Wildcat

I

Introduction

Wildcat, small member of the cat family found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Research shows that the African subspecies of wildcat is the direct ancestor of the modern domestic cat. The various types of wildcats live in forested regions, on heaths, plains, savannas, and other open areas, and in mountainous and rocky places. They are not found in rain forests or deserts. Like many small members of the cat family, they are mainly solitary and territorial, and hunt at night. They prey on small mammals and birds, and sometimes eat reptiles or insects. Wildcats can live up to 15 years.

II

Description

Wildcats share many basic physical characteristics with domestic cats. The European wildcat is larger and stronger than the domestic cat and has a shorter, thicker tail and long, dense fur. In coloration it resembles the striped tabby cat. The African wildcat has a slighter build than the European wildcat and longer legs than domestic cats. Populations that live in sandy areas have lighter, sandy-colored coats. The Central Asian wildcat is generally smaller than the African wildcat but has similar coloration that varies with its habitat. Male wildcats are generally bigger than females.

Wildcats generally have smaller litters than domestic cats, with two to four kittens being average with up to eight possible. Only two or three kittens generally survive. In Europe and Asia female wildcats give birth in early spring.

III

People and Wildcats

Experts have long identified the African subspecies of wildcat Felis silvestris libyca as the most likely ancestor of the domestic cat. A study published in 2007 used mitochondrial DNA to clarify the ancestry of the domestic cat. It found that five females derived from Felis silvestris libyca appeared to be the ancestors of all modern house cats.

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Members of the African subspecies of wildcat were domesticated in the Middle East around the time that farming villages first developed in the Fertile Crescent region between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago. Wildcats were probably attracted to human settlements by rodents and other pests that fed on stored grains and cereals. Some of the wildcats adapted to life with people and gave up their wild behaviors, becoming the ancestors of domestic cats.

The great success of the domestic cat contrasts with the modern situation of the wildcat. Populations have declined in most parts of Europe and in parts of Asia. Wildcats have been hunted for their fur or killed for preying on domestic fowl. They have also suffered loss of habitat. Interbreeding (or hybridization) with house cats and domestic cats that have gone feral (wild) means that some types of wildcats risk losing their genetic distinctness. Wildcats are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as vulnerable and have protected status in some European countries.

Scientific classification: Wildcats belong to the family Felidae. The European wildcat (also called the forest wildcat) is classified as Felis silvestris silvestris; the African wildcat (also called the Near Eastern wildcat) as Felis silvestris libyca; and the Central Asian wildcat (also called the Asiatic steppe or Indian desert cat) as Felis silvestris ornata. Different classifications recognize many other subspecies. The name wildcat is also used in North America for the bobcat, which is a type of lynx (Lynx rufus) and not closely related to true wildcats.

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