Scientific Name: Felis Silvestris lybica [19][21], Based on a mitochondrial DNA study of 979 domestic and wildcats from Europe, Asia, and Africa, the African wildcat is thought to have split off from the European wildcat about 173,000 years ago, with the North African/Near Eastern wildcat splitting from the Asiatic wildcat and the Southern African wildcat about 131,000 years ago. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. [37], Phylogenetic relationships of the African wildcat as derived through analysis of, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group", "The near eastern origin of cat domestication", "New Antelopes and Carnivores from British East Africa", "Captain Angus Buchanan's Aïr Expedition. COMMON NAMES The African Wildcat is also known as the Desert Cat, African Desert Cat or simply Wildcat. [25] Results of zooarchaeological research indicate that it descended from domestic cats probably introduced at the beginning of the 1st millennium from the Near East. In Tajikistan, the grey wolf (Canis lupus) is the most serious competitor, having been observed to destroy cat burrows. Mating generally occurs early in the year, and a litter of two to five kittens is born about 56 days later. [13][14] Male wildcats have pre-anal pockets on the tail, activated upon reaching sexual maturity, play a significant role in reproduction and territorial marking. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Results of genetic research indicate that the African wildcat genetically diverged into three clades about 173,000 years ago, namely the Near Eastern wildcat, Southern African wildcat and Asiatic wildcat. [1] Sicily is the only island in the Mediterranean Sea with a native wildcat population. The tail is bushy and blunt ended, unlike a domestic cat’s tapered tail. It has bold stripes on the coat that run along the neck and legs similar to a striped tabby, but with less stripes and more widely spaced. The family dissolves after roughly five months, and the kittens disperse to establish their own territories. [6], The wildcat has been categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2002, since it is widely distributed, and the global population is considered stable and exceeding 20,000 mature individuals. It is becoming quite rare to come across a pure bred African Wildcat. Hunting starts at 12 weeks and they are independent by 5 months. Learn a new word every day. Its whiskers are white, number 7 to 16 on each side and reach 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) in length on the muzzle. African wildcats were first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Near East of Africa. It also preys on dormice, hares, nutria (Myocastor coypus) and birds, especially ducks and other waterfowl, galliformes, pigeons and passerines. Birds of prey, including Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) and saker falcon (Falco cherrug), have been recorded to kill wildcat kittens. The European wildcat is also listed in Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and in the European Union's Habitats and Species Directive. [1], The association of African wildcats and humans appears to have developed along with the establishment of settlements during the Neolithic Revolution, when rodents in grain stores of early farmers attracted wildcats. However, in some range countries both wildcat species are considered threatened by introgressive hybridisation with the domestic cat (F. catus) and transmission of diseases. Please check your email for further instructions. Such a beautiful animal. It also leaves visual marks by scratching trees. The wildcat (including Felis silvestris and Felis lybica) is considered as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.The species Felis lybica has not yet been seperatly assessed in the IUCN Red List.The status of the African wildcat is not very clear as it is a cryptic species and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish it from domestic cats. [4]Crossings between domestic cats and African wildcats are still common today.[5]. Females are slightly smaller, measuring 40–77 cm (16–30 in) in body length and 18–35 cm (7.1–13.8 in) in tail length, and weighing 3–5 kg (6.6–11.0 lb). IDENTIFICATION The African Wildcat looks similar to a short-haired domestic tabby cat, but has reddish colouring on the back of the ears, over its abdomen and on the back of its hind legs. [22], The fur of the African wildcat is light sandy grey, and sometimes with a pale yellow or reddish hue, but almost whitish on the belly and on the throat. Its coat, paler in the female, is light or orange-brown with narrow dark stripes. [5] In Botswana, she gives birth mostly during the warm wet season to one to three kittens. The diminutive African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) is often overlooked in favour of its more impressive feline cousins.However, what it lacks in size and strength, it more than makes up for in stealth and success. This species and the nominate subspecies has pale, buffish or light-grayish fur with a tinge of red on the dorsal band; the length of its pointed tail is about two-thirds of the head to body size. The northernmost point of Africa is farther north than the southernmost point of Europe. Please enable JavaScript on your browser to best view this site. Remains of domesticated wildcats have been included in human burials as far back as 9,500 years ago in Cyprus. Male and female home ranges overlap, though core areas within territories are avoided by other cats. [3] When attacking large prey, it leaps upon the animal's back, and attempts to bite the neck or carotid. [38] Similarly to the domestic cat, the physical development of African wildcat kittens over the first two weeks of their lives is much faster than that of European wildcats. A scent trail of pheasant viscera leads the cat to the pit. The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species, the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) and the African wildcat (F. lybica). [42] In the steppe regions of Europe and Asia, village dogs constitute serious enemies of wildcats, along with the much larger Eurasian lynx, one of the rare habitual predators of healthy adult wildcats. [16], In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force revised the taxonomy of the Felidae, and recognized the following as valid taxa:[2], The wildcat is a member of the Felidae, a family that had a common ancestor about 10–15 million years ago. Copyright © Cats For Africa 2020 - This Page Last updated: Oct 8, 2020 at 14:12 pm, Lists by Common Name, by Genus and by Lineage, Wild Cat Species of Africa with Subspecies. Their proximity indicates that the cat may have been tamed or domesticated. This important event took place in the Fertile Crescent, about 9,000 years ago. So what are some traits that our present domestic cat shares with the African Wildcat? [38], Generation length of the wildcat is about eight years. [48], Wildcat species are protected in most range countries and listed in CITES Appendix II. Two dark rings encircle the forelegs, and hind legs are striped. Mainly nocturnal and terrestrial. Both sexes have pre-anal glands, consisting of moderately sized sweat and sebaceous glands around the anal opening. [5] The silvestris and lybica lineages probably diverged about 173,000 years ago. Large-sized sebaceous and scent glands extend along the full length of the tail on the dorsal side. Litter size ranges from 1–7 kittens. Between the late 18th and 20th centuries, several naturalists and curators of natural history museums described and proposed new names for wildcat holotypes from Africa and the Near East, including: Since 2017, three African wildcat subspecies are recognised as valid taxa:[2], Phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear DNA in tissue samples from all Felidae species revealed that the evolutionary radiation of the Felidae began in Asia in the Miocene around 14.45 to 8.38 million years ago. [4] Felis species diverged from the Felidae around 6–7 million years ago. [4] The European wildcat evolved during the Cromerian Stage about 866,000 to 478,000 years ago; its direct ancestor was Felis lunensis. [9] In 1693, William Salmon mentioned how body parts of the wildcat were used for medicinal purposes; its flesh for treating gout, its fat for dissolving tumours and easing pain, its blood for curing "falling sickness", and its excrement for treating baldness. The European wildcat diverged from Felis about 1.09 to 1.4 million years ago. "Biogeographical patterns in the diet of the wildcat, "Reversing cryptic extinction: the history, present and future of the Scottish Wildcat", "Der Wildkatzenwegeplan – Ein strategisches Instrument des Naturschutzes", "Information and education website on the Scottish wildcat and conservation efforts", "Conserving the Scottish wildcat in the West Highlands", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wildcat&oldid=980240014, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Distribution of the wildcat species complex. [6], The wildcat has pointed ears, which are moderate in length and broad at the base. Updates? [34] When living close to human settlements, it preys on poultry. [21], The African wildcat is part of an evolutionary lineage that is estimated to have genetically diverged from the common ancestor of the Felis species around 2.16 to 0.89 million years ago, based on analysis of their nuclear DNA.