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| Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) is a small wild cat distributed over South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and marginally into Zimbabwe. The habitats of this cat species are arid semi-desert and savannah, like the Karoo and parts of the highveld, but it is only sparsely distributed in the Kalahari Desert. With an average mass of 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs) it is one of the smallest living species of cats. Females have an average weight of 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs), males 1.9 kg (4.2 lbs).[3] The head-body length is 36-52 cm (14-21 in), plus 13-20 cm (5-8 in) of tail and a shoulder height of about 25 cm (10 in). The head appears over-sized relative to the rest of the body. The fur is cinnamon buff to tawny or off-white with distinct solid blackish spots which are joined to bands behind the shoulders and that form rings around the legs and tail. As the name implies, the soles of the feet are black. The Black-footed Cat is a solitary animal and is active at night and thus rarely seen. In the daytime it hides in Springhare (Pedetes capensis) burrows, under rock slabs and shrubs, and within hollow termite mounds. |
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Scientific Name: Felis nigripes Burchell, 1824
Common Names: Black-footed Cat, Small-spotted Cat; [French] Chat à pieds noirs; [Spanish] Gato de Pies Negros, Gato Patinegro |
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