African golden cats live in the rainforests of West and Central Africa, mostly in forested areas. Not much is known about this solitary small wild cat.

Initially the cat was thought to be related to the Asiatic golden cat, but additional research has determined the cat is more closely related to the caracal.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable, population is decreasing (IUCN)
Scientific Name: Caracal aurata, also Profelis aurata

Subspecies: There are two African golden cat subspecies:

    • Caracal aurata aurata
    • Caracal aurata celidogaster

 

The Caracal aurata aurata can be found from the Congo to Uganda, and the Caracal aurata celidogaster inhabits Western Africa.

Interesting African Golden Cat Facts

  • African golden cats live in Africa in regions near the equator.
  • The cats are reclusive, small wild cats that can be found in tropical rainforests.
  • Hunting and deforestation have caused an estimated 44% loss of the cat’s habitat.
  • The African golden cat is twice as large as domestic cats.
  • They have round, tufted ears.
  • Their fur can be golden, gray, red, sometimes black and also spotted.
  • African golden cats are nocturnal animals, with peak periods of activity in the early morning and evening.

Physical Characteristics

The body length of an African golden cat averages 31 inches long, with a 12 inch tail. Male cats are typically larger than female cats. The cat has a stocky build, with a head that is considerably smaller than its body. They generally weigh between 15 and 35 lbs.

African golden cats have fur that varies in color from golden-brown and red-brown to grey. The fur around their eyes, cheeks, chin, throat and underside is often lighter than the rest of their coat. Many of these cats are also spotted. It has also been reported the cat’s fur can change color due to factors such as age and environment. However, all of the cat’s various fur colors have been seen throughout its range.

African Golden Cat FROM TO
Weight 15.4 lbs. 35.2 lbs.
Body Length 25.6 in. 35.4 in
Tail Length 11 in. 13.8 in

Habitat

The African golden cat can be found in tropical forests, from Senegal to Kenya, and the Central African Republic to Angola.

Hunting & Prey (Diet)

African golden cats hunt on the ground, but they can also climb. The cats hunt and feed on rodents, blue duikers, birds, monkeys, hogs and antelope. They are also the prey of leopards.

Reproduction and Lifespan

The female gestation period is approximately 75 days. Liters consist of one to two kittens. Females reach their sexual maturity at around 11 months of age. Males reach their sexual maturity later, at 18 months of age.

No one knows how long African golden cats live in the wild. In captivity their lifespan is around 12 years.

Conservation

Deforestation is destroying tropical rainforests and African Golden Cat habitat. It is illegal to hunt the cat in Benin, Burkina Faso, Angola, Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote d’lvoire. There are African golden cat hunting restrictions in Togo, Liberia and Gabon.

 

 

 


Comments

African Golden Cat — 1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>