The African golden cat (Caracal aurata) remains little known by science, though within Africa there is much tribal superstition about it. It is also called the ‘leopard’s brother’ because, according to local people, it follows the leopard. It is about twice as big as a large domestic cat, is robustly built, and has and large paws and a short tail.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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MesopredatorA mesopredator is a medium-sized predator in the middle of a trophic level, which typically preys on smaller animals. When populations of apex pred...
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ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe African golden cat has a fur color ranging from chestnut or reddish-brown, greyish brown to dark slaty. Some are spotted, with the spots ranging from faded tan to black in color. In others, the spotting pattern is limited to the belly and inner legs. Its undersides and areas around the eyes, cheeks, chin, and throat are lighter in color to almost white. Its tail is darker on the top and either heavily banded, lightly banded, or plain, ending in a black tip. Cats in the western parts of its range tend to have heavier spotting than those in the eastern region. Two color morphs, a red and a grey phase, were once thought to indicate separate species, rather than color variations of the same species. Grey skins have hairs that are not pigmented in their middle zones, whereas hair of red skins is pigmented intensively red. The hair of melanistic skins is entirely black.
African golden cats live in equatorial Africa, inhabiting areas from western Sierra Leone to central Africa and as far to the east as Kenya. The Congo River serves as a natural geographic barrier that divides the two subspecies. These animals primarily inhabit lowland, in areas of moist forest, but they can also occur along rivers in recently logged forest, and in mountainous regions in alpine moorland and bamboo forest.
Due to its very reclusive habits, not much is known about the African golden cat’s behavior. It is a solitary animal, and is normally nocturnal or crepuscular, although they have sometimes been seen hunting during the day, according to the availability of prey in the area. In captivity, African golden cats can be seen showing aggressive and threatening behaviors. When threatened their back is kept slightly arched, and the hair on their back and tail stands up. They keep their head lower than their body, usually tilted to the side. Their tail curves in a hook shape and can whip sharply before returning to its original form. When these cats attack, they do it swiftly.
African golden cats are carnivores, preying on mid-sized mammals including tree hyraxes, smaller forest antelopes, red duikers, and monkeys, and sometimes birds and fish.
There is only one recorded viewing of two cats traveling together, and this may suggest a monogamous pair bonding, but more evidence is needed to understand their mating system. Information about the mating of these animals is from captive individuals only. 1 to 2 kittens can be born to 1 mother, occasionally 3. Gestation is for 75 to 78 days. The kittens are born blind, opening their eyes after about a week. When they are about 2 weeks old, they show curiosity about their surroundings and they can climb. Around 6 weeks old, weaning begins. Males are sexually mature at about 6 months old, and females at 11 months.
The African golden cat prey populations and habitat are decreasing. The West African moist forests have been degraded heavily and the areas that remain are distributed patchily. ‘Savannization’, which is a process whereby a forest becomes a savanna due to logging and slash-and-burn agriculture, has probably led to fragmentation and population decline. The African golden cat is hunted, with skins regularly appearing in markets. They are also killed when raiding poultry sheds or preying on domestic sheep and goats.
According to the IUCN Red List, the African Golden cat is occasionally observed in the wild, and generally considered rare. There is no estimation of population size available. This species’ numbers are decreasing and currently it is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List.
African golden cats have an important role as predators of the forest, and prey on a range of animals, thus controlling their populations. They also serve as prey for the leopard, their natural predator.
