Feline mammals have more than 30 species of their representatives. These are, perhaps, the most specialized predators, perfectly mastering the techniques of storing, stalking and "stealing" animal food. The lifestyle in these mammals is mostly twilight or nocturnal. They can be either monogamous or polygamous. For example, lions create the so-called prides (flocks). Small cats (domestic) breed each year and several times, and large (tiger, lion) - once every several years.
All in mom
If you look at cute domestic cats, you can see how grandiose external similarities they have with their wild brothers! This, of course, serves as a good reason to believe that wild cats and domesticated small cats descended from one common ancestor!
Dinner is served
Wild representatives of the cat family are divided into different subspecies corresponding to their habitat: African, European, Asian and desert cats. Since they live in their natural habitat, they are not finicky like their domesticated relatives. For example, wild cats in the "hungry year" can eat carrion or even insects! Only in this way can they survive. In addition, their diet includes rabbits, fish, bird eggs, rodents, snakes.
Wild cats of the Old and New World
Such places of the New and Old World, where about a dozen of those or other small, but wild cats and cats are still preserved. Outwardly, they differ from each other, however, they have certain common features that distinguish them from large cats.
Ocelot
This is a small, but very beautiful wild cat. It lives in Latin America and is also found in the southwestern United States of America. His coat is grayish-white, wonderful black patterns consisting of stripes and rosettes flaunt on it. Sometimes brown-reddish blotches are noticeable in them.
Their other name is tigrillo (small tigers). They have repeatedly tried to tame, domesticate. However, all attempts to do this proved futile. Because of such beautiful skins, these animals were on the verge of extinction. At one time they were fiercely hunted. Ocelots climb trees wonderfully, so they hunt and hide precisely on them.
Wild reed cat
Its other name is marsh lynx or jungle cat. This is a fairly large predator from the cat family, living in Central Asia, North Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and the Caucasus. These wild cats (photo 3) are quite different from ordinary domestic cats. Their main color is gray-brown with a red (or olive) tint in the upper part. On the sides, the coat is lighter. The tail is much darker than the body.
The reed wild cats feed on small rodents (mice, gophers, voles), birds living near water bodies (ducks, pheasants), lizards, hares, turtles, young
ungulates and, of course, different fish. These are great swimmers. Unlike their smaller family relatives, these animals are not afraid of water.