Black-footed Cat
[ Felis nigripes ]
Quick Facts
| BODY LENGTH: |
19 to 25 inches
|
| WEIGHT: |
male: 4 to 5 1/2 pounds; female: 2 to 3 1/2 poundss
|
| WILD DIET: |
small birds, mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates |
| ZOO DIET: |
Purina Pro Plan chow, Iams Proactive Cat Chow, Natural Balance Zoo Carnivore, mice, rats, pinkies.
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| DISTRIBUTION: |
Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa |
| HABITAT: |
dry open savanna, grasslands and semi-desert.
|
The cat’s meow
Big Cat Personality
Feisty and mighty for their size, black-footed cats are the smallest African feline species. Weighing between 2 and 4 pounds – half the size of domestic house cats – black-footed cats are opportunistic feeders that prey on a variety of animals. If necessary, this cat can eat 1/3 of its body weight in one meal. If cornered or threatened, black-footed cats are known to defend themselves fiercely.
All In The Name
Sleek bodied with tawny fur, black-footed cats are marked with bold, black spots and black leg rings. The unique coloration helps this nocturnal hunter camouflage perfectly with its grassland habitat. Even the soles of the black-footed cat are dark, hence their name.
Tiny cat, even tinier kittens
Litters for Black-footed cats usually consist of only two kittens, each weighing about 60 grams. A successful female cat can raise up to two litters a year. Kittens are independent at about 5 months of age, but remain in their mother’s range for longer.
Conservation Matters
Threatened in the wild, there are only 42 black-footed cats in North American zoos including 15 breeding pairs. An animal in the Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program between zoos across the country, the eventual goal is to double the number of black-footed cats in zoos to 80.
Black Footed Cats at Brookfield Zoo
Born in March 2008, Batu is from the San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium and his mate Cleo, from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, was born September 2007. Batu can usually be seen resting up at the front of the exhibit in Fragile Kingdom Desert. Cleo often rests in her basket. They often are active late morning and early afternoon. If you are lucky, you might see them play with their whole prey food items. We’re hoping this young pair of black-footed cats can help save their threatened species.