Felis

Felis; Temporal range: Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	The six wild Felis species; from top-left, clockwise: European wildcat (F. silvestris), jungle cat (F. chaus), African wildcat (F. lybica), black-footed cat (F. nigripes), sand cat (F. margarita), Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Felidae
Subfamily:	Felinae
Genus:	Felis; Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
	Felis catus; Linnaeus, 1758
Species
	See § Taxonomy
	Native Felis range

Felis is a

domestic cat. The smallest Felis species is the black-footed cat with a head and body length from 38 to 42 cm (15 to 17 in). The largest is the jungle cat with a head and body length from 62 to 76 cm (24 to 30 in).^[1]

Genetic studies indicate that the Felinae genera Felis, Otocolobus and Prionailurus diverged from a Eurasian progenitor of the Felidae about 6.2 million years ago, and that Felis species split off 3.04 to 0.99 million years ago.^[2]^[3]

Etymology

The generic name Felis is derived from Classical Latin fēlis meaning 'cat, ferret'.^[4]

Taxonomy

mtDNA gene segments.^[2]

Species	Image	IUCN Red List status and distribution
Domestic cat (F. catus) Linnaeus, 1758^[5]		NE Worldwide in association with humans or feral^[6]
European wildcat (F. silvestris) Schreber, 1777^[7] diverged 1.62 to 0.59 Mya		LC^[8]
Jungle cat (F. chaus) Schreber, 1777^[9] diverged 4.88 to 2.41 Mya		LC^[10]
African wildcat (F. lybica) Forster, 1780^[11] diverged 1.86 to 0.72 Mya		LC^[12]
Black-footed cat (F. nigripes) Burchell, 1824^[13] diverged 4.44 to 2.16 Mya		VU^[14]
Sand cat (F. margarita) Loche, 1858^[15] diverged 3.67 to 1.72 Mya		LC^[16]
Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti) Milne-Edwards, 1892^[17] diverged 1.86 to 0.72 Mya		VU^[18]

Pocock accepted the Pallas's cat as the only member of the genus Otocolobus.^[1] Other scientists consider it also a Felis species.^[19]

Several scientists consider the Chinese mountain cat a subspecies of F. silvestris.^[20]

Phylogeny

The

phylogenetic relationships of living Felis species are shown in the following cladogram:^[2]

Felidae

Felinae

Felis

	Domestic cat (F. catus)

	European wildcat (F. silvestris)

	African wildcat (F. lybica)

	Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti)

Sand cat (F. margarita)

Black-footed cat (F. nigripes)

Jungle cat (F. chaus)

other Felinae lineages

Pantherinae

Fossil Felis species

Extinct Felis species in the fossil record include:

Felis lunensis (Martelli, 1906)^[21]
Felis wenzensis (Stach, 1961)^[22]

Characteristics

Felis species have high and wide skulls, short jaws and narrow ears with short tufts, but without any white spots on the back of the ears. Their pupils contract to a vertical slit.^[1] A black cat from

hybrid of wildcat and domestic cat.^[24]

The Kellas cat is a hybrid between domestic cat and European wildcat occurring in Scotland.^[25]

The Corsican wildcat is considered to have been introduced to Corsica before the beginning of the 1st millennium.^[26]^[27] A genetic study of a dozen individuals showed that they are closely related to the African wildcat originating in the Middle East.^[28]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Pocock, R. I. (1951). Catalogue of the genus Felis. London: British Museum of Natural History.
^
S2CID 41672825
.

PMID 9539439
.

^ Valpy, F. E. J. (1828). "Felis". An Etymological Dictionary of the Latin Language. London: A. J. Valpy.

^ ^a ^b Linnaeus, C. (1758). "Felis". Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th reformed ed.). Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii. pp. 42–44.

OCLC 39786571
.

^ Schreber, J. C. D. (1778). "Die wilde Kaze" [The Wild Cat]. Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (Dritter Theil). Erlangen: Expedition des Schreber'schen Säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes. pp. 397–402.

