Wildlifeof India
Caracal
Cats
Photo: (c) Shaun Swanepoel, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Caracal caracal
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly small mammals, especially rodents, plus birds, reptiles and young antelope
Habitat
Arid country, dry scrub and open woodland
Range
Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia to arid north-west India
Litter size
1–6 kittens
Gestation period
Two to three months
Size
Shoulder height 40–50cm
Weight
8–19kg
The caracal is a slender, long-legged cat with a short face, a short bushy tail and long black ear tufts about 4.5 cm long. The coat is a plain reddish tan or sandy, paler underneath, with black markings on the face, a black outline to the mouth and white patches around the eyes and mouth. It is a strong jumper, able to leap over 3 m to catch birds in the air. Melanistic individuals are known (Wikipedia, general species account).
In India the caracal is found in arid north-western country, with records from Sariska Tiger Reserve and Ranthambhore National Park; the Wikipedia account says the Indian population may be under 100. Rodents are a big part of the diet in western India. It is normally nocturnal, secretive and solitary, and hard to observe. Mughal emperors and Indian rulers trained caracals to course small game and birds, at least from the Delhi Sultanate until the 20th century (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Caracal eat?
- Mainly small mammals, especially rodents, plus birds, reptiles and young antelope
- What habitat does the Caracal live in?
- Arid country, dry scrub and open woodland
- Where is the Caracal found?
- Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia to arid north-west India
- What is the litter size of the Caracal?
- 1–6 kittens
- How long is the gestation period of the Caracal?
- Two to three months
- How big is the Caracal?
- Shoulder height 40–50cm
- How much does the Caracal weigh?
- 8–19kg