Skip to main content

Black-footed Cat

Felis nigripes
Today's animal may look like a normal house cat, but it is actually a wild animal that you want no where near your sofa! Black-footed Cats are some of the smallest wild cats in the world and are close relatives to our domesticated pets.

As adults, Black-footed Cats rarely weigh in at more than 5lbs. They have spotted bodies, and feet that are black on their toes and pads, hence the name.

The species is hard to come by in the wild. They are not only small, they are solitary and nocturnal as well. The Cats hide out in dense grasses during the daytime hours, and are very skittish when other creatures come near.

As with all cats, the Black-footeds are carnivores. They eat mostly rodents and small birds, and will consume up to 1/6 of their body weight every single night.

Black-footed Cats are considered Vulnerable, due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides that make their way up the food chain. They are one of the lesser studied cat species in the wild, but there are about 700 kept in Zoos worldwide. They have been successfully bred in captivity, though not many times.
IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 17in (43cm), Weight up to 4.5lbs (2kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae -- Genus : Felis -- Species : F. nigripes
Image : Patrick Apfeld
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a
59 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent
Post a Comment
Read more