Dedicated to all Zoologists

3. Wildcat
 The wildcat is a species complex of small cats comprising the
European wildcat (Felis silvestris) and the African wildcat (F.
lybica).
 The former is native to Europe and the Caucasus.
 The latter ranges through much of Africa, Southwest and
Central Asia into India and western China.

4.  The wildcat shows a high degree of geographic variation.
 Whereas the Asiatic wildcat is spotted, the African wildcat is faintly
striped, has short sandy-gray fur, banded legs, red-backed ears and a
tapering tail.
 The European wildcat is striped, has long fur and a bushy tail with a
rounded tip, and is larger than a domestic cat

5. Behavioral Characteristics
 The wildcat is a largely solitary animal, except during the breeding
period.
 The size of its home range varies according to terrain, the availability of
food, habitat quality , and the age structure of the population.
 Male and female ranges overlap, though core areas within territories are
avoided by other cats.

6.  Females tend to be more sedentary than males, as they require an exclusive hunting
area when raising kittens.
 Within its territory, the wildcat leaves scent marks in different sites, the quantity of
which increases during estrus, when the cat's preanal glands enlarge and secrete
strong smelling substances, including trimethylamine .
 Territorial marking consists of urinating on trees, vegetation and rocks, and depositing
faeces in conspicuous places.
 The wildcat may also scratch trees, leaving visual markers, and leaving its scent
through glands in its paws.

7.  The wildcat does not dig its own burrows, instead sheltering in the hollows
of old or fallen trees, rock fissures, and the abandoned nests or earths of
other animals (heron nests, and abandoned fox or badger earths in
Europe,and abandoned fennec dens in Africa.
 During flea infestations, the wildcat leaves its den in favour of another.
 During winter, when snowfall prevents the wildcat from travelling long
distances, it remains within its den more than usual

8. Hunting behavior
 When hunting, the wildcat patrols forests and along forest boundaries and
glades.
 In favourable conditions, it will readily feed in fields.
 The wildcat will pursue prey atop trees, even jumping from one branch to
another.
 On the ground, it lies in wait for prey, then catches it by executing a few leaps,
which can span three metres.

9.  Wildcats hunting rabbits have been observed to wait above rabbit warrens for their prey
to emerge.
 Although primarily a solitary predator, the wildcat has been known to hunt in pairs or in
family groups, with each cat devoted entirely to listening, stalking, or pouncing.
 While wildcats in Europe will cache their food, such a behavior has not been observed in
their African counterparts.

10. Reproduction and development
 The wildcat has two estrus periods, one in December–February and another in May–July .
 Estrus lasts 5–9 days, with a gestation period lasting 60–68 days.
 Ovulation is induced through copulation.
 Spermatogenesis occurs throughout the year. During the mating season, males fight viciously , and
may congregate around a single female.
 There are records of male and female wildcats becoming temporarily monogamous. Kittens usually
appear in April–May, though some may be born from March–August.
 Litter size ranges from 1–7 kittens.

11.  Kittens are born blind and helpless, and are covered in a fuzzy coat.
 At birth, the kittens weigh 65-163 grams, though kittens under 90 grams usually do not
survive.
 They are born with pink paw pads, which blacken at the age of three months, and blue
eyes, which turn amber after five months.
 Their eyes open after 9–12 days, and their incisors erupt after 14–30 days.

12. Predators and competitors
 In Tajikistan, wolves are their most serious enemies, having been observed to destroy cat burrows.
 Birds of prey, including eagle-owls and saker falcons, have been known to kill wildcat kittens.
 Seton Gordon recorded an instance where a wildcat fought a golden eagle, resulting in the deaths of
both combatants.
 In Africa, wildcats are occasionally eaten by pythons.
 Competitors of the wildcat include the jungle cat, golden jackal, red fox, marten, and other predators.

13. Communication
 The wildcat is a mostly silent animal.
 The voice of steppe wildcats differs little from the housecat's, while that of forest
wildcats is similar, but coarser .