: African Golden Cat
Species: Felis [Profelis] Aurata
Weight: 30-40 pounds
Head/Body: 29 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 2
The African golden cat has a sturdy build, with long legs, large paws,
small head and short tail. Its coat has a wide range of colors, from
chestnut brown to silver grey, with white on its cheeks, chin, chest
belly and insides of its legs.
The African golden cat may be found in the dense forests and scrub of
central and west Africa, where it hunts by night and twilight, from
the ground, and seeks rodents, birds, and small deer.
Bobcat
Name: Bobcat, Bay Lynx, Wildcat
Species: Felis [Lynx] Rufus
Weight: 15-35 pounds
Head/Body: 30 inches
Tail: 6 inches
Subspecies: 11
The bobcat is proportioned like a small lynx, with a powerful body,
short, sturdy legs, and a very short tail. Its fairly large head has
large, sharply-pointed ears, tufted in some subspecies. Its buff coat
fades to white on its undersides and is barred and spotted on its
flanks, belly and legs with dark brown or black. The backs of its
ears are black.
The bobcat may be found in most terrain, short of actual desert, of
western North America from British Columbia to central Mexico. It is
very territorial, where it hunts by night, from the ground or trees,
and seeks rabbits, gophers, and other small animals.
Prior to the settlement of its territory by Europeans, the bobcat
ranged over a much wider area of the U.S. and Canada. This is the
wildcat that a mountain man was supposed to be able to whup his weight
in.
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The Wild Cats Page 11
Jungle Cat
Name: Jungle Cat
Species: Felis Chaus
Weight: 16-30 pounds
Head/Body: 24-30 inches
Tail: 9-12 inches
Subspecies: 9
Possibly one of the ancestors of the domestic cat, the jungle cat is a
well proportioned cat with a sturdy build and definite cat-like move-
ments and actions. It is definitely a mutated felis sylvestris. Its
coat is sandy grey to tawny red with pale stripped-tabby body markings
(more pronounced in kittens) with darker, almost black tabby-type
facial markings, dorsal stripe, and tail tip.
The jungle cat may be found in the jungles, woodlands, scrub, reedbeds
and marshes of Egypt and southern Asia. Often found living in and
around human settlements and farms. It hunts by night or day, from
the ground, and seeks rodents, reptiles, birds, and other small ani-
mals.
Ocelot
Name: Ocelot
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Pardalis
Weight: 12-30 pounds
Head/Body: 35 inches
Tail: 16 inches
Subspecies: 11
The ocelot is a medium-sized cat with a graceful body, long, powerful
legs, and a short tail. Its coat is a soft creamy yellow with strik-
ing center-spotted rosettes of black with a soft brown color inside
the rosette. The rosettes often link up to form chains. Its head is
boldly marked with black spots and bars. Its tail is heavily ringed
with a black tip.
The ocelot may be found in any type of cover from thorny chapparal to
jungle, but never in the open, of North and South America south of the
United States, where it hunts by night, from the ground, but spends
the day secure in high trees, and seeks birds, deer, peccary, coati
mundi, agouti and other small mammals.
This cat has a severe handicap in being one of the most beautiful of
all cats. As a result it has been hunted to near-extinction for its
pelt, in spite of being a protected species in most countries. It is
believed that not all subspecies currently remain.
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The Wild Cats Page 12
European Wildcat
Name: European Wildcat
Species: Felis Silvestris
Weight: 10-30 pounds
Head/Body: 22-28 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 7
An older species, evolving about 650,000 years ago, the European
wildcat is in the direct ancestral line of the domestic cat (our cats)
and is the parent species for several related small cats, most notably
felis lybica, which it strongly resembles. It is about one-third
larger than a feral domestic cat and resembles it in both build and
coat. It is often mistaken for a large tabby with disastrous results,
as it is not at all friendly (somewhat vicious, in fact). Its coat is
long and thick, to protect it from harsh European winters, and is
colored and marked identically to your basic brown stripped-tabby
alleycat.
The European wildcat may be found in all parts of Europe and Asia west
of the Urals and the Caspian except the arctic. It is not afraid of
humans and will live on the outskirts of cities scavenging in garbage
bins (much as do raccoons and coyotes in the U.S.). It is very pro-
lific and a long way from being endangered, even though its territory
is diminishing as more and more of Europe is converted to city and
suburbs. It hunts by twilight, from the ground, and seeks rats,
squirrels, birds, small deer, domestic cats, small dogs, and poultry.
It is usually considered vermin by farmers and villagers.
