Wild cats of incredible beauty. Photo

They are on the verge of extinction.

Black-footed cats are an endangered species, which from 2002 are under special protection. These miniature animals are seldom bred in captivity.

In the wild black-footed cats are reluctant to climb trees. Rather, they prefer to occupy abandoned burrows of other animals or dig a hole than to sleep all day on the branches of trees.

Black-footed cats are very timid and in case of the slightest danger flee. However, if they are forced to defend themselves in these small animals is awakened spirit a real tiger.

According to one of the African legends, attacked by black-footed cats can knock down even giraffes.

Meet black-footed cats in the wild is very difficult, it is a rare animal. They live mainly in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, rarely found in Zimbabwe and Angola.

Black-footed cat as the species was first described in 1824 an English traveler and naturalist — William Barcella.

Black-footed cats prefer a solitary life, and they have a very large hunting areas that, unfortunately, does not help increase and so the shrinking size of the population. They are known for a huge appetite and increased hunting activity caught on average one animal every 50 minutes. If the victim was too big to eat in one sitting, black-footed cats make reserves remains buried in burrows.

These cats are actually very tiny: the weight of adult females does not exceed 1.3 kilograms, and males and 2.6 kg, reach a height of 25 centimeters and a length of 34-50 cm plus tail 15 to 22 cm

Black-footed cats have sandy-yellow color with dark brown oval spots, which allows them to camouflage in their habitats.

Because of its small size, black-footed cats prey mainly on small rodents. They eat insects, spiders and Scorpions. However, their victims can become animals larger than them, and also birds in flight — cat jump to a height of 1.4 metres.

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