Facts, Information, Scientific Name of Caracal
Don’t get mistaken to this cat-like animal to a cat, which has a great stride and speed, who strikingly emerges out of its hiding to run and catch its prey.
Common name – Caracal
Scientific name – Caracal caracal.
Size – 40cm- 50cm
Discovery and Hunting stunt –
A naturalist named Johann Christian Danien Von Schreber discovered a cat-like animal that growls, hisses, spits, and purrs. Caracal is gracefully thin but with a strong build and a small face.
These cats have large upright ears with Tufts (hairs) on them, a Forehead with Black stripes and a body of Reddish or sandy colouration.
This cat has soft fur that grows intensely in summer.
The Caracal hides in the bush jump with a stride of long hind legs, larger paws and runs after prey to catch them fast. The prey animal sare Birds, Rodents, small antelopes, lizards, rabbits, etc.
It uses its large upright ears which have 20 muscles and runsat a speed of 50 miles per hour to catch prey. The hunted prey is hidden in the bushes or near trees and fed upon later.
Breeding –
A Caracal is a solitary animal.
But during mating season it produces a call which sounds like a ‘cough’ and fights for the attention of the Female.
Females carry the babies for 69-81 days. She gives birth to 1-6 kits, known as baby caracal, in an old den or burrow.
Kits are born with their eyes closed. They take 6-10 days to open their eyes. Caracal female nurses the kits for 10 weeks.
The lifespan of a Caracal is 12 years.
Also See ⇒ Asiatic Black Bear Facts