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Felis sylvestris
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
In the Danube Delta, I haven sees for the first time a wildcat. The picture is not so good, but it is rare for me. It is taken from the boat, and the cat was visible for 3-4 secconds.
The Wildcat Felis sylvestris
Recognition:
Grey/brown fur with dark stripes; thick tail, with blunt tip.
Head/body length: average about 56cm; tail about 29cm.
Weight: kittens 100-160g at birth; adult males average 5kg; females 4kg.
General Ecology:
Wildcats are confined to Scotland, north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, but are absent from the Scottish Islands. They prefer areas with varied habitats on the edge of moorland, with pasture, scrub and forests. High mountains, where prey is scarce, and intensively farmed lowland regions are avoided. In winter, bad weather drives wildcats from mountain and moor into more sheltered wooded valleys.
Wildcats are shy and wary animals active at night, mainly around dawn and dusk. Rabbits, hares and small mammals are their principal prey, but quite large birds and animals freshly killed on the roads may also be taken. They sometimes store, or cache, uneaten prey by hiding it under vegetation. During the day, and in periods of heavy rain and snow, wildcats lie up in dens located amongst boulders and rocky cairns, or in old fox earths, badgers setts, peat hags, or tree roots.
Wildcats are solitary and territorial, living at a low population density; there may be one cat to three square kilometres in good habitats but only one cat to 10 square kilometres in less favourable areas. Urine sprayed on boulders and tree trunks and droppings deposited in prominent places, are used by wildcats to mark their territories.
Mating generally takes place in February and litters of 2-6 kittens are born in May. Though litters may be born until August, wildcats produce only one litter a year. Kittens are weaned at 12 weeks and stay with their mother until about five months old. Although wildcats may live 10-12 years in the wild, most seem to die at an early age.
from> http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/wildcat.shtml |
parvulescubio, Jamesp, IulianGherghel has marked this note useful
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- trinko
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 593 W: 79 N: 323]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(4314) - [2007-05-16 9:39]
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nice pose interesting capture the eyes appear very bright.
oooo, bestial,
pacat ac e in umbra,
tfs,
Lucian
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- Jamesp
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(16524) - [2007-05-16 15:21]
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Hi Tom
What a rare and amazing capture!! Brilliant timing.
James
Rare animal indeed and very endangered.
The note is taken from a text about wildlife in UK. Note that there is wildcats in other places than those mentioned there (romania for instance)
Their number is low but they are also endanred by another way: they can mate with domestic cats. They do it few but they do it for a long time. They found than no more wildcat is pure anymore in continental europe.
TFS
JM
Buna,
MAMA...!
tare mi-as dori sa vad si eu asemenea animal.
Felicitari pentru post.
Numai bine,
Iulian
foarte mishto... e superb
nush cum as reactiona dak as vedea un asemena animal......
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 138 W: 13 N: 243]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(1541)![Silver Star Critiquer [C: 15 W: 0 N: 3]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-n.gif)
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