| African Golden Cat | ||
|---|---|---|
 Profelis aurata (Temminck, 1827) | ||
| Information | ||
| Range |
The equatorial jungles of Senegal, Kenya and northern Angola | |
| Scientific Classification | ||
| Kingdom |
Animalia | |
| Phylum |
Chordata | |
| Class |
Mammalia | |
| Order |
Carnivora | |
| Family |
Felidae | |
| Genus |
Profelis | |
| Species |
P. aurata | |
| Subspecies |
Profelis aurata aurata | |
| Conservation Status (IUCN 3.1) | ||
 Near Threatened | ||
The African golden cat is a wild cat native to West and Central Africa. No records of these cats exist for Benin or Nigeria, leaving a large gap between existing populations.
Appearance
The African golden cat is one of the three medium-sized African cats. It can grow between 24-40 inches long and weighs 12 to 35 lbs. They have a stocky build with muscular legs, large paws and a short tail. Their coat can vary from color, ranging from reddish to grey and is sometimes spotted. Completely black African golden cats (melanistic) are rare in nature. It is a close relative of both the Caracal and the Serval. Overall, it resembles the Caracal, but has shorter ears and no ear tufts.
History
Pygmy tribes in Africa used tails of African golden cats as a luck charm that ensures good luck whenever they hunted
Trivia
- The African golden cat is one of the least-known felines in the world.
- They are similar to the Asiatic Golden Cat, but studies say that the reason is convergent evolution.
- They can live up to 12 years in captivity.
- African golden cats can change the color of their fur from red to grey in captivity, this happens after 4 months.
