Caracal

Class: Mammalia (Mammals)

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae (Cats)

Weight: 11-20 kg

Height: 45 cm

Body length: 65-82 cm

Coloration: The fur is short and dense, with a sandy or reddish-brown upper side and a whitish underside. There are black markings on the sides of the face. The ears and ear tufts are black.

Age of sexual maturity: 7-12 months

Gestation period: approximately 80 days

Lifespan: up to 14 years

Habitat: Caracals are found in savannas, deserts, and foothills in Africa, the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, Lesser and Central Asia, and the Middle East. In the CIS region, they can be found in the deserts of southern Turkmenistan and along the Caspian Sea coast up to the Mangyshlak Peninsula.

Diet: Their diet mainly consists of small birds, as well as rodents, porcupines, hyraxes, hedgehogs, small lizards, small carnivorous animals, and young of various antelope species.

Did you know?

• Caracals can go for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from their prey.
• They are excellent climbers and can jump onto branches up to 2 meters high. That helps them in hunting birds that sleep on lower branches.
• Caracals are solitary animals, and when they encounter other caracals, ear movements play a significant role in communication.