Pictures and facts about the Black-footed cat

Black-footed cat

Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae
Subfamily : Felinae
Species : Felis nigripes

Among the different breeds of wild cat, the Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) is among the smallest. The male's weight is just 2.2 kilograms, and the female weighs even less, an average of 1.5 kilograms. Their body length is approximately 50 centimeters and shoulder height is 22 centimeters. The Black-footed Cat has a broad head, with a black line that runs across the cheeks from the outer corner of each eye. Its coat varies from sandy brown to a red-brown, and the pelage is spotted with dark patches. Its legs have horizontal stripes, the tail adorned with rings. They can only be found in South Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The Black-footed Cats lives in an arid environment, and it is strongly believed that they can live without drinking water. They get what they could from the food, just like the Sand Cat of Africa.

The Black-footed Cat lives in uninhabited burrows, covered and hidden by big boulders. Hunting is basically done at night, and their diet consists of rodents, ground squirrels, mice, small mammals, and as secondary choices- spiders and even reptiles. Actually, it is common for an individual to go after bigger prey, and store the carcass for future consumption. A Black-footed Cat is also capable of scavenging on the meat/flesh of dead mammals, a lamb for example.

These cats' litter size is one to four young, with a gestation period of 65 days, give or take. The newborns would attain "maturity" when they come to about 20 months. During times when they feel threatened, a male would emit a high-level "roar".

Interesting fact: Birds can be captured by Black-footed cats, it would jump into the air at the exact moment that the bird takes off...the sense of timing of these cats is highly-developed.

Picture of the Black-footed cat by Dragon7, licensed under Copyleft: This work of art is free; you can redistribute it and/or modify it according to terms of the Free Art License.

Facts about the black-footed cat

5 kilograms, black footed cats are possibly the smallest species of cat on earth, rivalling the rusty spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus and the kodkod Oncifelis guigna.

House cat is Felis silvestris; Felis nigripes is name given to a South African wild cat.

nigripes Binomial name Felis nigripes Burchell, 1824 The Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) is a small wild cat distributed over South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Scientific Name:Felis nigripes Description:So named for the black undersides of their feet, black-footed cats are the smallest cat species in the world.

The black footed cat is one of the few small wild cats that has a Species Survival Plan.

The black-footed cat is listed as endangered on the US Endangered Species list and is also an Appendix One listing in CITIES.

The Black-Footed Cat is widely recognized as the smallest of the exotic cats. (Full text)

Animal Description: The Black-Footed Cat is widely recognized as the smallest of the exotic cats. (Full text)

The Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) is a small wild cat distributed over South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. (Full text)

Black-footed cats are the ecological equivalent of the more northerly distributed sand cat. (Full text)

The black-footed cat is marked with bold black spots, arranged in rows on the throat, chest and belly. (Full text)

The Black-footed Cat is one of the smallest species of cat. (Full text)

Black-footed Cat Felis nigripes,The Black-footed Cat is one of the smallest species of cat. (Full text)

Habitat: Black-footed cats are nocturnal inhabitants of the arid lands of southern Africa, and are typically associated with open, sandy grassy habitats with sparse scrub and tree cover. (Full text)

Black-footed cats are dwarfs in the cat world--2 to 3 pounds for females, 3 to 5 pounds for males. (Full text)

Maybe the smallest of wild cats, Black-footed Cats are native to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Southern Angolan semi-deserts. (Full text)

Behavior:Black-footed cats are nocturnal and terrestrial, sleeping up to 20 hours a day and hunting only every couple of days. (Full text)

Black-footed cats are regularly reported to hang onto the throats of sheep until they pierce their jugular veins! (Full text)

The smallest of all the species of cats, Black-footed cat is indeed one of the most fascinating of them all. (Full text)

Felis nigripes The Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) is a small wild cat distributed over South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. (Full text)

Black footed cats are known to be tenacious and aggressive. (Full text)

Physical Appearance The black-footed cat is among the smallest of the Felids. (Full text)

Distribution: Black-footed cats are only found in the southern tip of Africa. (Full text)

The Black-footed Cat is also known by several other names including the African Black-footed (Full text)