Small wild cats make up 80% of all wild cat species. They can be found in Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Central America, and Europe in a variety of habitats, from deserts to grasslands to hills and mountains. Like big cats, small wild cats face many conservation threats, including habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade, poaching, prey depletion, and human conflict. Read more about endangered small cats.
Big Cats vs. Small Wild Cats
Big cats is a term that generally refers to the seven largest wild cats on the planet – lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards, along with cougars and cheetahs. The four largest big cats – tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards – roar. Both big and small wild cats are meat-eaters (carnivores). Small wild cats prey on medium to small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects. Some small wild cats like the sand cat only weigh 3 lbs., while other bigger small cats like the ocelot can weigh 15 to 30 lbs.
Classification
Like big cats, small wild cats are members of the Felidae family. Big cats (tiger, snow leopard, jaguar, lion and leopard) belong to the Pantherinae subfamily (Panthera lineage). Medium-sized clouded leopards and Sunda clouded leopards belong to this subfamily and lineage as well. “Lineage” means direct relationship.
The remaining small cats belong to the caracal lineage, ocelot lineage, Bay cat lineage, lynx lineage, puma lineage and leopard cat lineage.
The Small Wild Cats List
Our list of small wild cats includes all the small to medium-sized wild cats that are not generally considered big cats. The largest medium-sized cats are the Eurasian lynx and the clouded leopard.
Medium-sized wild cats
A medium-sized wild cat found in African forests related to the caracal and serval. Very little research has been conducted on the African golden cat. The cat’s primary prey are rodents and squirrels.
Caracal subspecies:
- Caracal aurata aurata (Congo River)
- Caracla aurata celidogaster (Cross River)
A medium-sized wild cat from China, Nepal, Sumatra, Malaysia, Thailand, parts of India and southeast Asia.
Subspecies:
- Catopuma Temminckii temminckii (Sumatra and Malay Peninsula)
- Catopuma Temminckii moormensis (from Nepal to Southeast Asia)
A medium-sized wild cat that can be found from Canada to Mexico. They live in diverse habitats, including forests, swamps and deserts.
Bobcat Subspecies:
- Lynx rufus rufus
- Lynx rufus fasciatus
Canada Lynx
Lynx canadensis
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A medium-sized wild cat found in Canada, the northern United States, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, primarily in forests and wooded areas.
No subspecies.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A medium-sized wild cat found in Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, Pakistan and India. Lives mostly in dry regions.
Subspecies:
- Southern caracal (Caracal caracal caracal)
- Northern caracal (Caracal caracal nubicus)
- Asiatic caracal (Caracal caracal schmitzi)
Clouded Leopard
Neofelis nebulosa
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A medium-sized wild cat that inhabits various regions in Asia. Also known as the mainland clouded leopard.
No subspecies.
Sunda Clouded Leopard
Neofelis diardi
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A medium-sized wild cat found in Sumatra and Borneo. A separate species from the clouded leopard.
Sunda clouded leopard subspecies:
- Neofelis diardi diardi (Sumatran clouded leopard)
- Neofelis diardi borneensis (Bornean clouded leopard)
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lynx
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A medium-sized wild cat that can be found in Europe and Asia (Russia, central Asia and Tibet). The largest of the four lynx wild cats.
Proposed subspecies:
- L. l. lynx (Northern lynx)
- L. I. Turkestan
- L. l Caucasian lynx
- L. l Siberian lynx
- L. l. balcanicus (Balkan lynx)
- L. l carpathicus (Carpathian lynx)
Fishing Cat
Prionailurus viverrinus
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A medium-sized wild cat found in southern Asia, including Java, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka.
No subspecies.
Iberian Lynx
Lynx pardinus
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered.
A medium-sized wild cat that inhabits the Iberian peninsula. One of four lynx species.
No subspecies.
Jaguarundi
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A medium-sized wild cat that can be found throughout Mexico, Central and South America. A lowland cat with a broad range.
No subspecies.
Jungle Cat
Felis Chaus
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A medium-sized wild cat found in the Middle East, Caucasus, Asia and China. Also called the reed and swamp cat.
Jungle cat subspecies as of 2017:
- Felis chaus chaus
- Felis chaus affinis
- Felis chaus fulvidina
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A medium-sized wild cat that inhabits North, Cental and South America, Trinidad and Margarita. Found in areas with dense cover.
Ocelot subspecies:
- Leopardus pardalis mitis
- Leopardus pardalis pardalis
Serval
Leptailurus serval
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A medium-sized wild cat that inhabits Africa. Usually found in savannahs.
Serval subspecies as of 2017:
- Leptailurus serva serval (southern Africa)
- Leptailurus serval constantina (West and Central Africa)
- Leptailurus serval lipostictus (East Africa)
The smallest wild cats
A small wild cat that inhabits Africa, India, Asia and the Western and Central parts of China. Can be found in many different environments, from deserts to grasslands.
