Black-footed Cat
Encyclopedia
The black-footed cat is the smallest African cat
, and is endemic in the south west arid zone of the southern Africa
n subregion. It is one of the lesser studied African carnivore
s, and has been listed as Vulnerable
by IUCN since 2002.
Only the pads and underparts of its feet are black. It is this characteristic that gives the Black-footed Cat its name. The fur
varies in color from cinnamon-buff to tawny, and is patterned with black or brown spots that merge to form rings on the legs, neck, and tail. The skin, however, is unpigmented pink, unlike that of other spotted cats. The backs of the rounded ears are the same color as the background coat color. The eyes are very large.
, Namibia
, Botswana
, and marginally into Zimbabwe
and in extreme southern Angola
. It lives in dry, open savanna
, grassland and Karoo
semi-desert with shrub and tree cover at altitudes of up to 2000 m (6,561.7 ft), but not in the driest and sandiest parts of the Namib and Kalahari Desert
s.
According to Shortridge's description F.n. nigripes is smaller and paler than F.n. thomasi. But since specimens with characteristics of both assumed subspecies are found close to Kimberley
in central South Africa, the existence of subspecies is questioned as there are no geographical or ecological barriers to their ranges.
s of springhare
s, porcupine
s and aardvark
s, or in hollow termite
mounds. They emerge to hunt after sunset.
They are typically found in dry open habitat with some degree of vegetation cover. Apparently, they get all the moisture they need from their prey, but will drink water when available.
Unlike most other cats, black-footed cats are poor climbers, and will generally ignore tree branches. Their stocky body and short tail are not conducive to tree-climbing. They dig vigorously in the sand to extend or modify burrows for shelter.
Black-footed cats are highly unsociable animals that seek refuge at the slightest disturbance. However, when cornered they are known to defend themselves fiercely. Due to this habit and their courage, they are called "miershooptier" (anthill tigers) in parts of the South African Karoo, although they rarely use termite mounds for cover or for bearing their young. A San
legend claims that a black-footed cat can kill a giraffe
by piercing its jugular. This exaggeration is intended to emphasize the bravery and tenacity of the animal.
Within one year a female covers an average range of 10 km² (3.9 sq mi), a resident male 22 km² (8.5 sq mi). The range of an adult male overlaps the ranges of one to four females. On average, the animal travels 8 km (5 mi) per night in search of prey. The cats use scent marking throughout their range, with males spraying urine up to twelve times an hour. Other forms of scent marking include rubbing objects, raking with claws and depositing faeces in visible locations. Their calls are louder than for other cats of their size, presumably to allow them to call over relatively large distances. However, when close to each other, they use quieter purrs or gurgles, or hiss and growl if threatened.
s and small bird
s, but may also take the White-quilled Bustard
and the Cape Hare
, the latter heavier than itself. Insect
s and spider
s provide less than 1% of the prey mass consumed. They are unusually active hunters, killing up to fourteen small animals in a night. Their energy requirements
are very high, with about 250 grams (9 oz) of prey per night consumed, which is about a sixth of its average body weight.
Black-footed cats hunt mainly by stalking, rather than ambush, using the cover of darkness and all available traces of cover to approach their prey before the final pounce. They have been observed to hunt by moving swiftly to flush prey from cover, but also to slowly stalk through tufts of vegetation. Less commonly, they will wait outside rodent burrows, often with their eyes closed, but remaining alert for the slightest sound. In common with the big cats, but unlike most other small species, black-footed cats have been observed to hide some of their captured prey for later feeding, rather than consuming it immediately.
lasts from 63 to 68 days. A litter
consists usually of two kittens, but may vary from one to four young. Kittens weigh 60 to 84 g (2.1 to 3 oz) at birth. They are born blind and relatively helpless, although they are able to crawl about after just a few hours. They are able to walk within two weeks, begin taking solid food after about a month, and are fully weaned
by two months of age.
Females may have up to two litters during the spring, summer and autumn. They rear their kittens in a burrow, moving them to new locations regularly after the first week. In general, kittens develop more rapidly than in other similarly sized cats, quickly adapting them to a relatively hostile environment. They become independent by 5 months of age but may remain within their mother's range.
In 1993, the European Endangered Species Programme
(EEP) was formed to coordinate which animals are best suited for pairing in order to maintain genetic diversity and to avoid inbreeding. The International Studbook for the black-footed cat is kept in the German Wuppertal Zoo. Since 1974 detailed records exist for a total of 447 cats.
