Black-footed cat
Black-footed cat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | Felidae |
Subfamily: | Felinae |
Genus: | Felis |
Species: | F. nigripes
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Binomial name | |
Felis nigripes Burchell, 1824
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Distribution of the black-footed cat in 2016[1] |
The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes), also called the small-spotted cat, is the smallest wild cat in Africa, having a head-and-body length of 35–52 cm (14–20 in). Despite its name, only the soles of its feet are black or dark brown. With its bold small spots and stripes on the tawny fur, it is well camouflaged, especially on moonlit nights. It bears black streaks running from the corners of the eyes along the cheeks, and its banded tail has a black tip.
The first black-footed cat known to science was discovered in the northern
The black-footed cat has been studied using radio telemetry since 1993. This research allowed direct observation of its behaviour in its natural habitat. It usually rests in burrows during the day and hunts at night. It moves between 5 and 16 km (3 and 10 mi) on average in search of small rodents and birds. It feeds on 40 different vertebrates and kills up to 14 small animals per night. It can catch birds in flight, jumping up to 1.4 m (5 ft) high, and also attacks mammals and birds much heavier than itself. A female usually gives birth to two kittens during the Southern Hemisphere summer between October and March. They are weaned at the age of two months and become independent after four months of age at the latest.
Taxonomy and phylogeny
The scientific name Felis nigripes was used by the British explorer William John Burchell in 1824 when he described the species based on skins of small, spotted cats that he encountered near Litákun (now known as Dithakong), in South Africa.[2] Felis (Microfelis) nigripes thomasi was proposed as a subspecies by the South African mammalogist Guy C. Shortridge in 1931, who described black-footed cat skins collected in Griqualand West that were darker than those of the nominate subspecies.[3] When the British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock reviewed cat skins in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London, he corroborated that the black-footed cat is a Felis species.[4]
The
Phylogeny and evolution
The black-footed cat is part of an
Fossil remains of the black-footed cat have not been found.[8] It possibly migrated during the Pleistocene into Africa.[7] This migration was possibly facilitated by extended periods of low sea levels between Asia and Africa.[9]
The following cladogram shows the phylogenetic relationships of the black-footed cat as derived through analysis of nuclear DNA:[7][8]
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Characteristics
The black-footed cat has tawny fur that is entirely covered with black spots. Its head is darker than the rest of the body but paler above the eyes. Its whiskers are white, and its ears bear grizzled dark brown hairs. On the neck and back, some spots are elongated into stripes. The spots form transverse stripes on the shoulders. The forelegs and the hind legs bear irregular stripes. Its tail is confusedly spotted. The underparts of the feet are black or dark brown.[2][10] The throat rings form black semi-circles that vary in colour from dusky brown to pale rufous and are narrowly edged with rufous. Some individuals have a pure white belly with a tawny tinge where it blends into the tawny colour of the flanks.[11] The ears, eyes and mouth are lined with pale off-white.[12] Two black streaks run from the corners of the eyes across the cheeks. Individuals vary in background colour from sandy and pale ochre to dark ochre.[13] In the northern part of its range, it is lighter than in the southern part, where its spots and bands are more clearly defined. The three rings on the throat are reddish brown to black, with the third ring broken in some individuals.[4][10] The black bands are broad on the upper legs and become narrower towards the paws. The 25 to 30 mm (1.0 to 1.2 in) long guard hairs are gray at the base and have either white or dark tips. The underfur is dense with short and wavy hair.[10] The fur becomes thicker and longer during winter.[12] The pupils of the eyes contract to a vertical slit, like in all Felis species.[4] They are light green to dark yellow.[12]
The black-footed cat is the smallest cat species in Africa.[13][10][14][15] Females measure 33.7–36.8 cm (13.3–14.5 in) in head and body length with a 15.7 to 17 cm (6.2 to 6.7 in) long tail. Males are between 42.5 and 50 cm (16.7 and 19.7 in) with a 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long tail. Its tapering tail is about half the length of the head and body.[13] Its skull is short and round with a basal length of 77–87 mm (3.0–3.4 in) and a width of 38–40 mm (1.5–1.6 in). The ear canal and the openings of the ears are larger than in most Felis species. The cheek teeth are 22–23 mm (0.87–0.91 in) long and the upper carnassials 10 mm (0.4 in) long.[4] It has small pointed ears ranging from 45 to 50 mm (1.8 to 2.0 in) in females and 46 to 57 mm (1.8 to 2.2 in) in males. The hindfoot of females measures maximum 95 mm (3.7 in) and of males maximum 105 mm (4.1 in).[11][10] Its shoulder height is less than 25 cm (9.8 in).[16] Females weigh 1.1–1.65 kg (2.4–3.6 lb) and males 1.6–2.45 kg (3.5–5.4 lb).[17][12]
The African wildcat (Felis lybica) is almost three times as large as the black-footed cat, has longer legs, a longer tail and mostly plain grey fur with less distinct markings. The serval (Leptailurus serval) resembles the black-footed cat in coat colour and pattern, but has proportionately larger ears, longer legs and a longer tail.[18]
Distribution and habitat
The black-footed cat is
Behaviour and ecology
The black-footed cat is
