We all have it off the big cats : lion , Panthera tigris , leopard , cheetah , jaguar , and cougar . You are probably also familiar with some smaller wildcats such as the lynx , panther cat , and bobcat . These cat have other cousins that roam the wilds , but we do n’t get a look at them as often as the bigger , more famed species .
1. Andean Mountain Cat
The
Andean Mountain Cat
( Leopardus jacobita )
is rarely come across , as its habitat is cut back to the sight of Bolivia , Peru , Argentina , and Chile at altitudes above the tree line . The total estimated universe is only about 2500 . This bozo grows to only about two groundwork in duration , barely large than a sign of the zodiac cat , with a long shaggy-coated tooshie that may provide a useful counterweight for maneuvering around mountains . There are
none in captivity
.
2. Pallas’s Cat
Pallas ’s Cat
( Otocolobus Pallas’s cat )
is also call Manul . It is only about the size of a domestic Arabian tea , but seem heavier because of its dull fur . The Pallas ’s Cat differs from other Arabian tea in that it has round student instead of slits and fewer teeth , give it a relatively flat - faced appearing . The Manul lay out from eastern Europe to Siberia , swan the higher elevations of the Middle East and Asia . It is thought to be the Old cat mintage , evolve about
12 million year ago
. Although the Manul are rare , you may be intimate with this CT because of a
democratic pic of a poster
. you could see many more image at
The Pallas ' Cat Project
, let in pictures of cubs .
3. Margay
Margay
( Leopardus wiedii )
resembles an ocelot , but is as little as a domestic family cat . The Margay also has relatively longer legs than an Felis pardalis and is an fantabulous tree climber . Its soil stretches from Mexico down through Brazil . This near - threaten species is seldom seen , as it hound only at night and stay hidden in the rainfall forest .
4. Fishing Cat
Fishing Cat
( Prionailurus viverrinus )
is aboriginal to south and southeast Asia , where it prefers to live near water -the good to line up Pisces , of course ! It is the premier bather of the cat family . The Fishing Cat is list as
endangered
because its home ground is being destroyed as wetlands are drained for human use , and because it is still hunted in some commonwealth . One Fishing Cat has become an cyberspace meme , as there were many pic of its
flat life story with a Russian couple
and a business firm cat circulate a few years ago .
5. Serval
Serval
( Leptailurus Felis serval )
is a three to four foot long African wild hombre that is believed to be the ancient ascendent of both the lion and the cheetah . It inhabits the same territory , the African savanna . serval have small head and farseeing legs , efficient for furrow prey through the pasture . They are also highly well-informed . serval are the wild hombre most often preserve as
menage dearie
. The large domestic breed
Savannah
is a crossbreed between a Serval and a domesticated CT .
6. Caracal
Caracal
( Caracal caracal )
has a clearly North American show , as if a cougar had crossbreed with a lynx . It is related to neither , and lives in Africa and Asia . This tall slim cat-o'-nine-tails grows to about three feet in distance . The Caracal opt mountain or desert areas , and can live without body of water longer than other cats . Although rarely seen , caracal are
abundant in the wild
, and are sometimes kept as dearie .
7. African Golden Cat
African Golden Cat
( Profelis aurata )
is not always gold . In fact , its colors
vary widely
between individuals , roll from gold to reddish to gray with typical darker markings on some cats and a lighter chest of drawers and abdomen . It may also exchange colouration over its life cycle . The Golden Cat is native to the rain forests of equatorial Africa . This rarely - seen cat-o'-nine-tails grows to 30 - 32 inches long and weighs up to 40 pounds . The Golden Cat is classified as
near - threatened
8. Sand Cat
TheSand Cat(Felis margarita)lives in the comeupance of Africa , the Arabian Peninsula , and western Asia . It is about the sizing of a domestic khat , with blockheaded and long fur . Sand Cats have all-embracing heads and fur produce between the toes , a feature often found in icy cats . This serve the same aim as insulation for the paws against the environment , but keeps the Sand Cat ’s feet protected from red-hot surface instead of snow . This cat-o'-nine-tails is listed as peril , with hunting proscribe in many countries . Sand Cat image by Flickr userNick Lawes .
