Caracal
Caracal caracal
Featured Caracals
Baroness
Cheyenne
Kiniki
Mary Stewart
Description and Behavior
Caracals are tawny brown or red in color with a cream underbelly with tawny spots. Their black ear tufts are probably the most distinctive feature. Caracal comes from a Turkish word meaning “black eared.” The tufts are used for communication between individuals. Caracals are considered the largest of the African small cats with males weighing up to 40 pounds and females up to 35 pounds. Caracals hunt predominantly at night (note round pupils) but sometimes are active during the day. Caracals have large heads and large jaws which allow them to hunt large prey. Males and females have separate home ranges, with males’ overlapping those of several females. In their native lands caracals are also called “little lion” or “fierce lion” and “small cheetah”.
Prey
Caracals will hunt for a variety of mammals including rodents, hares, hyraxes (small rabbit like animal), and small antelopes. They are also capable of taking relatively large prey for their size. Caracals have exceptional bird catching ability. To catch birds, they leap up into the air and knock them down with their paws.
Habitat
Drier savannah and woodland regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, strong preference for scrubby, arid habitats.
Range
Throughout Africa, Middle East, Southwest Asia (once trained to hunt for Indian nobility). Well studied in Sub-Saharan Africa and Israel. Sparsely distributed in Central and West Africa. Also found in Northern Africa, Middle East, small population on Russian steppes (Turkmenistan). North of the Sahara, absent only from true desert. Their ability to satisfy moisture requirements from prey allows them to live in very dry areas.
Biology
| Weight | 30-40 lbs. |
| Reproductive Season | Year round, one litter per year |
| Gestation Period | 78-81 days
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| Litter Size | Averages 2 kittens |
| Age at Independence | |
| Sexual Maturity | Males - ~1 year, females - ~1.5 years
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| Longevity | Up to 19 years
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| Social Structure | Solitary, except for breeding season (mated pairs) or when raising kittens |
Principal Threats
Some agencies (CITES) list the Asian populations as endangered. Often killed for suspected predation on small livestock, but this only seems to be a problem in South Africa and Namibia. Large numbers of caracals are destroyed by farmers each year; 1,800 killed in Namibia in 1981. Hunting for skins and “bush meat” is a threat in Central and West Africa.
Role in Environment
Keystone species in ecosystems where found due to control of rodents. Actually could be very valuable to farmers for this reason.
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