The Cat Survival Trust

The African Desert Cat

Felis lybica
Sorry no picture available

Contents

 
 
  • Description
  • Distribution
  • Diet
  • Behaviour
  • Reproduction
  • Conservation Status
  • Captive Breeding and African Desert Cats in Captivity
  • Further Reading

    • Other names

    		  
     English:African wildcat
     French:chat ganté, chat sauvage d'Afrique
     German:Falbkatze
     Spanish:gato montés, gato silvestre

    Description

    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:
    F. l. brockmaniSomalia 
    F. l. cafraSouth Africa, Zimbabwe southern Mozambique 
    F. l. caudataAfghanistan,Turkey, Iran 
    F. l. chutuchtaSouth Mongolia 
    F. l. foxiSenegal to Lake Chad 
    F. l. gordoniBatinah coast of OmanGordon’s wildcat
    F. l. griseldaKalahari to south Angola 
    F. l. irakiArabian desert regions 
    F. l. issikulensisEast Russia and Turkistan 
    F. l. koslowiEast Tienshan Mountains 
    F. l. lybicaNorth Africa to Sudan and northern Niger 
    F. l. matschieiTranscaucasia 
    F. l. mellandiSouth central Africa 
    F. l. murgabensisAfghanistan-Turkestan 
    F. l. nesteroviMesopotamia to SW Iran 
    F. l. ocreataEthiopian highlands 
    F. l. ornataNorth and Central IndiaIndian wildcat
    F. l. pyrrhusN. Angola and SW Zaire 
    F. l. rubidaSudan-Tanzania 
    F. l. sardaParts of Morocco and Algeria, Sardinia 
    F. l. tristramiPalestine and Red Sea coast of Arabia 
    F. l. ugandaeEast Africa 
    Some of these subspecies relate more closely to the separate page for the Asiatic Desert Cat

    Principal dimensions

     OverallMalesFemales
    Head and Body lengths (cm)55-65  
    Height at shoulder (cm)35.5  
    Tail lengths (cm)30-35  
    Weight (Kg) 54

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    Distribution and Habitats

    With the exception of tropical rainforest, the African desert cat is found in almost every habitat type. It ranges to over 3,000m. in mountain areas, while in deserts it is largely confined to dry watercourses and mountains.
    In the northern part of its range, the African desert cat almost overlaps with the eastern form of the European wildcat. It reaches Syria, Iraq and parts of Iran, the whole of Africa and the Arabian peninsula.
    The map shows the present distribution of African Desert Cats in grey.
    The map is based on information in the Wild Cats Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan published by the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group in 1996. See our     Books page for more details.
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    Diet

    The prey of African desert cats includes almost anything they can catch; rodents are a major part of their diet, but they also take small birds, reptiles, amphibia, insects, arachnids and other chelicerata as well as other mammals up to the size of young antelopes. They rarely take carrion. They have on occasion been recorded as eating fruit.
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    Behaviour

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

    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.
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    Conservation Status

    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.
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    Captive Breeding and African Desert Cats in Captivity

    Studbook Keeper
    “Gordon’s Wildcat” (F. l. gordoni) only

    Gea Olbricht
    Zoologischer Garten der Stadt Wuppertal
    Hubertusallee 30
    42117 Wuppertal 1
    Germany
    A captive breeding programme needs to have regard to keeping separate the various subspecies, while at the same time avoiding the dangers of inbreeding.
    This is achieved by the maintenance of a studbook which is used to select suitable breeding partners for captive animals. Such studbooks are maintained on a voluntary basis by dedicated individuals or teams at various zoos around the world.

    Zoos with African desert cats


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    Last revision 11th June, 2002

    © September 1996 The Cat Survival Trust, The Centre, Codicote Road, Welwyn, AL6 9TU, England.
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    email: cattrust@aol.com