Cats of the caracal are skillful predators!

Cats of the caracal, called still deserted orsteppe lynx, except for the Sahara desert, live in Africa, as well as in the south-western part of Asia. Despite the name, to the lynx this predator has nothing to do with, there is only some similarity in appearance. In some areas of animals there are so many that the local people exterminate them, as pests attack pets, but still in Asia and northern Africa caracals are rare.

In the past, cats lived together on the samecheetahs, but now prefer to stay closer to the serval. They dwell in thickets of bushes, forests, stony areas, plains. Ideal for their habitat is the edge of the forest, which passes into the plain. The area affects the coloring of the animal's fur, so the cats of the caracal are brown, yellowish, red. The abdomen is lighter than the back, there are numerous spots on it. The muzzle is notable for dark markings around the eyes, the ears are large and end in black long tassels. The older the representatives of the feline, the longer they are.

Female weighs up to 13 kg, males - about 20 kg, lengthbody - from 60 cm to 90 cm, the tail is about 30 cm. Such dimensions speak for themselves and give an idea of ​​how huge a caracal cat is. The photo of the animal is significantly different from that of an ordinary domestic cat, it is a typical representative of predators. Its powerful rear paws allow you to jump up to 5 m in length, and also push off from the ground and fly upwards, so that the beast is able to catch a bird that is already taking off.

Steppe lynx prefer to live alone,The exception is only the mating period. If the males' paths can still intersect, the females on their territory will not tolerate anyone, their possessions occupy from 4 to 60 km in Africa, and Asian representatives generally occupy up to 300 km of the area. Cats of caracal prefer to mate when they are not threatened by hunger. Females make themselves felt with the help of urine with pheromones and a kind of cough signaling about the marriage call. Kittens appear between October and February, but it all depends on the characteristics of the habitat.

The cat protects its offspring up to 4 months,feeds the kids, drags them from place to place. Completely independent kittens become in half a year. Animals are mostly nocturnal, but sometimes they can be noticed in the daytime. Cats of the caracal have an ideal hearing, which helps them to track down the victims, sight is used to accurately point at the target of the attack. Predators feed only on food of animal origin: birds, small monkeys, rodents, antelopes, hares, damans, reptiles. They can not only kill an animal superior to their mass, but also drive away other hunters from their prey.

Sometimes and as a pet you cancontain a caracal cat. The price is rather big, and not everyone can feed a predator, so the steppe trot can be seen only among well-off people. The animal is endowed with a developed intellect, so you can teach and tame a lot, but you should not forget about its origin and natural instincts. A non-trained pet can be dangerous even to the owner.