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.

The Small Spotted 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, the Small Spotted Cat hides, and remains well hidden, until danger is past: when cornered, it proves aggressive. Litters of one to three kittens are born.

More facts about Small Spotted Cats

WHERE FOUND:
Pilanesberg National Park (South Africa)