Page 81 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

FIELD GUIDE  79

African Wild Cat
Species: Felis silvestris • Best Seen: Sabi Sands, Kgalagadi, Kruger
LC
This small, elusive felid is closely related to its much
rarer European counterpart. DNA evidence suggests
that it is the sole wild ancestor of the domestic cat –
and indeed it looks much like a domestic tabby,
but with longer legs. A versatile hunter of rodents,
birds and insects, it is the most widely distributed
of all African predators, absent only from rainforest
interiors and deserts. Its genetic integrity is under
increasing threat as a result of interbreeding with
The African wild cat, a versatile hunter feral domestic cats.

Black-Footed Cat
Species: Felis nigripes • Best Seen: Kgalagadi, Pilanesberg
VU
Endemic to southern Africa, this tiny cat is associated
with sandy, semiarid habitats, where it is very seldom
seen. At a glance, it could be confused with the
African wild cat, but it is much smaller, has shorter
legs, and is heavily spotted as opposed to faintly
striped. A nocturnal hunter, it preys mainly
on small mammals such as gerbils, mice and
elephant shrews. The black-footed cat, nocturnal and seldom seen
Caracal
Species: Felis caracal • Best Seen: Kgalagadi, Augrabies Falls
LC
The largest of Africa’s “small cats”, the caracal resembles the
Eurasian lynx, although recent genetic studies suggest it has
closer affinities to the serval. It has a fairly uniform tan coat,
with light spotting sometimes distinguishable on the paler
belly, and long tufted ears whose dark coloration is referred
to in Turkish as karakulak (black ear), from which the cat gets
its name. Because of this tufting, and some 20 muscles that
control ear direction, it is exceptionally sharp of hearing,
even by felid standards. Known to be active at night, this
The caracal, the cat most strongly agile carnivore is a versatile hunter, and is particularly
associated with dry habitats skilled at taking birds in flight.

Serval
Species: Felis serval • Best Seen: Kruger, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg, Ithala
LC
Superficially similar to the larger cheetah, the serval is
a sleek spotted cat associated with rank grassland and
other open, non-forested habitats. It typically has streaky
(as opposed to circular) black-on-gold spots, although
speckled and melanistic morphs also occur. It has the
longest legs in relation to body size of any felid, and
very large ears – adaptations that help it to locate prey
in its preferred habitat of tall grassland. It feeds mainly
on small mammals and birds, pouncing with a
spectacular high spring, then delivering the fatal blow
with one of its power ful claws. The serval is the most
readily seen of the smaller felids, especially during the
first 30 minutes after sunrise. The serval, found in open habitats
Key to Field Guide icons see p72

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