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824 Featured Specimen
Black-footed cat

Details

Black-footed cat

Felis nigripes

Size
36–52 cm · 1–2.5 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan

Black-footed cat is one of the smallest wild cats, native to dry parts of southern Africa. Farming, overgrazing, and poisoning can affect this small cat in dry landscapes.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It lives in dry grassland, semidesert, and scrub, using burrows or termite mounds as shelter. Main habitat types in this guide are desert, grassland.

Appearance

Typical length 36-52 cm, weight 1 kg-2.5 kg. A tiny body, spotted coat, dark soles, round face, and large eyes are characteristic.

Behavior

It is nocturnal and usually solitary. It travels alone at night over long distances, hunting many small ground-dwelling prey.

Feeding

It is carnivorous. Rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects are captured frequently to fuel its small body.

Reproduction

Females raise kittens in burrows, leaving them sheltered while hunting.

Notes

Habitat loss and human pressure make conservation attention important. Farming, overgrazing, and poisoning can affect this small cat in dry landscapes.