Name:  African black-footed Cat

Range:
South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.

Habitat:
Typically live in arid, sandy, and grassy habitats with sparse tree and shrub cover.

Description:
Thought to be the smallest species of cat, the adults average a weight of 3 pounds. Coat is light brown with dark spots in rows on the body that merge in places to form rings. Tail is tipped in black and soles of feet are black, thus the name of the species.

Adaptations/Habitat:
As they are nocturnal animals, they spend most of their time in burrows dug by other animals or holes in termite mounds.

Breeding/Growth:
Like most small cats, these animals are mainly solitary and only come together for breeding. Females have 1 -3 kittens which are independent when four months old.

Diet:
In nature, their diet consists mainly of birds (30% of the diet) and their eggs, small rodents, insects, arachnids, frogs and lizards.

Exhibit:
Cats of Africa

Notes: