African Wildcat
Felis lybica
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyFelidae (Felids)
- GenusFelis (Palearctic and African Small Cats)
- SpeciesFelis lybica (African Wildcat)
About the African Wildcat
The African wildcat (Felis lybica) is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is native to Africa, West and Central Asia, and is distributed to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It inhabits a broad variety of landscapes ranging from deserts to savannas, shrublands and grasslands.
The African wildcat is the ancestor of the domestic cat (F. catus). Some African wildcats were domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Near East. Interspecific hybrids between both species are common where their ranges overlap.
Felis lybica was the scientific name proposed in 1780 by Georg Forster who based his description on a specimen from Gafsa on the Barbary Coast that had the size of a domestic cat, but a reddish fur, short black tufts on the ears, and a ringed tail.
Between the late 18th and 20th centuries, several naturalists and curators of natural history museums described and proposed new names for wildcat holotypes from Africa and the Near East, including: Felis ocreata by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1791 was based on a description of a wildcat encountered in northern Ethiopia by James Bruce.
Felis cafra by... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of African Wildcat in Namib-Naukluft National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Lion
Panthera leo
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Brown Hyaena
Hyaena brunnea
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Cape Fox
Vulpes chama
Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
Slender-tailed Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Slender Mongoose
Galerella sanguinea
Northern Small-spotted Genet
Genetta genetta
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 6 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 10 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 12 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 14 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 16 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 17 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 18 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 19 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 20 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 21 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 22 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Wildcat in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a African Wildcat sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Wildcat in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for African Wildcat in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.