Caracal

The caracal is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, and long canine teeth. Caracals are strictly carnivorous. They prey primarily on birds, rodents and small antelopes. Like most cats, caracals stalk their prey before pouncing on it. A cat with speed: A caracal can run at speeds of up to 50mph! No wonder it's also known as a gazelle cat. A skillful hunter: A caracal can leap into the air to catch a bird as it's taking off. Extremely sensitive hearing: A caracal has 20 muscles in each of its ears helping it to track down prey. The caracal is a sleek short-haired cat with a reddish brown coat and long tufts of black hairs on the tips of its pointed ears. Long-legged and short-tailed, it stands 40–45 cm (16–18 inches) tall at the shoulder and varies from 66 to 76 cm (about 26 to 30 inches) in length excluding its 20–25-cm (7.9–9.8-inch) tail.

Since 2017, three subspecies have been recognised as valid:

Southern caracal (C. c. caracal) (Schreber, 1776) – occurs in Southern and East Africa.

Northern caracal (C. c. nubicus) (Fischer, 1829) – occurs in North and West Africa.

Asiatic caracal (C. c. schmitzi) (Matschie, 1912) – occurs in Asia.

Mass: 16 – 42 lbs (Male), 15 – 35 lbs (Female)

Conservation status: Least Concern

Trophic level: Carnivorous

Scientific name: Caracal caracal

Gestation period: 71 days

Family: Felidae

Kingdom: Animalia