Live nature. Wild cats

Mammalian animals from the feline family number more than 30 species of their representatives. These are, perhaps, the most specialized predators, excellent in the technique of crawling, harassing and "stealing" animal food. The lifestyle of these mammals is mostly twilight or night. They can be either monogamous or polygamous. For example, lions create so-called pride (flocks). Small cats (domestic) multiply each year and several times, and large (tiger, lion) - once every few years.

All in Mom

If you look closely at the cute domestic cats, you can see how grand external resemblance they have with their wild brethren! This, of course, serves as a good reason to believe that wild cats and domesticated small cats have descended from one common ancestor!

Dinner is served

Wild representatives of the cat family are divided into different subspecies, corresponding to their habitat: African, European, Asian and desert cats. Because they live in a natural habitat, they are not finicky, like their domesticated relatives. For example, wild cats in the "hungry year" can eat carrion or even insects! Only in this way will they be able to survive. In addition, their diet includes rabbits, fish, eggs, birds, rodents, snakes.

Wild cats of the Old and New Worlds

So far, there have been preserved places of the New and Old World, where about a dozen of these or other small but wild cats and cats live. Outwardly they differ from each other, but they have certain common features that distinguish them from large cats.

Ocelot

It is a small but very beautiful wild cat. It lives in Latin America, and also occurs in the southwestern United States of America. The coat is grayish-white, beautiful black patterns, consisting of strips and rosettes, adorn it. Sometimes they are noticeable brownish-reddish blotches.

Another name is tigrillo (small tigers). They were repeatedly tried to tame, domesticate. However, all attempts to do this were in vain. Because of such beautiful skins, these animals were on the verge of extinction. At one time they were fiercely hunting. Ocelots beautifully climb trees, so they hunt and hide on them.

Wild cane cat

Another name for it is a marsh lynx or a jungle cat. It is a fairly large predator of the cat family, inhabiting Central Asia, North Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and the Transcaucasus. These wild cats (photo 3) are quite different from ordinary domestic cats. Their main color is gray-brown with a red (or olive) hue in the upper part. On the sides, the wool is lighter. The tail is much darker than the trunk. Wild reared cats feed on small rodents (mice, gophers, voles), birds living near water bodies (ducks, pheasants), lizards, hares, turtles, young hoofed animals and, of course, different fish. These are excellent swimmers. Unlike their smaller domestic relatives, these animals do not fear the water.