The African wildcat (Felis lybica) is a small wildcat species. In Cyprus, an African wildcat was found in a burial site next to a human skeleton in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement Shillourokambos. The graves are estimated to have been established by Neolithic farmers about 9,500 years ago and are the earliest known evidence of a close association between a cat and a human. Their proximity indicates that the cat may have been tamed or domesticated. Results of genetic research indicate that the African wildcat genetically diverged into three clades about 173,000 years ago, namely the Near Eastern wildcat, Southern African wildcat and Asiatic wildcat. African wildcats were first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Near East, and are the ancestors of the domestic cat (F. catus ). Crossings between a domestic cat and an African wildcat are still common today.
The fur of the African wildcat is light sandy grey, and sometimes with a pale yellow or reddish hue, but almost whitish on the belly and on the throat. The ears have small tufts, are reddish to grey, with long light yellow hairs around the pinna. The stripes around the face are dark ochre to black: two run horizontally on the cheek from the outer corner of the eye to the jaw, a smaller one from the inner corner of the eye to the rhinarium, and four to six across the throat. Two dark rings encircle the forelegs, and the hind legs are striped. A dark stripe runs along the back, and the flanks are lighter. Pale vertical stripes on the sides often dissolve into spots. Its tail has two to three rings towards the end with a black tip. Its feet are dark brown to black below. The African wildcat differs from the European wildcat by inconspicuous stripes on the nape and shoulders, a less sharply defined stripe across the spine, and the slender tail, which is cylindrical, less bushy, and more tapering. Ears are normally tipped with a small tuft. Its fur is shorter than that of the European wildcat, and it is considerably smaller.
African wildcats are found across Africa, around the periphery of the Arabian Peninsula, and in the Middle East as far eastward as the Caspian Sea. They live in a broad variety of habitats, especially in hilly and mountainous landscapes such as the Hoggar Mountains. They can be found in tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, steppes, semi-deserts, shrublands, mixed forests, woodlands, and even plantations.
African wildcats are active mainly by night when they spend most of their time searching for prey. Their hearing is so fine that they can locate prey precisely. They approach prey by patiently crawling forward and using vegetation to hide. During the daylight hours, they usually hide in the bushes, although they may sometimes be active on dark cloudy days. African wildcats lead a solitary life and maintain territories that they mark and defend. The territory of one male usually overlaps with that of up to three females. When confronted, African wildcats raise their hair to make themselves seem larger in order to intimidate their opponent.
African wildcats are carnivores. They hunt primarily mice, rats, birds, reptiles, and insects. In West Africa, they prey on rats, mice, gerbils, hares, and small to medium-sized birds, including francolins, and lizards. In Southern Africa, they also attack antelope fawns and domestic stock, such as lambs and kids. Despite living in a hot climate they rarely drink water.
Little is known about the mating system of African wildcats. After the gestation period of between 56 and 60 days, females usually give birth to 1-3 kittens; however, litters of up to 5 kittens were also observed. In Botswana, births occur mostly during the warm wet season. Females give birth and raise their young in dens which are sheltered places like dense grass, burrows, or hollow trees. The kittens are born blind and helpless and open their eyes after about 10-14 days. They are mobile at the age of one month and at around 3 months of age, they start learning hunting techniques from their mother. They leave their family and become independent at the age of around 6 months.
The main threats to African wildcat include hybridization with domestic cats and habitat loss. They also suffer from road kills, are caught as bycatch in traps set for other species, and are also often killed as pests.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the African wildcat total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
