They have a body length between 34 and 50 cms (13.5 - 20 inches), a tail length between 15 and 20 cms (6 - 8 inches) and they weigh between 1.5 and 3 kgs (3.25 - 6.5 to 4.2 lb. With their immense home ranges, Black-footed Cats spend about 70% of the night hunting. Life Span: Captive black footed cats have lived up to 13 years. In some parts, the cat is referred to as the “anthill tiger” due to its fierce nature when cornered.

Size and Appearance: The black-footed cat is perhaps the smallest species of wild cat in Africa, black-footed cats average only 2.4 lb. They move between 4.5 and 16 km, averaging 8.5 km per night. Black Footed Cat Fact Sheet - indigenous wild cat species of Africa - Distribution, Range, Habitat, conservation threats facts and information Habitat: Black-footed cats are nocturnal inhabitants of the arid lands of southern Africa and are typically associated with open, sandy grassy habitats with sparse scrub and tree cover. The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is the smallest African cat, and is endemic in the south west arid zone of the southern African subregion. Weighing in at 2-5 pounds and measuring 14-20 inches in length, they are the smallest felids in Africa. The Black-footed Cat has a gestation period of about 65 days where in a … Their diet consists of mammals (72%) and birds (26%) with only 2% falling to insects, spiders and reptiles. The Size of the Black-footed Cat restricts its diet to mainly consist out of rodents and small birds. The calls of Black-footed cats are louder than those made by other cats the same size, presumably so they can call over relatively long distances. Diet. The Black-Footed Cat is nevertheless considered rare. Diet The Black-Footed Cat preys mainly on rodents and shrews Except for the very short period during which mating occurs, black-footed cats prefer a solitary existence. Learn more about Black-footed Cats on our website Help the researchers of the Black-footed Cat Working Group continue this conservation study! It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2002, as Black-footed Cat Subspecies Two subspecies of the Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) have been recognized in the past:1. The black-footed cat is one of the smallest cat species. The Black-Footed Cat is nevertheless considered rare. The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes), also called small-spotted cat, is the smallest African cat and endemic to the southwestern arid zone of Southern Africa. These provide camouflage when he hunts at night by the light of the They are also known to prey on cape hare and Korhaan. Diet The Black-Footed Cat preys mainly on rodents and shrews, small birds, large soft-bodied insects, snakes, geckos, spiders and scorpions. The underside of the cats is pitch black in colour. These distances represent odometer readings of the tracking vehicle, while 16 km moved by the truck would correspond to more than 30 km moved by the cat zig-zagging between bushes and termite mounds.