Fishing Cat
Name: Fishing Cat
Species: Felis [Prionailurus] Viverrina
Weight: 25 pounds
Head/Body: 32 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 1
The fishing cat has a long, sinuous body, almost civit-like in appear-
ance, with relatively short legs and a somewhat flattened tail. It
forepaws have unusually long phalanges (toes) and claws. Its claws
extend considerably from their sheaths even when fully retracted. All
four feet are webbed. Its coat is light brown with dark brown irregu-
lar spots, fading to white underneath. The backs of its ears are
black with a central white spot.
The fishing cat may be found in the marshes and swamps of southern and
southeastern Asia. It avoids human settlements, where it hunts by
day, in the water and from the ground, and seeks fish, crayfish,
mollusks, rodents, reptiles and other small animals. It is the best
swimmer of all cats, catching fish by pursuit and using its long claws
as fishhooks.
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Temminck's Golden Cat
Name: Temminck's Golden Cat, Asiatic Golden Cat
Species: Felis [Profelis] Temmincki
Weight: 14-25 pounds
Head/Body: 31-35 inches
Tail: 19-20 inches
Subspecies: 3
Temminck's golden cat is a medium-sized, well-proportioned cat with
short round ears, about twice the size of a cat. It has a strikingly
beautiful appearance, with a deep-golden coat fading to white on its
undersides. In some subspecies, there is an absence of spotting,
while in others faint brown spotting is evidenced. An occasional
individual will be very dark brown, almost black. There is a distinc-
tive grey patch behind each ear, while a white line bordered in black
runs from each eye to the top of its head.
Temminck's golden cat may be found in the forests and rocky areas of
Asia from the Himalayas to the Maylay Peninsula, where it hunts by
day, from the ground, and seeks game of all types up to the size of
small deer.
Flat-Headed Cat
Name: Flat-Headed Cat
Species: Felis [Ictailurus] Planiceps
Weight: 12-18 pounds
Head/Body: 22 inches
Tail: 7 inches
Subspecies: 1
A very unusual cat, the flat-headed cat is omniverous, being equally
content with prey or vegetation. It is about the size of the domestic
cat, but with a very long body, short legs and tail, and a broad, flat
head with a ridge formed by the nasal bones and small round ears. Its
coat is reddish-brown to dark brown, with a yellowish-brown face and
white underparts. The underside of its tail is yellowish-brown.
The flat-headed cat may be found in the forests and scrub of south-
eastern Asia, often near human habitation and farms, where it hunts by
night, from the ground, and seeks rodents, frogs, other small animals,
fruit, sweet potatoes, and other legumes. It often raids garbage cans
and gardens, and fills the ecological niche that in other parts of the
world is filled by raccoons, weasels, and stoats.
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African Wildcat
Name: African Wildcat
Species: Felis Lybica
Weight: 10-18 pounds
Head/Body: 24 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 11
The primary ancestor of the domestic cat (and our cats), whom it
resembles, the average African wildcat has a more sturdy build and is
slightly larger than the average domestic cat -- though not as large
as some of the bred-for-size subspecies. Its coat is light brown to
light yellowish-brown with stripped-tabby markings. Cats with darker
tabby markings, similar to tabby cats, are found in forested areas,
while cats with paler markings are found in grasslands.
The African wildcat may be found throughout Africa and the Middle
East, Asia as far east as India, and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia,
and Majorca. It is often found around human settlements and farms.
It hunts by night, usually on the ground but sometimes from trees and
bushes, and seeks rodents, reptiles, birds and insects.
The African wildcat is very easily tamed, especially when taken as a
kitten, and many farmers in its range have African wildcats in lieu
of domestic cats.
Margay
Name: Margay, Marguey, Tree Ocelot
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Wiedii
Weight: 9-18 pounds
Head/Body: 26 inches
Tail: 16 inches
Subspecies: 11
The margay has a slim, graceful body with long legs and a long tail.
Its coat is a light yellowish-brown with striking dark brown irregular
spots, which may form rosettes. Its tail is ringed.
The margay may be found in the forests of the Yucatan and Central and
South America, and one subspecies near the Texas-Mexico border, where
it hunts by day, from trees, and seeks small mammals, birds, tree
frogs, and lizards.
The margay is without question the best climber of all cats. It runs
up and down the trees like a squirrel, virtually living in them from
birth to death -- which is almost never by falling. So well adapted
is the margay to arboreal life that its feet are extraordinarily
flexible, with the hind feet capable of turning completely around.
Its claws are also exceptionally strong and sharp. It is not unusual
for a margay to be discovered hanging head downward from one hind foot
while it catches a quick nap seventy feet in the air.
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The Wild Cats Page 15
Jaguarundi
Name: Jaguarundi, Jaguarondi, Weasel Cat
Species: Felis [Herpailurus] Yagouaroundi
Weight: 16 pounds
Head/Body: 26 inches
Tail: 18 inches
Subspecies: 8
Often mistaken for an otter because of its peculiar shape and appear-
ance, the jaguarundi has a long sinuous body, very short legs, a
flattened tail, and a long flattened head with a short nose and very
small low-set round ears. Similar to the flat-headed cat but even
more extreme in appearance. Its coat comes in two color phases,
brownish-grey to black and bright reddish-brown, which readily inter-
breed, producing young of both phases in their litter. Both phases
shade to white on their undersides.
The jaguarundi may be found in lowland forests, scrub and chapparal of
South America and North America south of the southwestern United
States, where it hunts by night and by day in the afternoon, from the
ground, and seeks mainly birds and the occasional rodent. It fills
the same ecological niche as the raccoon, weasel, otter, or
stoat, and occasionally has territorial clashes with them.
Feral Domestic Cat
Name: Feral Domestic Cat
Species: Felis Cattus -- formerly Felis Domestica
Weight: 8-15 pounds
Head/Body: 12-24 inches
Tail: 5-10 inches
Subspecies: Legion.
Due to the fact that this is a truly domesticated animal, subject to
human breeding programs, normal criteria do not apply. Many of the
"breeds" (subspecies) are merely color variations of the same basic
breeds. Programs are also under way to introduce new and exotic
colors and body types, as well as to produce smaller and larger varie-
ties of existing breeds. When deprived of human companionship, the
domestic cat will revert to the wild state: such a cat is said to be
feral. When this occurs, it will, within the course of a few genera-
tions, lose most of its man-introduced and artificially-maintained
recessive characteristics, and stabilize as a small, muscular cat of a
definite type and coloration. This body type and coloration can be
seen in the common alleycat, which is merely a feral or semiferal cat
still residing around people.
Among those features that quickly vanish are the Persian skull struc-
ture, the Siamese body type, long hair, and other recessive character-
istics. The Persian flat-faced (Pekingese) skull inhibits the sense
of smell and decreases visual acuity. Cats of this type left on their
own seldom live long enough to breed. The long, lean Siamese body
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The Wild Cats Page 16
type, while graceful, simply cannot withstand a good cat-fight with a
15 pound alleycat, and will fail during territorial and courtship
battles.
Several coat characteristics desired by man, such as Siamese colora-
tion or long, silky hair, are recessive and will quickly disappear
unless constantly maintained by careful breeding. Feral cats do
partake in a selective breeding program, but their only criteria is
survival.
The ordinary mackerel-stripped tabby in black-brown or orange are the
dominant coat patterns and colors, though there will always be some
individuals with solid black or dark-brown coats. All other patterns
and colors are recessive and will vanish.
Non-albino white is a dominant color, but is poor camouflage for a
hunter (except, perhaps, in the snow): white cats are often deaf,
which is definitely not a survival characteristic.
The feral domestic cat will continue to be found around man. The
reasons for this are not as obvious as one would think. While a good
hunter and fighter, a feral cat is simply not in a class with its wild
cousins. When it leaves the haunts of mankind it is bound to meet up
with a bobcat, a European wildcat, or some other kin, and the reunion
is usually very hard on the feral cat. By becoming domesticated and
accepting cathood, felis cattus has given up his independence forever.
There is an exception to this. Where man has already driven away
competing wild cats, the feral cat quickly rises to the top of the
ecological heap for his size class.
The feral cat will hunt by day or night, from the ground, and will
seek mice, rats, squirrels, birds, lizards, and other small animals.
In times of famine it will become cannibalistic.
Unlike other wild cats, with the exception of the lion, the feral cat
will often be found in groups, called clowders. The feral clowder
bonds together for mutual comfort and affection, but will seldom hunt
together or band in mutual defense against a common enemy. It is as
though his connection with man has introduced the domestic cat, feral
or otherwise, to the benefits of love and companionship, but has not
yet overcome the solitary hunting and fighting instincts.
A word of caution: don't be fooled by appearance into thinking of a
feral domestic cat as someone's pet. Even though it may look exactly
like Old-Tom-Sleeping-by-the-Fire, it is a truly wild animal and may
very quickly and very efficiently shred an extended hand or arm.
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Mountain Cat
Name: Mountain Cat, Andean Highland Cat
Species: Felis [Oreailurus] Jocobita
Weight: 8-15 pounds
Head/Body: 23 inches
Tail: 14 inches
Subspecies: 1
The mountain cat is similar to a cat in size and build. Its coat is
of a very fine silky texture, about two inches in length, and of a
pale silver or reddish-grey color fading to white on the undersides.
