Small Spotted Cat - Felis nigripes:The Small Spotted Cat, also known as the Black-Footed Cat, is the smallest of the felids occuring in the southern African sub-region. The body is marked with lines and spots, with the background varying from cinnamon-buff, to tawny, to off-white. The tail is short and narrowly black-tipped, the legs are long, and the cat has sharp canine teeth which are used to sever the spinal column of its prey. Its diet consists of small mammals such as mice and gerbils, as well as lizards, spiders, insects and birds. This cat is nocturnal and highly secretive, and is therefore seldom seen. In the daytime, it will retreat to the shelter of bushes or tall grass, or to the disused burrow of an aardvark or spring hare. It also likes the holes of termite mounds. When seen in the wild, this cat is almost always solitary. When confronted by danger, it hides, and remains well hidden, until danger is past: when cornered, it proves aggressive. Litters of one to three kittens are born. SIZE: Length (including the tail) 55 cm, mass (m) 1,5 kg, (f) 1 kg. COLOUR: Fawn in the northern part of its range, shading to a reddish-fawn in the south with a pattern of dark spots more clearly defined in southern specimens. The underparts are whitish, the legs horizontally banded, the tail black-tipped. MOST LIKE: The African Wild Cat, but smaller and with more distinct markings. The backs of the ears are fawn or dark fawn but never rufous like the African wild cat's. HABITAT: Dry, open country with scrub bush or grasses for cover. A water source is not essential. South Africa - Eco Travel Guides - Wildlife Guides: Travel Guides: -:- Activities & Interests -:- Regions & Areas -:- Routes -:- Maps -:- Wildlife: -:- Vertebrates: -:- Amphibians -:- Birds -:- Fish -:- Mammals -:- Reptiles -:- |