Home 9 Small Wild Cats List

Small Wild Cats List

the small wild cats list

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

African golden cat, small wild cat

African Golden Cat

Caracal aurata 

Conservation Status: Vulnerable. 

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)
the Asian golden cat

Asian Golden Cat

Catopuma temmincki

Conservation Status: Near Threatened.

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)
Wild cat list - bobcat

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

Conservation Status: Least Concern.

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 list of wild cats

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.

 

A caracal standing by a tree

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 - big cat

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 - list of big cats

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 standing by a tree

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 - wild cat

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 - wild cat

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 - list of small wild cats

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 wild cat

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 - wild cat

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 wild cat

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

African wildcat - small wild cat

African Wildcat

Felis lybica

Conservation Status: Least Concerned.

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
the asiatic wildcat small wild cat

Asiatic Wildcat

Felis lybica ornata

Conservation Status: Least Concern.

A small wild cat and subspecies of the African wildcat. Also known as the Asian steppe wildcat and Indian desert cat.

Endangered andean mountain cat

Andean Mountain Cat

Leopardus jacobita

Conservation Status: Endangered.

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.

An endangered Borneo bay cat

Bay Cat | Bornean Bay Cat

Catopuma badia

Conservation Status: Endangered.

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.

the black-footed cat

Black-footed Cat

Felis nigripes

Conservation StatusVulnerable.

One of the smallest wild cats. Can be found in South Africa, Nambia and Botswana.

No subspecies.

chinese mountain cat small wild cat

Chinese Mountain Cat

 Felis bieti

Conservation Status:  Vulnerable.

A small wild cat fount in western China. Recognized as a species in 2017.

No subspecies.

the european wildcat felis silvestris silvestris

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 wild cat - small wild cat list

Scottish Wildcat

Felis silvestris silvestris

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered.

Scotland’s European wildcat population.

 

The endangered flat headed cat

Flat-headed cat

Prionailurus planiceps

Conservation Status: Endangered.

A small wild cat found Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. Like the cheetah, their claws do not fully retract.

No subspecies.

geoffroy cat wild cat

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 wild cat

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)
mainland leopard cat small wild cat

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
The Iriomote cat - small wild cat

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 small wild cat

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 wild cat

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 -wild cats

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 - tigrinis - wild cat

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 wild cat

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.

pallas cat wild cat

Pallas’s Cat

Otocolobus manul

Conservation Status: Threatened.

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 wild cat

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 small wild cat

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 wild cat

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:

sand cat family in a tree

Small Wild Cats

Small wild cats can be found worldwide, including in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, North America, Central America, South America, and Europe. Types of Small Wild Cats Small wild cats are members of the Felidae family and Felinae subfamily. Most are around the size of a domestic cat, but some
Become a wild cat conservation advocate.

Share this article on social media.

Shares

0 Comments