African wildcat subspecies:
- Felis lybica lybica
- Felis lybica cafra
- Felis lybica ornata
A small wild cat and subspecies of the African wildcat. Also known as the Asian steppe wildcat and Indian desert cat.
A small wild cat, it is found in the Andean mountains in Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. It has greyish fur, rounded ears, and black nose and lips. Considered a sacred animal by indigenous people.
No subspecies.
The Bay cat is native to the Island of Borneo. It is the size of a large domestic cat that lives in forested areas.
No subspecies.
One of the smallest wild cats. Can be found in South Africa, Nambia and Botswana.
No subspecies.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Felis bieti
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A small wild cat fount in western China. Recognized as a species in 2017.
No subspecies.
European wildcat
Felis silvestris
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A small wild cat native to Europe, Turkey, Scotland and the region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. Found mostly in forests.
European Wildcat Subspecies:
- Felis silvestris silvestris – (Europe, Sicily and Scotland)
- Felis silvestris caucasica (Turkey and the Caucasus)
Scottish Wildcat
Felis silvestris silvestris
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered.
Scotland’s European wildcat population.
A small wild cat found Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. Like the cheetah, their claws do not fully retract.
No subspecies.
Geoffroy’s Cat
Leopardus geoffroyi
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A small wild cat that inhabits southern and central South America. Primarily located in Paraguay, with some populations in Bolivia and Brazil.
No subspecies.
Kodkod | Guina
Leopardus guigna
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A small wild cat that inhabits Chile and Argentina. One of the smallest wild cats in the world.
Kodkod subspecies:
- Leopardus guigna guigna (Chile and Argentina)
- Leopardus guigna tigrillo (Chile)
Leopard Cat – Mainland
Prionailurus bengalensis
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A small wild cat with round ears found on mainland Asia, from Pakistan to Southeast Asia, China and the Russian Far East.
Leopard cat subspecies:
- Prionailurus bengalensis bangalensis
- Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura
- Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis
Iriomote Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered.
A small wild cat and mainland leopard cat subspecies. Only found on the Japanese island of Iriomote.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Prionailurus javanensis
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
A small wild cat with round ears found in Java, Bali, Borneo, Sumatra and the Philippines. Recongized as a distinct species in 2017.
Subspecies:
- Prionailurus javanensis javanensis
- Prionailurus javanensis Sumatranus
Marbled Cat
Pardofelis marmorata
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A small wild cat that inhabits the eastern Himalayas all the way to Southeast Asia. Similar in size to a domestic cat. Found mostly in forests.
Marbled cat subspecies:
- Pardofelis marmorata charltoni
- Pardofelis marmorata marmorata
Margay
Leopardus wiedii
Conservation Status: Near Threatened.
A tree dwelling small to medium-sized wild cat that can be found in Central and South America. from Mexico to Argentina.
Margay subspecies:
- Leopardus wiedii wiedii
- Leopardus wiedii vigens
- Leopardus wiedii glauculus
Oncilla – Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A rare small wild cat found in various regions from Central America to Brazil. Similar in appearance to a margay and ocelot.
No subspecies.
Oncilla – Southern Tiger Cat
Leopardus guttulus
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A smaill wild cat found in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Generally darker in color than the oncilla northern tiger cat.
No subspecies.
A small wild cat that can be found in Central Asia, as well as Siberia, Tibet and Iran.
Pallas’s cat subspecies:
- Otocolobus manul manul
- Otocolobus manul nigripectus
Pampas Cat
Leopardus colocola
Conservation Status: Near Threatened.
A small wild cat that inhabits South America. Can be found in the Andes mountains, swamps, grasslands and forests.
Recognized Pampas cat subspecies as of 2017:
- Leopardus colocola colocola
- Leopardus colocola pajeros
- Leopardus colocola braccatus
- Leopardus colocola garleppi
- Leopardus colocola budini
- Leopardus colocola munoai
- Leopardus colocola wolffsohni
Proposed subspecies as of 2022:
- Leopardus colocola colocola
- Leopardus colocola braccatus
- Leopardus colocola garleppi
- Leopardus colocola munoai (fasciatus)
- Leopardus colocola pajeros
Rusty-spotted Cat
Prionailurus rubiginosus
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
A small wild cat found in Sri-Landa, India and Nepal. Inhabits gorests, grasslands ans scrub lands.
No subspecies.
Sand Cat
Felis margarita
Conservation Status: Near Threatened.
A small wild cat found in northern Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. including Arabia, the Sahara, Morocco, Egypt and Sudan.
Sand cat subspecies:
- Felis margarita margarita (Saharan sand cat)
- Felis margarita thinobia (Turkestan sand cat, Arabian sand cat and Pakistan sand cat)
Read more about small wild cats:
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