It has faint brown or ochre tabby-like markings on its body and flanks
which may darken to almost black on its undersides and legs. Its tail
is ringed with dark brown or black, with the tip always the body
color. Its ears are grey.
The mountain cat may be found in arid regions of the high Andes,
sometimes above the snow line, of Peru and northern Chile and Argenti-
na, where it hunts by day, from the ground, and seeks chinchilla,
viscacha, and other small mammals.
Leopard cat
Name: Leopard Cat, Bengal Cat
Species: Felis [Prionailurus] Bengalensis
Weight: 7-15 pounds
Head/Body: 25-32 inches
Tail: 10-14 inches
Subspecies: 7
The leopard cat is cat sized and shaped, with a well-balanced carriage
and build. Its coat varies in ground color from grey to red with
white or very light underparts. It is randomly patterned with dark
brown or black spots over its entire body. Its head has strong black
and white striped markings.
The leopard cat may be found all over southern and central Asia from
India to the Philippines, Mongolia, Manchuria, Siberia and Japan,
where it hunts by night or day, from trees, and seeks game birds,
fish, squirrels, hares, and other small animals.
One interesting fact about the leopard cat is that is the only wild
cat to be successfully used in a domestic-wild hybrid breeding program
in recent years, giving rise to the beautiful and mild-mannered Bengal
breed.
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Pampas Cat
Name: Pampas Cat, Grass Cat
Species: Felis [Lynchailurus] Colocolo
Weight: 8-14 pounds
Head/Body: 24 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 7
The pampas cat is a small cat, about the size of a cat, with a broad
face and large pointed ears. Its coat varies from a silvery grey,
through all tones of yellow and yellowish-brown, to a light brown,
with the flanks, legs, and tail banded with a darker variation of the
body color.
The pampas cat may be found in the open grasslands and high pampas of
southern South America east of the Andes, where it hunts by night,
from the ground, and seeks birds, cavies and other small animals.
Chinese Desert Cat
Name: Chinese Desert Cat
Species: Felis Bieti
Weight: 12 pounds
Head/Body: 30 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 3
A very rare cat, the Chinese desert cat is a well-proportioned cat-
sized cat. Like the sand cat, the soles of its feet are covered with
thick mats of fur to protect it from the hot sands. Its coat is sandy
brown with distinctive darker brown spots set in wide-spaced vertical
rows. Its undersides are very pale.
The Chinese desert cat may be found in the deserts, steppes, scrub and
mountains of Mongolia and China, where it hunts by night, from the
ground, and seeks small rodents and reptiles.
Iriomote Cat
Name: Iriomote Cat
Species: Felis [Mayailurus] Iriomotensis
Weight: 12 pounds
Head/Body: 23 inches
Tail: 8 inches
Subspecies: 1
A very rare cat, discovered in 1964, the Iriomote cat has a long body
with short legs and tail. Its coat is brown with lines on its neck
that end at its shoulders and black spots that merge into lines on its
flanks. Its ears are black with white spots.
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The Iriomote cat may be found only on the small island of Iriomote,
off the coast of Taiwan, where it hunts by night, from trees, and
seeks birds and small mammals.
The discovery so recently of the Iriomote cat caused a considerable
stir in zoological circles. It should be taken as notice that we
certainly don't know all there is to know.
Marbled Cat
Name: Marbled Cat
Species: Felis [Pardofelis] Marmorata
Weight: 12 pounds
Head/Body: 21 inches
Tail: 15 inches
Subspecies: 2
A rare cat, the marbled cat resembles a long-tailed cat in size and
build. Its beautiful, striking coat is pale brown, with irregular
slightly darker brown blotches sharply outlined in dark brown or
black. Its long cylindrical tail is full from rump to tip and carries
its body pattern.
The marbled cat may be found in the forests of the Maylay peninsula,
Sumatra, Borneo and some neighboring small islands, where it hunts by
day, from trees, and seeks birds and eggs.
Pallas' Cat
Name: Pallas' Cat, Manul
Species: Felis [Otocolobus] Manul
Weight: 7-12 pounds
Head/Body: 22 inches
Tail: 10 inches
Subspecies: 3
The oldest living species of cat, evolving some 10 million years ago,
Pallas' cat is similar to the lynx in facial structure, with a large,
sturdy body and short legs. Its head is short and broad, with large
round eyes and blunt wide-set ears. Its long, silky coat varies in
color from light grey to russet brown, with white tips to its hairs
giving a sparkling, almost irridescent appearance. There are dark
lines on its cheeks, rings on its tail, and its lips, chin, and throat
are white.
