The African Desert Cat
Felis lybica lybica

Similar in size to the domestic cat, of which it is the presumed ancestor, the African desert cat differs from the closely-related European wildcat in being more slightly built and having less distinct markings and a thin, tapering tail.

The background colour varies from reddish or sandy yellow to tawny brown or even grey, often with faint tabby markings and spots. The backs of the ears have a reddish or rusty brown tint.

Twenty-two subspecies have been described although as with all subdivisions of species they are not universally recognised:

Some of these subspecies relate more closely to the separate page for the Asiatic Desert Cat

The prey of the African desert cat includes almost anything it can catch; rodents are a major part of its diet over much of the range, but it also takes small birds, reptiles, amphibia, insects, arachnids and other chelicerata as well as other mammals up to the size of young antelopes. It rarely takes carrion. They have on occasion been recorded as eating fruit.

Like most cats, the African desert cat is solitary and largely nocturnal, although it may also be active in early morning and late afternoon.

Birth appears to occur mainly during the southern hemisphere’s summer. Two to five kittens are born after a gestation period of 56 to 63 days. The kittens are sexually mature at about eleven months.

The African desert cat is listed by CITES in Appendix 2, requiring strict regulation of trade in the species. The cat is not protected by national legislation over most of its range although eight countries prohibit hunting and a further seven exercise some control.
Relatively abundant, a major threat to the species comes from hybridisation with domestic cats of which feral populations occur throughout the range of the wild species.