Felinae

Felinae

Characteristics

The Subfamily Felinae includes 24 of the 37 species of wild cats. These cats are much smaller than the so-called big cats, like Lions, Tigers, Panthers, and Jaguars. Some of them look a bit like the domestic cats we see every day roaming the streets. But these are wild animals, with hunting abilities far greater than any house cat.

Where do they live?

Distributed across the globe, cats in this subfamily are found in exotic places like Egypt, Pakistan, Brazil, the Island of Borneo, and Japan, and in many climates, both warm and cold. Their habitats include forests, riverbanks, open bush, and even scorching hot sand dunes!

Offspring

Since all wild cats are mammals, they give birth to live young. Depending on the cat, one or more are born after gestation periods of about 63 to 81 days. members of the Felinae subfamily generally stay with their mothers for a shorter period than do the big cats – often for only 6 months to a year. The small cats also tend to have shorter life expectancies than the big cats. feline typically lives to the age of 13 – 19 years old.

Feeding

Diets vary for wild cats, depending on where they live. Some like the Pampas Cat, feed on wild guinea pigs, while others, like the Fishing Cat, eat snakes, snails, and, of course, fish!

See more: African Golden Cat