Physical description of Wildcats
Weighing in at 2-5 kg, there is a difference between the sexes but not between the subspecies. This applies to length as well, with the cats coming in at just over half a meter in length. The Asiatic wildcat is, on average, a bit smaller than the other two. This is due to its preference for arid regions. Generally, most animals that live in arid areas are slighter than cousins that live in more abundant wetland, grassland or forest habitats.
The three wildcats vary in color. Dull greyish brown with black stripes might be considered standard. However, depending on where they live, things change. Asian cats are more likely to have a richer brown color, and African cats have a full range of colors from yellow through brown to grey.
Noticeably, the European cat has much thicker fur and looks more stocky; the African cat has the thinnest coat and also a thinner, less bushy tail.
Distribution and habitat of Wildcats
The Wildcat is a complex species. The three main subspecies are sometimes considered different species. There are definitely three distinct regions, and the cats there are relatively distinctive. The Wildcat stretches from Europe to South Africa and across much of Asia.
Felis silvestris silvestris is the European cat (across Europe as far as Western Russia but not much in the north)
Felis silvestris lybica from Africa and the Middle East (South Africa to Arabia)
Felis silvestris ornata from Asia (Middle East to West China and into Russia)
The domestic cat is thought to be a descendant of the Africa variety and now lives worldwide.
The habitat of the wildcats varies with their distributions. They are all capable of living in most environments. Asiatic cats, though, are found more often in arid areas and scrubland.
European wildcats are commonly seen in forests, mostly deciduous, but sometimes in the evergreen forests of the north as well. However, their northward limit is there where there is significant snow. Like the Asiatic wildcat, they don’t do well with deep snow.
Snow isn’t much of an issue for African wildcats. They can be found in all habitat types across the African continent, except for tropical jungles.
Wildcat behaviour
Depending on where they live and the amount of human habitation nearby, wildcats are active at night or in the early/late hours of daylight. In places where there are few humans, they are known to be active during the day as well, especially the Asian wildcat.
They travel far and wide in search of prey. Generally, this is within their home range, which doesn’t overlap much with other cats. They are solitary animals and keep their territories separate.
Spraying and scent marking are common ways of marking territory. Wildcats might have visual communication as well. Vocal communication is used between mothers and kittens.
What do Wildcats eat?
Writing the descriptions for all the cats on this website does get a bit repetitive. There are a lot of similarities between the species. The smaller ones eat mainly small rodents. Mice and voles are common prey species, sometimes larger rats as well. However, wildcats, like most cats, are fully evolved hunters and will take bigger prey if the opportunity is available. Rabbits and hares definitely aren’t too big.
Mating and Parental care of Wildcats
Wildcats are polyandrous. The female will allow males to compete for her attention and mate with multiple in the same period. Given the wide variation in habitats and climates, it is no surprise to see that wildcats breed at different times. In Europe, for example, kittens are born at the start of the clearly defined summer. The Asian wildcat breeds year-round.
Generally, females have 3 or 4 young after a two-month pregnancy. Born blind and incapable of doing much, the kittens are looked after by the mother in a den for the first few weeks as they slowly become more capable. After a month, kittens are weaned and start to learn to hunt. This process can be lengthy, lasting until maturity at 9 to 10 months.
Who preys on Wildcats
Not much preys on predators in general. The European wildcat doesn’t have too many large predators in its regions. They have been wiped out or severely reduced by human activity. However, a bigger cat, like the Eurasian lynx, could prey on them, especially on the young. Foxes and wolves, as well. The Asian and African wildcats are more likely to encounter several larger predators – hyenas and jackals come to mind. Like most of the smaller cats, their main predators are larger cats, and the risk is highest as kittens.
How long do Wildcats live?
The average age and lifespan are significantly different for the wildcats. For example, the majority of European wildcats don’t survive to maturity. Those that do probably live to about ten years, maybe as much as 15. Slightly better conditions in Africa mean that more survive kittenhood, though like most animals, mortality of the young is very high.
Wildcats and their ecosystem
The wildcat has a role as a predator of small prey in its habitat. Small dogs like foxes would have similar roles in the ecosystem, but as they are subtly different predators, we need to work to protect the entire ecosystem and the wildcat as much as anything else.
Conservation status and human impact on Wildcats
The wildcat is very widespread, and its conservation status depends on the region. The individual subspecies are threatened in certain areas. For example, the isolated population in Scotland might now be almost completely hybrid with the feral domestic cat.
Similarly, in Germany, we find a lot of hybridization. However, as we go through the Balkans towards the southeast, we see less hybridization.
The Asian and African Wildcats don’t suffer from the same difficulties as their populations are more robust.
Other important information about Wildcats
There are two things of note about the wildcat. One, the wildcat is the origin of our domestic cat, probably from Egypt or the Middle East about 10,000 years ago. The other is that the species and taxonomy have been a bit confusing over time.
The 2015 update from the IUCN listed Felis silvestris as having three “traditional” Subspecies. These are the three I describe on this page:
Felis silvestris silvestris: The European and forest dwelling cat
Felis silvestris lybica: The African and mostly savanna dwelling cat.
Felis silvestris ornata: The Asian wildcat that is most often found in the steppe land of Asia.
While researching and writing, they have changed their taxonomy to Felis silvestris (European) andFelis lybica (Afro-Asian).
While I hope I can count myself as an expert on finding and photographing cats, I am not in a position to sway the argument of speciation.
There some consider other subspecies, such as grampia in Scotland and cafra in Southern Africa. Also, some considerFelis bieti to be correctly Felis silvestris bieti and not an individual species after all. I have included it separately on this site in the same way the IUCN treats it.