On February 13, 2011, a female kept at the Audubon Nature Institute
gave birth to two male kittens. This birth was significant in that the kittens are the first of their species to be born as a result of in vitro fertilization utilizing frozen and thawed sperm
and frozen and thawed embryos. In 2003, the sperm was collected from a male and then frozen. At the Audubon Nature Institute it was later combined with an egg from a female, creating embryos in March 2005. Those embryos were frozen for almost six years before being thawed and transferred to a surrogate female in December 2010, who carried the embryos to term, resulting in the birth of the two kittens. Scientists hope this will provide a means for them to increase the species numbers, as well as introduce greater genetic variation into the small population.
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
, and is endemic in the south west arid zone of the southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n subregion. It is one of the lesser studied African carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
s, and has been listed as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by IUCN since 2002.
Characteristics
The black-footed cat is one of the smallest cat species. Adult resident males weigh on average 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) and a maximum of 2.45 kg (5.4 lb). Adult resident females weigh on average 1.3 kilograms (2.9 lb) and a maximum of 1.65 kg (3.6 lb). Males reach a head-to-body length of 36.7 to 43.3 cm (14.4 to 17 in) with a 16.4 to 19.8 cm (6.5 to 7.8 in) long tail. Females are smaller with a maximum head-to-body-length of 36.9 cm (14.5 in) and a 12.6 to 17 cm (5 to 6.7 in) long tail. The shoulder height is about 25 centimetres (9.8 in).Only the pads and underparts of its feet are black. It is this characteristic that gives the Black-footed Cat its name. The fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
varies in color from cinnamon-buff to tawny, and is patterned with black or brown spots that merge to form rings on the legs, neck, and tail. The skin, however, is unpigmented pink, unlike that of other spotted cats. The backs of the rounded ears are the same color as the background coat color. The eyes are very large.
Distribution and habitat
The black-footed cat is endemic to southern Africa. distributed over South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, and marginally into Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and in extreme southern Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. It lives in dry, open savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
, grassland and Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
semi-desert with shrub and tree cover at altitudes of up to 2000 m (6,561.7 ft), but not in the driest and sandiest parts of the Namib and Kalahari Desert
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending , covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert...
s.
Distribution of subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized:- Felis nigripes nigripes — lives in BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, and in the northern parts of South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
; - Felis nigripes thomasi — lives in southeastern South Africa
According to Shortridge's description F.n. nigripes is smaller and paler than F.n. thomasi. But since specimens with characteristics of both assumed subspecies are found close to Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
in central South Africa, the existence of subspecies is questioned as there are no geographical or ecological barriers to their ranges.
Ecology and behavior
Black-footed cats are solitary and strictly nocturnal, and thus rarely seen. They spend the day resting in dense cover, in unoccupied burrowBurrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
s of springhare
Springhare
The springhare , or springhaas, is not actually a hare, but a member of the order Rodentia. It is one of a number of species in the genus Pedetes, and is native to southern Africa. Synonyms are P. caffer or P...
s, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
s and aardvark
Aardvark
The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa...
s, or in hollow termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
mounds. They emerge to hunt after sunset.
They are typically found in dry open habitat with some degree of vegetation cover. Apparently, they get all the moisture they need from their prey, but will drink water when available.
Unlike most other cats, black-footed cats are poor climbers, and will generally ignore tree branches. Their stocky body and short tail are not conducive to tree-climbing. They dig vigorously in the sand to extend or modify burrows for shelter.
Black-footed cats are highly unsociable animals that seek refuge at the slightest disturbance. However, when cornered they are known to defend themselves fiercely. Due to this habit and their courage, they are called "miershooptier" (anthill tigers) in parts of the South African Karoo, although they rarely use termite mounds for cover or for bearing their young. A San
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
legend claims that a black-footed cat can kill a giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
by piercing its jugular. This exaggeration is intended to emphasize the bravery and tenacity of the animal.
Within one year a female covers an average range of 10 km² (3.9 sq mi), a resident male 22 km² (8.5 sq mi). The range of an adult male overlaps the ranges of one to four females. On average, the animal travels 8 km (5 mi) per night in search of prey. The cats use scent marking throughout their range, with males spraying urine up to twelve times an hour. Other forms of scent marking include rubbing objects, raking with claws and depositing faeces in visible locations. Their calls are louder than for other cats of their size, presumably to allow them to call over relatively large distances. However, when close to each other, they use quieter purrs or gurgles, or hiss and growl if threatened.
