Felis caracal

Length: 62-91 cm (25-36")

Tail: 18-34 cm (7-13")

Weight: 8-13 kg (17.6-28.6 lb.) female, 12-19 kg (26-42 lb.) male

Status: It is not endangered. It appears to have adapted well to the presence of humans.

Habitat: Caracals are found in arid semi-desert areas and dry savannas throughout Africa. They are also found in Asia. They like plains and rocky hills in areas where there is a short wet season and limited grass cover.

Role: carnivore

Food: Caracals are superb hunters and take much larger prey than one would expect for a cat this size. It preys on many of the same species as leopards do, including hyraxes, grass rats, monkeys, bats, Thomson's gazelles, young antelope birds (ranging in size up to the martial eagle). It will ambush doves and pigeons at waterholes by leaping up into the air and grabbing them. Caracals will also scavenge from the leftover kills of other animals. Reptiles and fruit are sometimes eaten.

Predators: Kittens are vulnerable to a variety of predators such as raptors, snakes and jackals. Spotted hyenas and leopards occasionally manage to capture adults.