The Pallas' cat may be found on the rocky plateaux and river banks of
central Asia, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks
small mammals and birds.
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Rusty-Spotted Cat
Name: Rusty-Spotted Cat
Species: Felis [Prionailurus] Rubiginosa
Weight: 6-9 pounds
Head/Body: 17 inches
Tail: 7 inches
Subspecies: 2
The rusty-spotted cat is a small cat with small round ears and a short
tail. Its soft, short coat is grey with a reddish tinge on top and a
pale underside. There are reddish spots scattered randomly over its
body and reddish stripes on its head. Its face has distinctive white
and dark markings. The soles of its feet are black.
The rusty-spotted cat may be found in the forests, scrub, dried river-
beds and drainage systems of India and Sri Lanka, where it hunts by
night, from the ground, and seeks small mammals and birds.
Tiger Cat
Name: Tiger Cat, Tiger Ocelot
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Tigrina
Weight: 5-8 pounds
Head/Body: 22 inches
Tail: 13 inches
Subspecies: 4
The tiger cat has a slim, graceful body with long legs and a long
tail. Its coat is a light yellowish-brown with striking dark brown
spots, which may form rosettes or chains of rosettes. Its tail is
ringed.
The tiger cat may be found in the forests of Central and South Ameri-
ca, where it hunts by day and by twilight, from trees, and seeks small
rodents and birds.
Geoffroy's Cat
Name: Geoffroy's Cat, Geoffroy's Ocelot
Species: Felis [Leopardus] Geoffroyi
Weight: 6 pounds
Head/Body: 20 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 5
The Geoffroy's cat is a small cat with a well-proportioned body and
head. Its coat varies from silver grey to ochre and is covered all
over with equally-placed small dark brown or black spots. On the
shoulders and flanks of some individuals the spots may merge to form
rosettes or bars.
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The Wild Cats Page 21
The Geoffroy's cat may be found in the open brushlands and scrub of
South America south of the Amazon basin and East of the Andes, where
it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks small mammals and birds.
The Geoffroy's cat is an exceptionally mild-tempered cat, and has been
bred with the domestic cat in an effort to produce a tame but wild-
looking hybrid.
Sand Cat
Name: Sand Cat
Species: Felis Margarita
Weight: 5-6 pounds
Head/Body: 20 inches
Tail: 12 inches
Subspecies: 4
The sand cat is a small cat with short legs and a very broad head with
low-set ears and full cheeks. The soles of its feet are protected
from hot sands by having a thick mat of fur. Its coat is a plain
yellowish-brown to greyish-brown, slightly darker towards its spine
and lighter underneath.
The sand cat may be found in the semi-desert regions of northern
African and the Middle East, where it hunts by night and twilight,
from the ground, and seeks small rodents and reptiles.
Bay Cat
Name: Bay Cat, Bornean Red Cat
Species: Felis [Pardofelis] Badia
Weight: 5 pounds
Head/Body: 20 inches
Tail: 15 inches
Subspecies: 1
A small, very rare cat, the bay cat has a slender body with an excep-
tionally long tail and a round head with small rounded ears. Its coat
is reddish-brown (chestnut) with a pale undersides and significantly
darker ears. There are faint spots on its undersides and limbs and
suggestions of lines in its face.
The bay cat may be found only in rocky and scrub areas of the island
of Borneo, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks small
rodents and birds.
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The Wild Cats Page 22
Kodkod
Name: Kodkod, Huina
Species: Felis [Oncifelis] Guigna
Weight: 4.5 lbs
Head/Body: 18 inches
Tail: 8 in. body
Subspecies: 2
The kodkod is the smallest cat in the Western Hemisphere. Its coat is
buff with heavy black spots. There are black bands on its legs, and
its ears are black with a white spot.
The kodkod may be found in the forests of Chile and Patagonia, where
it hunts by night, from the ground though it is an excellent climber,
and seeks small rodents and birds.
Black-Footed Cat
Name: Black-Footed Cat
Species: Felis Negripes
Weight: 2.5-4.5 pounds
Head/Body: 14-18 inches
Tail: 6-7 inches
Subspecies: 2
The black-footed cat is the smallest African cat, possibly the small-
est cat in the world. Its coat is light brown, slightly darker on
top, with dark brown or black spots, streaked on its cheeks, throat,
chest and belly, and with transverse bars on its forlegs and haunches.
Its feet have black soles.
The black-footed cat may be found in the deserts and savannahs of
southern Africa, where it hunts by night and twilight, from the
ground, and seeks small rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects.
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