21 Different Types of Wild Cats and their Images
There are countless types of wild cats species found throughout the world. The larger species, like lions, tigers, and leopards, are the ones that are most familiar to people. But there are lots of others.
From Asia to South America, these species can be found all over the world. Since they are all felines (cats), the majority of them have traits in common.
21 Different Types of Wild Cats and their Images
1. Golden African Cat
A medium-sized wild cat found in the forests of West and Central Africa is known as the African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata).
Little is known about the behavior of this cat because of its extremely secretive way of life.
2. Wild Cat of Africa (Felis Silvestris Libyca)
Among the wildcat’s subspecies is the African wild cats (Felis silvestris lybica). It seems that they split off from the other subspecies around 131,000 years ago.
They are the ancestors of the domestic cat, which was domesticated in the Middle East about 10,000 years ago.
3. Andean Mountain Cat
The small wild cat in America most in danger of extinction is the Andean Mountain Cat. They can’t survive in a cage. Every Andean mountain cat that was captured promptly perished.
There are believed to be no more than 2500 of these breed. This cat is one of about twenty different species of small wild cats that can be found worldwide.
4. Asian Golden Cat
From Southern China, to India, and Sumatra, the Asian Golden Cat can be found all over Southeast Asia. It can be found in deciduous, subtropical evergreen, and tropical rainforests. It prefers forest habitats with a mix of rocky terrain.
The Asian Golden Cat can occasionally be found in more open areas. It can be found anywhere from the lowlands to the Himalayas at elevations of up to 3000 meters.
5. Asian Leopard Cat
The Asian Leopard Cat is a diminutive wild cat with the broadest geographic range of any feline. It is widespread throughout Indonesia, the Philippines, Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, China, and Taiwan’s forested regions.
They can be found in a variety of habitats, including tropical forest, scrubland, pine forest, second-growth woodland, semi-desert, and agricultural areas, particularly close to water sources, at elevations of up to 3000 m.
6. Bornean Clouded Leopard
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) first used the name “Bornean Clouded Leopard” to refer to a medium-sized wild cat, these breed actually belongs to the group of small felines, which it discovered on Borneo, Sumatra, and the Batu Islands in the Malay Archipelago.
7. Cheetah
The cheetah is an uncommon cat species that is special in its speed but lacking in climbing.
The cheetah can accelerate from 0 to 110 km/h (68 mph) in three seconds, which is faster than most racing cars.
It is the fastest land animal, reaching speeds between 112 and 120 km/h (70 and 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 460 m (1,500 ft).
8. The Clouded Leopard
Many people believe that this medium-sized cat is the most beautiful member of the feline species.
The Clouded Leopard, which can be found in Southeast Asia, resembles a hybrid of a big cat and a small cat. There is surprisingly little information available about it.
9. Kodkod or the Chilean Cat
The Chilean cat, also known as the Kodkod, is the tiniest wild cat in South America and is compared with the Rusty Spotted Cat and Black Footed Cat of Asia and Africa in terms of size.
They share their habitat with the Geoffroy’s Cat, with whom they resemble in appearance quite a bit, but they are smaller, do have a smaller face, and have a thicker tail.
10. Wild Cat of Europe
It has been eradicated from Scandinavia, England, and Wales. The European Wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a subspecies of the wildcat that inhabits forests in Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe as well as Scotland, Turkey, and the Caucasus Mountains.
11. Jaguar (Panthera Onca)
One of the large cats belonging to the genus Panthera is the jaguar. Only this Panthera can be found in the Americas.
The jaguar is the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere, ranking third among big cats (felines) after the tiger and the lion.
Currently, the jaguar can be found in Mexico, much of Central America, south to Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
12. Jungle Cat
The jungle cat is a medium-sized feline and is currently regarded as the largest remaining species of the genus Felis of wild cats.
The most prevalent small cat species in India are jungle cats, which are also widespread in Southeast Asia, Egypt, West and Central Asia, South Asia, and Sri Lanka.
Jungle cats tend to live alone. Their habitat consists of the abandoned burrows of other creatures, tree holes, and humid coves beneath swamp rocks.
13. Lion (Panthera Leo)
One of the four big cats are lions (genus Panthera). It is the second-largest cat in existence, after the tiger.
After historically disappearing from North Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia, wild lions now only reside in Sub-Saharan Africa and a critically endangered remnant population in northwest India.
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14. Margay Cat
The spotted Margay is a cat that is indigenous to Central and South America. From Mexico to Argentina, it can be found in the rainforests.
The margay resembles the ocelot in appearance, despite having a smaller body that grows to a height of 25 to 27 inches.
In contrast to the ocelot, the margay has longer legs and a tail. Most notably, the Margay is an exceptionally skilled climber compared to its relative, as a result, it is sometimes called the Tree Ocelot.
15. Ocelot Cat
Small cat group member known as the ocelot is found in South and Central America, Mexico, and other parts of the world.
The ocelot looks like a domestic cat, but it has fur that is more like a clouded leopard or a jaguar and was once thought to be particularly valuable.
For their fur, ocelots have been killed in their thousands as a result. From 1972 to 1996, the feline was classified as a “vulnerable” endangered species.
16. Pampas Cat
Pampas cats can live in a variety of habitats and are widely distributed. These cats have a wide range, and as a result, their status ranges from being endangered in Peru to rare in Paraguay to unknown in Brazil.
17. Leopard (Panthera Pardus)
The leopard is the tiniest of the Panthera genus’ four “big cats.” It goes by the names leopard in Africa and panther in Asia.
The most prevalent big cat that can easily adapt to various habitats and conditions is this one. It has a reputation for climbing and is an opportunistic hunter.
It has been seen taking naps during the day on tree branches and falling from trees headfirst. It has strong swimming abilities, though not as strong as some other big cats like the tiger.
18. Cougar
The cougar, also known as a puma, mountain lion, cool cat, or panther, is a mammal of the Felidae family that is indigenous to the Americas.
The jaguarundi and the cheetah are related closely to this breed. The cougar is a flexible, generalist species that can be found in all significant American habitat types.
19. Sand Cat
The Sand cat is a tiny wild cat native to Africa. This is not the smallest cat because the Blackfooted cat is closely related.
The African wildcat, is the proper name for this species, it is frequently referred to as the “desert cat.” It can be found in the Sahara, the Arabian Desert, and the deserts of Iran and Pakistan.
20. The Snow Leopard Cat
The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is a medium-sized cat. Between 3,000 and 5,500 meters (9,800 and 18,000 feet) above sea level, snow leopards can be found in the rocky mountain ranges of Central Asia.
Although the exact number of snow leopards is unknown due to their elusiveness, it has been estimated that there are between 600 and 700 of them in zoos worldwide and between 3,500 and 5,000 in the wild.
21. The tiger (Panthera tigris)
The most recognizable of all cats is the tiger (Panthera tigris). The typical characteristics of these animals include rusty-reddish to brown-rusty coats, a whitish medial and ventral region, a white “fringe” that surrounds the face, and stripes that range in color from brown or gray to pure black.
The tiger is a native of much of eastern and southern Asia. The Tiger is up to 300 kilograms in weight and up to 4 metres (13 ft) in length overall (660 pounds).
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