| 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.
