The Black-footed Cat, Africa’s smallest
The Black-footed Cat, Africa’s smallest The Black-footed Cat Felis nigripes is Africa’s smallest felid, and among the smallest wild cat species in the world. The soft, dense coat ranges from dark to pale tawny gold, with a bold pattern of rounded dark brown to black spots which sometimes merge into bands or rings. Their large eyes are amber or greyish brown. The chin, chest, belly and insides of the legs are whitish, and the backs of the ears are pale brown. There are two dark streaks across each cheek, and dark bars on the forelegs and haunches. The short tail, about half the body length, has two or three black rings, tapering to a black tipped point. As special adaptations to their desert habitat, these cats have a broad skull with large, rounded ears, which provide enhanced hearing in an area with scarce prey. Low-set ears are often completely fl...
