#180 Yawn, Wink, Twitch, GOOD NIGHT, Friends

#180 GOOD NIGHT, Friends! AWE ! A sleepy Cyrus Caracal is sooooo CUTE with his twitchy ear tufts and winking eyes!

Misc: The name Caracal is derived from a Turkish word “karakulak” meaning “black ear.” The Caracal was once trained for bird hunting in Iran and India. They were put into arenas containing a flock of pigeons, and wagers were made as to how many the cat would takedown. This is the origination of the expression “to put a cat amongst the pigeons.” The Caracal is capable of leaping into the air and knocking down 10-12 birds at one time!

Size and Appearance: Often referred to as the desert lynx, the Caracal does not actually possess the same physical attributes of members of the lynx family, such as the characteristic ruff of hair around the face. Instead, it has a short, dense coat, usually, a uniform tawny-brown to brick-red, and black (melanistic) individuals have been recorded. As the name implies, the backs of the ears are black and topped with long black tufts about 1.75 inches long. This tuft is the characteristic that Caracals do share with the members of the lynx family. It is the largest member of Africa’s small cats, and it’s most formidable. Males can weigh as much as 40 pounds, and females as much as 35. They stand between 16-20 inches at the shoulder and are 35-39 inches long.

Habitat: Caracals live in the drier savannah and woodland regions of sub-Saharan Africa, and prefer the more scrubby, arid habitats. They will also inhabit evergreen and montane forests but are not found in tropical rain forests.

Distribution: Central Africa, South Africa, West Africa, southwest Asia, Middle East.

Reproduction and Offspring: After a gestation of approximately 78-81 days, females produce a litter of 1-4 kittens, with 2 being the average. They begin to open their eyes on their first day of life, but it takes 6-10 days for them to completely open. They are weaned at 10 weeks, and will remain with their mothers for up to a year. They attain sexual maturity between 12-16 months. In captivity, Caracals have lived up to 19 years.

Social System and Communication: Caracals are solitary animals, and social interactions are limited to periods of mating, except for mothers with kittens.

Hunting and Diet: Caracals prey on a variety of mammals, with the most common being rodents, hares, hyraxes, and small antelope. Unlike the other small African cats, Caracals will not hesitate to kill prey larger than themselves, such as adult springbok or young Kudu. Caracals have also been reported on occasion (although this is an exception rather than a rule) to store their kills in trees, as do the leopards. These cats are mostly nocturnal but have been spotted in daylight in protected areas.

Principal Threats: Caracals are mostly killed for livestock predation, although this only occurs in a few of its ranges it still adds up to large numbers of deaths (2219 animals in one area alone). In other areas of its range, it fights hunting for its skin and for its meat, which some bush tribes consider to be a luxury.

BIG CAT TV is a close look into our day-to-day operations, the conservation efforts we support, and the exotic feline residents of "Big Cat Rescue" in Tampa, FL. USA. Big Cat Rescue is an educational non-breeding, accredited, sanctuary and a registered non-profit 501c3 so your donations are tax-deductible!

Subscribe here: http://youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=BigCatRescue

Donate at http://bigcatrescue.org/donate/

Shop for big cat-themed gifts, clothes and more at BigCatRescue.biz

Follow Big Cat Rescue on Twitter http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue

Like Big Cat Rescue on Facebook http://facebook.com/bigcatrescue

Music from APM Music (https://www.apmmusic.com) and Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) and Artlist.io

Take action to end big cat abuse at BigCatAct.com

Thank you for watching and tell a friend!