Africa’s smallest cat has incredible hunting instincts and eats up to 3,000 rodents a year.
The black-footed cat, Felis nigripes, is Africa’s smallest cat and one of the smallest wild cats in the world. The Big Cat Rescue resource writes that representatives of this breed lead a solitary lifestyle and are even called ghosts, because they run away and hide at the slightest hint of something or someone approaching.
Black-footed cats are found only in three Southern African countries: Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, primarily in short to medium-height grassy plains, scrub deserts, and sandy plains, including the Kalahari and Karoo deserts. The best habitat for them is grassy areas with high rodent and bird density. Black-footed cats avoid bushy and rocky areas, possibly due to the presence of other carnivores.
What does a black-footed cat look like?
The length of an adult animal with a tail is from 23 to 52 cm (its length is 12-20 cm) and its height is about 20 cm. The weight of cats is between 1 and 2.5 kg.
Its soft, dense fur ranges in color from dark to pale reddish-gold and has a striking pattern of rounded dark brown or black spots that sometimes meet in stripes or rings. Its large eyes are amber or grayish brown. The chin, chest, belly and inner legs are whitish, and the backs of the ears are pale brown. Cats have two dark stripes on each cheek and dark stripes on their front legs and thighs. The short tail, about half the body length, has two or three black rings that taper towards the black tip. As a special adaptation to desert habitats, these cats have a broad skull with large, rounded ears that provide better hearing. Low-set ears often become completely flat in an “aggressive” stance. They are protected from hot sand thanks to the fur on the black soles of their feet.
reproduction and development
Black-footed cats are females with dependent kittens and prefer solitude during mating. Females reach sexual maturity between 8 and 12 months. Their estrus lasts only 1-2 days, during which time they are ready to mate for several hours. After 63-68 days of gestation, one to four kittens weighing 60-84 grams are born at the bottom of the nest. Females give birth to two cubs per year. The mother changes her den frequently to avoid attracting the attention of predators. Their eyes open around the seventh day. Kittens become independent after 3-4 months but remain within reach of the mother for a long time. Their early start hunting is another sign of life in harsh environments. When the mother raises the alarm, the cubs disperse and freeze until the danger is over.
Small but incredibly voracious
Local people have a legend that these tiny cats can kill a giraffe. Although this is not true, the existence of such a belief best characterizes these small, lively cats.
In a study conducted in South Africa, scientists found that 1,725 prey species were consumed by black-footed cats, with males choosing larger prey species. Mammals (72%) were consumed most frequently, followed by small birds, but invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles were not in high demand among cats. Small rodents, such as the bat-eared mouse, were particularly important during the breeding season for females with kittens. Unlike women, men did not change their diet much depending on the time of year.
A small black-footed cat eats 3,000 rodents every year. They have also been known to eat dead jumper lambs, although they do not kill them themselves. Larger males can eat an adult Cape rabbit, which weighs about the same as a cat. They have also been observed to eat eggs by slightly crushing them between their jaws and licking the contents. Although they can get the moisture they need from their prey, they drink water if it is available.
On a hot day, black-footed cats take shelter in abandoned burrows of snowshoe hares, porcupines and aardvarks, or in termite mounds.
Features of hunting
Black-footed cats are natural hunters. They are believed to be strictly nocturnal and active between sunset and sunrise. Their nocturnal activities vary depending on the length of the night, and they leave the den and return within 30 minutes. Feathered predators may sit near rodent burrows for up to 40 minutes or scare off nesting birds. Sometimes hunting cats are followed by short-eared owls, which pounce on frightened prey.
When hunting, these animals climb trees and move only along the tree trunk in search of bird nests. The distinguishing feature of the black-footed cat is that it is a poor climber due to its stocky body and short tail, so they are not interested in branches.
These cats can jump up to 2 meters and 1.5 meters high when attacking flying birds.
What happens if you corner a black-footed cat?
Like many other small cats, black-footed cats live alone and only gather to breed. They are extremely anti-social and seeing them is a great achievement.
Their calls are louder than other cats of their size. Researchers do not rule out that this is so that they can scream over relatively large distances. However, black-footed cats use a quieter purr or purr when they are close to each other.
They hiss and even growl when they feel threatened. A black-footed cat can become quite ferocious if cornered. Because of this behavior, local people call them miershooptier, which means “anthill tigers”. The second reason for this name is the love of these cats to rest in hollow termite mounds.
Can black-footed cats be kept indoors?
These desert dwellers are difficult to breed in captivity outside their native habitat. They have very specific habitat requirements and need to be kept in dry conditions. However, Wuppertal Zoo in Germany has excellent breeding success and the core of the captive population is located there.
Previously Focus He wrote about why luxury shuttles are not cats for everyone.
Source: Focus
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