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113 Featured Specimen
Caracal

Details

Caracal

Caracal caracal

Size
62–91 cm · 8–19 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan
10-20 years

The caracal is a solitary cat of savannas and dry country. Mostly nocturnal, it uses agile leaps to catch birds and small mammals.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
PalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

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

Details

Habitat

It uses open savanna, semidesert, and dry scrub. It favors landscapes where cover for stalking is mixed with broad hunting ground.

Appearance

Body length is about 62-91 cm and weight about 8-19 kg. Long black ear tufts, a reddish coat, and slender legs give it strong vertical jumping ability.

Behavior

Nocturnal and solitary, it patrols a home range with little noise. By day it rests in rocks or dense cover, then ranges widely after dark.

Feeding

It is carnivorous, eating rodents, hares, birds, and similar prey. When hunting birds, it may spring upward and strike with the forepaws.

Reproduction

Pairs come together briefly for breeding. Kittens are raised in a hidden den and learn hunting distance and timing from the mother.

Notes

Its status is listed as Least Concern. It is well adapted to dry landscapes, though conflict around livestock can affect it locally.