Small Wild Cats

[Rage2277]

 Cat Quiz 2. Day 6. The answer to this weeks wild cat quiz is the Caracal (Caracal caracal)! Now admittedly, I was very sneaky this week. I called it a cat quiz, and never referred to the cat in question as big or small (unlike last week). So your guesses of leopard and caracal were truly spot on. Both of their ranges overlap significantly and therefor share their habitat with many of the same animals. The only way that you could have known for sure that it was indeed the caracal versus the leopard was that hunting is the primary threat for leopards, while “only” the secondary threat for caracals, after habitat loss. I know, I know, that was mean, but I am so proud of all of you for guessing either of those species, just based on a very few pictures with no information! I promise to be more fair next week!

Now a little info on the caracal. The caracal is a medium sized cat with a maximum weight of 58 pounds. The ear tuft’s function is unclear, but may be used in communicating between different individuals. They are incredibly impressive jumpers, able to leap six feet into the air from a stationary position. The IUCN Red list classifies them as Least Concern. Reply