Cats of the Genus Felis

There are 36 species in the Felid family of cats. The felids fall into two subfamilies, the saber tooth, now extinct and the feline. The felines can be found in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas.

The felines have common traits. They stalk their prey and attack immobilizing them by breaking their backbone with their powerful neck and jaw muscles. Their teeth are designed to stab, bite and slice and their claws are retractable. They can achieve great speeds with their powerful legs. Their tail can be long or short, their fur is soft and they have excellent hearing and sight. They can be a solid color or spotted and can range in length from a foot to 12 feet including the tail.

Of the Felid family, there is the genus Felis of which there are 23 species. The first species is the European Wildcat, Felis silvestris. It resembles a domestic but it is bigger, has black stripes, larger head and teeth and a rounded tail. The base fur is gray with a reddish, yellowish or blackish hue. It is 4 feet in length. It is an excellent climber and can travel from tree branch to tree branch. It usually hunts alone or in pairs. It likes to feed on small mammals, birds, small deer and fish.

The next species is the African Wildcat, Felis lybica. It is also known as a Libyan or tawny. It is slightly larger than a domestic measuring 30 inches long including a 10 inch tail. It hunts at night and feeds on small mammals, birds and reptiles.

The third species is the Jungle, Felis chaus. It is 30 inches long and weighs 20 pounds. It is gray brown in color with light stripes and a black ringed tail. It usually hunts at night but will come out in the day. It is a very good climber and feeds on birds and small mammals.

The fourth species is the Leopard Cat, Felis bengalensis. It measures 32 inches long and has a soft, thick, reddish fur which is white near the stomach. The fur is covered with round spots or stripes. It lives in hilly areas and is a good climber. It feeds on birds and small mammals.

The Manul or Pallas', Felis manul, can be found in the steppes of Asia. It is orange-brown with white and black rings around the eyes. The forehead is gray with black spots and the chin is white. It has long , soft hair and the eyes are positioned high in the forehead. It feeds on rodents, partridges and reptiles.

The Serval, Felis serval, lives in the bush country of Africa never very far from water. It measures 5 1/2 feet in length including a short tail. It weighs 34 pounds and has a small head, large ears , slender legs and thick paws. The body has longitudinal rows and broken rings on the paws and tail. It feeds on francolins, small birds, guinea pigs and small antelope.

The Marbled, Felis marmorata, lives in wooded areas. The fur pattern,blackish spots and stripes sit on a yellowish background. It measures 3 feet in length with half being the tail. It hunts at night and feeds on small mammals and birds.

Temminck's Golden , Felis temminicki, is a 3 foot long wildcat. The fur is a uniform golden-brown with a muzzle of white, gray and black mixture. It feeds on rodents, fawns and birds. The African Golden, Felis aurata, is very similar but smaller.

The Fishing, Felis viverrina, is found near water. It measures 32 inches in length and weighs 17 pounds. Its coat is gray with black spots. It feeds on small mammals and birds.

The Ocelot, Felis pardalis, lives in forests and areas of thick vegetation. Its fur is short and smooth ranging from gray to a yellowish hue. It has gray-black oval shapes with black borders. Its paws and belly are white. It measures 4 1/2 feet in length including a 15 inch tail. It has great climbing ability and likes to sleep in trees during the day. It hunts at night and feeds on agoutis, small deer and opossums. The Margay, Felis wiedii, and the Tiger cat, Felis tigrina, are very similar to the Ocelot but smaller.

The Mountain, Felis jacobita, and Geoffrey's, Felis geoffroyi, are very similar animals found in South America. Their fur is brownish -gray with darker markings on their sides and rings on their tails. Measuring 30 inches in length, they feed on rodents, birds and small mammals.

The Kodkod, Felis guigna, lives in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It is only 18 inches long and its fur is grayish-brown with rows of darker spots. The tail has black rings. It lives in woodlands and feeds on small mammals and rodents.

The Jaguarundi, Felis yagouaroundi, or otter cat ranges from southern Texas to South America. Measuring 4 feet in length and weighing 20 pounds, it is long and graceful with short legs. The fur is reddish-brown or gray. With its small ears and nose, it resembles a weasel. It is a good climber and hunts at night feeding on small birds, small mammals, frogs and fish.

The Pampas, Felis colocola, is the size of a domestic with a long tail. It is found in South America. The fur is gray with brown markings. It hunts at night for small birds, rodents and mammals.

The Puma, Felis concolor, also known as the cougar or mountain lion, is the largest member of the genus Felis. It can be found in pine woods, tropical forests, prairies and deserts throughout the Americas. It can reach lengths up to 8 feet and can weigh from 80 t0 260 pounds. The fur is sand-colored with the ears, tail tip and part of the muzzle being black. It is a great hunter and feeds on medium sized hoofed animals like deer but will attack almost anything that comes within its range.

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