Know the Rare Wild Cats (part 1)
- By: Amielia Shadan
- Dec 24, 2015
- 3 min read
As we can see, this post is about the rarest wild cat that you don’t even know existed. There will be short in facts and information about some these adorable rare breeds since most of them can be hardly seen, let alone observed. Even so, this might be the most interesting post of all, so, enjoy!
1. Andean Mountain Cat
Region: Andes Mountains of Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru
About: Andean cats are only known to be living in the arid to semi-arid regions of the high Andes Mountains. They prefer to live in the higher area with the height of 3000 to 4000 meters. Their size is about an adult house cat and up until now, there have been none in captivity.
How rare is this cat? It is estimated about only 2500 left on Earth.
Source: Google images
Andean mountain cat
2. The Palla's Cat
Region: This wild cat can be found throughout Asia from the Caspian Sea and Iran to south eastern Siberia and Tibet.
About: This breed is said to be the ancestors of the Persian breed for its long fur, sticky build and flattened face. Thanks to its very long fur, this breed can survive in very cold weather. They also live in steppes, alpine deserts and rocky country at fairly high places. They use chasing, stalking and were also seen fishing their prey which mostly consist of rodents, birds, insects and also fish.
How rare is this cat? The International Species Information Service lists 117 worldwide, with 48 being in the U.S.
Source: Google images
An adult Pallas cat
2. Fishing cat
Region: India through Indochina and Indonesia. About: As the name goes, this cat prefers to live near watery habitats including mangrove swamps, marshy thickets, tidal creeks and oxbow lakes. It is the best swimmer in the feline family. It is stickily built with short legs big head and a short tail as it does not do much climbing. Aquatic animals are not their only prey as they also fed on land animals such as wild pigs, rodents and civets. How rare is this cat? The International Species Information Service lists 256 worldwide, with 68 being in the U.S.
Source: Google images
Fishing cat in captive
4. Sand Cat
Region: From the Sahara through the Middle East to Turkestan.
About: one of the most secretive wild cats. Thanks to its foot coverings, they can walk on sand without sinking or leaving any footprints. Their coat mimics the very colour of the sand and one of the most striking appearances of this cat is their extra-large ears and broad head. They hunt mostly by digging up snakes and gerbils and thanks to its huge ears, they can hear the tracks of their prey from far distance, let it be above or underground.
How rare is this cat? The International Species Information Service lists 116 worldwide, with 36 being in the U.S.
Source: Google images
Sand cat
5. Margay
Region: Mexico, the Amazon Basin, Argentina, Uruguay, Belize and Brazil. Extinct in Texas, USA.
About: This breed can be said to be almost monkey-like since it is the expert in the feline family when it comes to living in trees. It is the only cat to possess the ability to rotate its hind legs 180°, enabling it to run fast down trees like squirrels. It can also hang from a branch by one hind foot. Their coats are similar to that of an Ocelot. They mostly hunt on smaller animals like big-eared climbing rats, squirrels, opossums, small birds, porcupines, marmosets, capuchins, three-toed sloths, birds and they even eat fruits!
How rare is this cat? The International Species Information Service lists 64 worldwide, with 26 being in the U.S.
Source: Google images
An adult Margay
6. Black Footed Cat
Region: Southern parts of Africa like Nambia, Zimbabwe, Angola but not in its driest or sandiest parts of the Namib or Kalahari deserts. Once found in Botswana.
About: This cat is the smallest in the family if wild cats and the adult Black Footed Cat can only grow up to 2.4 lb. to 4.2 lb. The breed hates climbing so their main prey consists of insects, arachnids, reptiles and also mice.
How rare is this cat? 726 recorded in captive.
Source: Google images
Black footed cat
7. Chinese Mountain Cat
Region: The north-eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
About: A small stocky built cat with relatively short legs, this breed weighs between 10-20 pounds. Their coat is thick with long fur and the colour is pale grey in winter and will turn darker brown in summer. This breed is mostly nocturnal and the majority of their diet is rodent-based (mole rats, white-tailed pine vole, and pikas), but also includes birds.
How rare is this cat? Until today, 10,000 mature breeding individuals are recorded living worldwide.
Source: Google images
Chinese Mountain cat in captive
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