Profile by Phil Crosby

Caracal

Caracal caracal

The caracal is rare in Asia but considered to be a pest in cetain areas of Africa

Also known as the African Lynx or the Desert Lynx. Caracals are easily tamed and have historically been used to aid humans in hunting in Persia & India.

Life span
Caracals live for at least 12 years in the wild and up to 19 years in captivity.

Statistics
Body length: 55-90 cm, Tail length: 22-31 cm, Shoulder height: 38-50 cm, Weight: male: 13 kg, female: 10 kg. Caracals from India tend to be smaller than those from Africa.

Physical Description
Caracals have a short reddish-brown coat with a white chin, throat and belly. They have a narrow black line running from each eye to the nose. The body is long and slender with long legs, a tapering tail and tufted ears. Caracals in arid regions tend to have paler fur than their counterparts. Some regional subspecies have stiff hairs on their paws that produce a snowshoe effect in the sand.

Distribution
Caracals range throughout Africa and in Asia from Turkestan, North-West India to Arabia.

Habitat
They inhabit a variety of habitats but are mainly found in dry country in woodland, savannah and scrub.

Diet
Caracals hunt by stalking prey including rodents, hares, hyraxes, small deer and other small mammals. They are renowned for their expert ability to catch birds, leaping high into the air and hitting the bird with their paw. Reptiles and invertebrates are also taken. On rare occasions they have been spotted caching food up in trees.

Behaviour
African caracals are most active at night but will also hunt during the day in the winter. Asian caracals are active at dawn and dusk. They shelter during the day in disused burrows, dense vegetation or rock crevices. The maternal dens are located in porcupine burrows, rocky crevices or dense vegetation. Caracals are ground-dwellers but can climb well. Males have larger ranges than females.

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