Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Caracal

Caracal is also a town in Romania; see: Caracal, Romania.
Caracal

Scientific Classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Carnivora
Family:Felidae
Genus:Caracal
Species:caracal
Binomial name
Caracal caracal
The Caracal (Caracal caracal, sometimes Felis caracal) is a medium-sized wild cat. It resembles a lynx and is related to this genus. The length is 65 cm, plus 30 cm tail. It has longer legs and a slimmer appearance. The colour of the fur is variable: it may be wine-red, grey or sand-coloured. Young caracals bear reddish spots on the underside; adults do not have markings except for black spots above the eyes.

Caracals are distributed over Africa and West Asia. Their habitat is dry steppes and semi-deserts. A caracal may survive without drinking for a long period - the water demand is satisified with the body fluids of the prey. It hunts at night (but in colder seasons also in the daytime) for rodents and hares; rarely it may even attack a gazelle, a small antelope or a young ostrich.

Subspecies