^ Yamaguchi, N.; Kitchener, A.; Driscoll, C.; Nussberger, B. (2015). "Felis silvestris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T60354712A50652361. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

^ Schreber, J. C. D. (1778). "Der Kirmyschak". Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen (in German). Erlangen: Wolfgang Walther. pp. 414–416.

^ Gray, T. N. E.; Timmins, R. J.; Jathana, D.; Duckworth, J. W.; Baral, H.; Mukherjee, S. (2016). "Felis chaus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8540A50651463.

^ Forster, G. R. (1780). "LIII. Der Karakal". Herrn von Büffons Naturgeschichte der vierfüssigen Thiere. Mit Vermehrungen, aus dem Französischen übersetzt. Sechster Band [Mr. von Büffon‘s Natural History of Quadrupeds. With additions, translated from French. Volume 6]. Berlin: Joachim Pauli. pp. 299–319.

^ Ghoddousi, A.; Belbachir, F.; Durant, S. M.; Herbst, M.; Rosen, T. (2022). "Felis lybica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T131299383A154907281.

^ Burchell, W. J. (1824). "Felis nigripes". Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa, Vol. II. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green. p. 592.

^ Sliwa, A.; Wilson, B.; Küsters, M.; Tordiffe, A. (2016). "Felis nigripes". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8542A50652196.

^ Loche, V. (1858). "Description d'une nouvelle espèce de Chat par M. le capitaine Loche" [Description of a new species of cat, Mr. Captain Loche]. Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée. 2. X: 49–50.

^ Sliwa, A.; Ghadirian, T.; Appel, A.; Banfield, L.; Sher Shah, M.; Wacher, T. (2016). "Felis margarita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8541A50651884. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

^ Milne-Edwards, A. (1892). "Observations sur les mammifères du Thibet". Revue Générale des Sciences Pures et Appliquées. III: 670–671.

^ Riordan, P.; Sanderson, J.; Bao, W.; Abdukadir, A.; Shi, K. (2015). "Felis bieti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T8539A50651398. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

OCLC 62265494
.

PMID 17600185
.

^ Martelli, A. (1906). "Su due Mustelidi e un Felide del Pliocene Toscano" [About two Mustelids and one Felid of Pliocene Toscana]. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana. 25: 595–612.

^ Stach, Jan (1961). "On two carnivores from the Pliocene breccia of Węże". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 6 (4): 321–329.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1904.tb08325.x
.

^ Bukhnikashvili, A.; Yevlampiev, I. (eds.). Catalogue of the Specimens of Caucasian Large Mammalian Fauna in the Collection (PDF). Tbilisi: Georgian National Museum.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1992.tb04832.x
.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.1992.tb00124.x
.

^ Kitchener, A. C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Abramov, A. V.; Christiansen, P.; Driscoll, C.; Duckworth, J. W.; Johnson, W.; Luo, S.-J.; Meijaard, E.; O’Donoghue, P.; Sanderson, J.; Seymour, K.; Bruford, M.; Groves, C.; Hoffmann, M.; Nowell, K.; Timmons, Z.; Tobe, S. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group" (PDF). Cat News. Special Issue 11: 17−20.

^ Saplakoglu, Y. (2019). "Meet the Cat-Fox, an Oddball Feline Roaming Around a French Island". Live Science. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

External links

Media related to Felis at Wikimedia Commons

Data related to Felis at Wikispecies

Ingersoll, Ernest (1920). "Cat" . Encyclopedia Americana.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Felis&oldid=1218617141"

[Pocock1951-1] Pocock, R. I. (1951). Catalogue of the genus Felis. London: British Museum of Natural History.

[Johnson_al2006-2] 
S2CID 41672825
.

[Pecon-Slattery-3] PMID 9539439
.

[4] Valpy, F. E. J. (1828). "Felis". An Etymological Dictionary of the Latin Language. London: A. J. Valpy.

[Linnaeus-5] Linnaeus, C. (1758). "Felis". Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th reformed ed.). Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii. pp. 42–44.

[6] OCLC 39786571
.

[7] Schreber, J. C. D. (1778). "Die wilde Kaze" [The Wild Cat]. Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (Dritter Theil). Erlangen: Expedition des Schreber'schen Säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes. pp. 397–402.

[8] Yamaguchi, N.; Kitchener, A.; Driscoll, C.; Nussberger, B. (2015). "Felis silvestris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T60354712A50652361. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

[9] Schreber, J. C. D. (1778). "Der Kirmyschak". Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen (in German). Erlangen: Wolfgang Walther. pp. 414–416.

[10] Gray, T. N. E.; Timmins, R. J.; Jathana, D.; Duckworth, J. W.; Baral, H.; Mukherjee, S. (2016). "Felis chaus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8540A50651463.

[11] Forster, G. R. (1780). "LIII. Der Karakal". Herrn von Büffons Naturgeschichte der vierfüssigen Thiere. Mit Vermehrungen, aus dem Französischen übersetzt. Sechster Band [Mr. von Büffon‘s Natural History of Quadrupeds. With additions, translated from French. Volume 6]. Berlin: Joachim Pauli. pp. 299–319.

[12] Ghoddousi, A.; Belbachir, F.; Durant, S. M.; Herbst, M.; Rosen, T. (2022). "Felis lybica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T131299383A154907281.

[13] Burchell, W. J. (1824). "Felis nigripes". Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa, Vol. II. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green. p. 592.

[14] Sliwa, A.; Wilson, B.; Küsters, M.; Tordiffe, A. (2016). "Felis nigripes". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8542A50652196.

[15] Loche, V. (1858). "Description d'une nouvelle espèce de Chat par M. le capitaine Loche" [Description of a new species of cat, Mr. Captain Loche]. Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée. 2. X: 49–50.

[16] Sliwa, A.; Ghadirian, T.; Appel, A.; Banfield, L.; Sher Shah, M.; Wacher, T. (2016). "Felis margarita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T8541A50651884. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

[17] Milne-Edwards, A. (1892). "Observations sur les mammifères du Thibet". Revue Générale des Sciences Pures et Appliquées. III: 670–671.

[18] Riordan, P.; Sanderson, J.; Bao, W.; Abdukadir, A.; Shi, K. (2015). "Felis bieti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T8539A50651398. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

[msw3-19] OCLC 62265494
.

[CA-Driscoll-20] PMID 17600185
.

[21] Martelli, A. (1906). "Su due Mustelidi e un Felide del Pliocene Toscano" [About two Mustelids and one Felid of Pliocene Toscana]. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana. 25: 595–612.

[22] Stach, Jan (1961). "On two carnivores from the Pliocene breccia of Węże". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 6 (4): 321–329.

[23] :10.1111/j.1469-7998.1904.tb08325.x
.

[24] Bukhnikashvili, A.; Yevlampiev, I. (eds.). Catalogue of the Specimens of Caucasian Large Mammalian Fauna in the Collection (PDF). Tbilisi: Georgian National Museum.

[25] :10.1111/j.1469-7998.1992.tb04832.x
.

[Vigne1992-26] :10.1111/j.1365-2907.1992.tb00124.x
.

[CatSG2017-27] Kitchener, A. C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Abramov, A. V.; Christiansen, P.; Driscoll, C.; Duckworth, J. W.; Johnson, W.; Luo, S.-J.; Meijaard, E.; O’Donoghue, P.; Sanderson, J.; Seymour, K.; Bruford, M.; Groves, C.; Hoffmann, M.; Nowell, K.; Timmons, Z.; Tobe, S. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group" (PDF). Cat News. Special Issue 11: 17−20.

[28] Saplakoglu, Y. (2019). "Meet the Cat-Fox, an Oddball Feline Roaming Around a French Island". Live Science. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

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