Domestic cats are hugely popular as pets, yet little is known about their ancestor, the Afro-Asiatic wildcat. This species, Felis lybica, is the most widely distributed wildcat in the world, but experts still don’t know its exact population. The wildcat faces several threats to its survival, including interbreeding with domestic cats and the diseases they can transmit, Mongabay contributor Petro Kotzé reported in May. To date, the only long-term study conducted on the species’ behavior and population genetics was a four-year effort by Marna Herbst, now a regional ecologist for South African National Parks, who published her findings as part of her Ph.D. studies in 2009. At the time, Herbst spent 10-12 hours a night in the harsh Kalahari landscape of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, attempting to observe and catch the elusive wildcats, Kotzé wrote. She managed to catch and collar several wildcats, which are roughly the same size as domestic cats (F. catus) but with longer legs. Kotzé wrote that wildcats have faint tabby stripes or spots and varying colors, including reddish, sandy, tawny brown and grayish, depending on the region they come from. The species also has a slim tail marked with a dark tip and a distinct pinkish-orange tint on its ears, according to Herbst. Herbst learned that the Afro-Asiatic wildcats can easily adapt to their landscape, season and any available prey. Although they have a preference for small rodents, they also eat reptiles and invertebrates. Herbst even saw some of the male cats preying on hares as…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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