Unlike most other cats, it is a poor climber, as its stocky body and short tail are thought not to be conducive for climbing trees.[21] However, one black-footed cat was observed and photographed resting in the lower branches of a camelthorn tree (Vachellia erioloba).[22]
A female roams in an average
Hunting and diet
The black-footed cat hunts at night irrespective of the weather, at temperatures from −10 to 35 °C (14 to 95 °F). It attacks its prey from the rear, puts its forepaws on its flanks and grounds the prey using its dewclaws. It employs three different ways of hunting: "fast hunt", "slow hunt", and "sit and wait" hunt. In a fast hunt, it moves at a speed of 2 to 3 km/h (1.2 to 1.9 mph) and chases prey out of vegetation cover. During a slow hunt, it stalks the prey at a speed of 0.5 to 0.8 km/h (0.3 to 0.5 mph), meandering cautiously through the grass and vigilantly checking its surroundings while turning its head side to side.[5] It moves between 5 and 16 km (3 and 10 mi) on average in search of small rodents and birds, mostly moving in small circles and zig-zagging among bushes and termite mounds.[25] In a "sit and wait" hunt, it waits for the prey motionlessly in front of a rodent den, sometimes with closed eyes. Its ears keep moving, and it opens the eyes as soon as it hears a sound.[5]
Due to its small size, the black-footed cat hunts mainly small prey such as rodents and small birds, but also preys on Cape hare (Lepus capensis), being heavier than itself. Its energy requirement is very high, with about 250 to 300 g (9 to 11 oz) of prey consumed per night, which is about a sixth of its average body weight.[26] In 1993, a female and a male black-footed cat were followed for 622 hours and observed hunting. They caught vertebrates every 50 minutes and killed up to 14 small animals in a night. They killed
Altogether 54 prey species of the black-footed cat were identified, with the gerbil mouse (Malacothrix typica) being among its most important prey. Its average prey weighs 24.1 g (0.85 oz) with small mammals constituting the most important prey class, followed by larger mammals weighing more than 100 g (3.5 oz) and small birds.[28] It is able to satisfy its daily water requirements through its diet, but drinks water when available.[12]
Reproduction and life cycle
In captivity, male black-footed cats become
Wild female black-footed cats observed in the wild were
Kittens weigh 60 to 93 g (2.1 to 3.3 oz) at birth; they are born blind and relatively helpless, although they are able to crawl after just a few hours. Their eyes open at three to ten days, and their deciduous teeth break through at the age of two to three weeks. Within one month, they take solid food, and are weaned at the age of two months. Their permanent teeth erupt at the age of 148 to 158 days.[5]
Captive females were observed trying to shift their kittens to a new hiding place every six to ten days after a week of their birth, much more frequently than other small cats. They are able to walk within two weeks and start climbing at three weeks.
Diseases
Both captive and free-ranging black-footed cats exhibit a high prevalence of AA amyloidosis, which causes chronic inflammatory processes and usually culminates in kidney failure and death.[5][31] Wild black-footed cats are susceptible to transmission of infectious diseases from domestic dogs and cats.[32]
Threats
Known threats include methods of indiscriminate predator control, such as bait poisoning and steel-jaw traps, habitat destruction from overgrazing, declining South African springhare populations, intraguild predation, diseases, and unsuitable farming practices. Several black-footed cats have been killed by herding dogs. The majority of protected areas may be too small to adequately conserve viable sub-populations.[1]
Conservation
The black-footed cat is listed on
Field research
The Black-footed Cat Working Group carries out a research project at Benfontein Nature Reserve and Nuwejaarsfontein Farm near
In captivity
The
Several zoos reported breeding successes, including
The
References
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- ^ Shortridge, G. C. (1931). "Felis (Microfelis) nigripes thomasi subsp. nov". Records of the Albany Museum. 4 (1): 119–120.
- ^ a b c d Pocock, R. I. (1951). "Felis nigripes Burchell". Catalogue of the genus Felis. London: British Museum (Natural History). pp. 145–150.
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- ^ Lamberski, N.; Sliwa, A.; Wilson, B.; Herrick, J. & Lawrenz, A. (2009). "Conservation of black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) and prevalence of infectious diseases in sympatric carnivores in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa". In Wibbelt, G.; Kretzschmar, P.; Hofer, H. & Seet, S. (eds.). Proceedings of the International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals 2009: May 20th – 24th, 2009, Beekse Bergen. Berlin: Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung. pp. 243–245.
- ^ Sliwa, A.; Wilson, B. & Lawrenz, A. (2010). Report on surveying and catching black-footed cats (Felis nigripes) on Nuwejaarsfontein Farm / Benfontein Nature Reserve, 4–20 July 2010 (PDF) (Report). Black-footed Cat Working Group. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
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- ^ Sliwa, A. (2018). "25 years of Black-footed Cat Felis nigripes field research and conservation". In Appel, A.; Mukherjee, S.; Cheyne, S. M. (eds.). Proceedings of the First International Small Wild Cat Conservation Summit, 11–14 September 2017, United Kingdom. Bad Marienberg, Germany; Coimbatore, India; Oxford, United Kingdom: Wild Cat Network, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Borneo Nature Foundation. pp. 7–8.
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External links
- "Black-footed Cat Working Group". Wild Cat Network.
- "Felis nigripes". IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group.
- "Felis nigripes". Animal Info.
- "Documentary: Meet the Deadliest Cat on the Planet". Nature on PBS.
- "Documentary: Black-footed cats". Wildlife Wonder.