Diet and hunting
Due to their small size, black-footed cats hunt mainly small prey species like rodentRodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s and small bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, but may also take the White-quilled Bustard
White-quilled Bustard
The Northern Black Korhaan or White-quilled Bustard is a species of bird in the bustard family Otididae.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Its habitat is primarily open grassland and scrub....
and the Cape Hare
Cape Hare
The Cape, Common or Brown Hare is a hare natively found throughout Africa, and has spread to many parts of the Europe, Middle East and Asia. The Cape Hare is a nocturnal herbivore.They are fast...
, the latter heavier than itself. Insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s provide less than 1% of the prey mass consumed. They are unusually active hunters, killing up to fourteen small animals in a night. Their energy requirements
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
are very high, with about 250 grams (9 oz) of prey per night consumed, which is about a sixth of its average body weight.
Black-footed cats hunt mainly by stalking, rather than ambush, using the cover of darkness and all available traces of cover to approach their prey before the final pounce. They have been observed to hunt by moving swiftly to flush prey from cover, but also to slowly stalk through tufts of vegetation. Less commonly, they will wait outside rodent burrows, often with their eyes closed, but remaining alert for the slightest sound. In common with the big cats, but unlike most other small species, black-footed cats have been observed to hide some of their captured prey for later feeding, rather than consuming it immediately.
Reproduction and life cycle
Black-footed cats have lived for ten years in captivity. Females reach sexual maturity after eight to twelve months. They come into estrus for only one or two days at a time, and are receptive to mating for a few hours requiring males to locate them quickly. Copulation occurs frequently during this period. GestationGestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
lasts from 63 to 68 days. A litter
Litter (animal)
A litter is the offspring at one birth of animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. The word is most often used for the offspring of mammals, but can be used for any animal that gives birth to multiple young. In comparison, a group of eggs and the offspring that hatch from...
consists usually of two kittens, but may vary from one to four young. Kittens weigh 60 to 84 g (2.1 to 3 oz) at birth. They are born blind and relatively helpless, although they are able to crawl about after just a few hours. They are able to walk within two weeks, begin taking solid food after about a month, and are fully weaned
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...
by two months of age.
Females may have up to two litters during the spring, summer and autumn. They rear their kittens in a burrow, moving them to new locations regularly after the first week. In general, kittens develop more rapidly than in other similarly sized cats, quickly adapting them to a relatively hostile environment. They become independent by 5 months of age but may remain within their mother's range.
Conservation
Felis nigripes is included on CITES Appendix I and protected by national legislation across most of its range. Hunting is banned in Botswana and South Africa.Research
The Black-footed Cat Working Group carries out a research project at Benfontein Nature Reserve and Nuwejaarsfontein Farm in central South Africa, where seven black-footed cats have been radio-collared. This project is part of a multidisciplinary effort to study the distribution, ecology, health, and reproduction of black-footed cats over an extended period.In Captivity
Wuppertal Zoo acquired Black-footed Cats as long ago as 1957. Six years later, in 1963, it succeeded in breeding them. To date, more than 140 kittens were born in 73 litters.In 1993, the European Endangered Species Programme
European Endangered Species Programme
The European Endangered Species Programme or EEP is the most intensive type of population management for a species kept in European Association of Zoos and Aquaria zoos...
(EEP) was formed to coordinate which animals are best suited for pairing in order to maintain genetic diversity and to avoid inbreeding. The International Studbook for the black-footed cat is kept in the German Wuppertal Zoo. Since 1974 detailed records exist for a total of 447 cats.
On February 13, 2011, a female kept at the Audubon Nature Institute
Audubon Nature Institute
The Audubon Nature Institute is family of museums and parks dedicated to nature based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It consists of the Audubon Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Audubon Park, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center,...
gave birth to two male kittens. This birth was significant in that the kittens are the first of their species to be born as a result of in vitro fertilization utilizing frozen and thawed sperm
Sperm
The term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell...
and frozen and thawed embryos. In 2003, the sperm was collected from a male and then frozen. At the Audubon Nature Institute it was later combined with an egg from a female, creating embryos in March 2005. Those embryos were frozen for almost six years before being thawed and transferred to a surrogate female in December 2010, who carried the embryos to term, resulting in the birth of the two kittens. Scientists hope this will provide a means for them to increase the species numbers, as well as introduce greater genetic variation into the small population.
External links
- Black-footed Cat Working Group: Information about field research of Black-footed cats in South Africa
- IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group - Cat Species Information: Felis nigripes
- Arkive Species Information: Black-footed cat
- BBC Science & Nature: Black-footed cat, small-spotted cat
- Animal Info: Felis nigripes