| Wild Cat Felis silvestris |
Size: females 4 kg (8.8 lbs) males 5 kg (11 lbs).
Habitat: African wild cats are found in a wide range of habitats including desert, savannah, woodland, and forest. They are rare or absent in tropical rainforest.
Primary prey: Rodents, birds, small reptiles and amphibians.
Conservation Status: Stable.
Principal threats: Hybridization with domestic cats.
Distribution: The African wild cat is a subspecies of the wild cat, Felis sylvestris, that occurs in the Middle east and throughout much of Africa. The remaining wild subspecies are found in Europe and Asia.
Notable Features: This subspecies of wild cat appears to be ancestral to all domestic cats. Its coat pattern is usually tabby-like with faint dark stripes and spots on a reddish to tawny brown background. It differs from the Europen species in being more slender with relatively longer limbs.

| Arabian subspecies of the Wildcat |
|
Produced by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. © Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation This page was made possible by a grant from Friskies Pet Care Corporation and the National Science Foundation. All photographic images contained within these web pages ARE COPYRIGHTED and may not be reproduced, or utilized in any manner, without the express written consent the owner. Wildcat photograph by Nancy Vandermey, © Nancy Vandermey, Exotic Feline Breeding Compound. Page design by Jim Angus |