Scientific name:
Felis silvestris

Natural spread:
Europe

co the wildcat introduces us a very variable representative of the small-cats itself. According to subtype, it gains a length of 45-80 cm. The numerous subtypes let themselves assign 3 typical groups: 1. Steppe-cats (ornata-Gruppe), 2. Forest-cats (silvestris-Gruppe) and 3. Fallow-cats (lybica-Gruppe). The latter is for the human being of particular importance because the house-cat was domesticated from its middle.

Steppe-cats The most original wildcats unite in the group of the steppe-cats (Felis-silvestris-ornata-Verwandtschaft), who is brightly sand-colored until gray-whitish-yellow. To the back-middle, the coloring becomes darker, to the stomach brightens it. Steppe-cats never show Streifungen but always is gloomily spotted. Also, they don't possess any clearly put eel-line. In contrast to our European wildcat, the tail runs out pointed. As the name of the group already indicates, the steppe-cats are pure dry-countrymen, who avoid especially cold and snow-rich areas. Otherwise, they are to be found in all biotopes up to 2000 m of height. Like all wildcats, they live in the most important thing of smaller Nagern and other small vertebrates. Big insects are also not spurned. The main-spread-area of the steppe-cats stretches over small, front, and means-Asia as well as India.

Forest-cats The 2. Group of the forest-cats listens also to our native wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). they are on tried in more severe cold than inhabitants of Eurasia's forests at the life and therefore in its populations penetrated as the steppe-cats. In the whole one, they are bigger and more massive, and the body-appendixes like tail and ears are relatively shorter. The long, dense fur is oberseits sallow-gray and shows blurred dark cross-strips. Likewise, we find dark cross-strips about tail and legs. The tail finishes pointed only with young; with adult wildcats, it runs out dully as Luntenschwanz. A thin, well put eel-line proceeds over the backs. At the end of the Tertiärs (1,8 million years ago), already wildcats lived in Europe. With the ice age, they were pushed away into the forests and adapted itself to the life in the forest and in colder climate-areas so.

Fallow-cats The 3. Group of the wildcats attained meaning for the human being because one of its representatives, the Nubische fallow-cat (Felis lybica), was domesticated to the house-cat. This in Africa and Arabia gave a home fallow-cats the smallest forms of the wildcat put. its short fur can have colored very differently. From sand-colored to dark-ocher, all transitions are to be found. To the back-middle, the coloring becomes darker, to the stomach light. Fallow-cats are touched or spotted.

European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris)) In the following one now shall on the way of life of the European wildcat nearer, in place of the whole group, is entered.

Way of life The European wildcat, henceforth only as "wildcat" marks, proves as extraordinarily unsociable and as distinct Kulturflüchter. Einzelgängerisch lives in each animal a hunt-precinct of approximately 3 km2. The territory is shown by different markings as individual-property. So, Kratzspuren serve as visible mark at certain trees. By perspiration-glands between the sole-bales, scent-brands are placed and are posted excrement-pile at prominent points. Through this extensive marking-system, it is possible for the wildcats to occupy overlapping precincts and to nevertheless never meet themselves. With the day-active wildcats, the optical bearings takes over the bulk of the Sinneswahrnehmungen. Nevertheless, also the sense of smell is high-performance-capable, even if not to that extent like with the dog-good carnivores.

Reproduction Wildcats are very location-loyal. The single time of the year, in which they go on bigger hikes and don't avoid the Artgenossen, at least the different-sexual one, strictly, is the reproductive or Ranzzeit. it lasts February-end of March from middle and is to be recognized easily already by the voice-joyfulness of the animals. Usually other tomcats appear in the precinct of the brünstigen cat and try to win their favor. The tomcats now have vehement fights with loud snarl, screech and "singing." The otherwise silent and extremely careful wildcats now forget every danger and live "only for the love." After the Ranz, the bride-canvassers still leave them shortly previously courted, that usually bring to the world 2-4 powerless, unseeing kids after a Tragzeit of 63-68 days. The manners selects the cat carefully near good catch-places previously.

After 10-12 days, the boys open its eyes and accompany the mother on first expeditions near the building site after approximately 10 weeks. After 3 months, however, the "family-idyll" is finished, because now, the mother needs the food, that offers the precinct, for itself again alone in order to come moderately well through the winter. it now expels its boys like all other cats from its residential-area. The most dangerous time of its life for the small wildcats begins with it, because besides the human being, that partially still pursues it mercilessly, they have above all this to fear ermine, this in this time to the "enemy Nr. it becomes in 1." In weasel-hands areas hardly any wildcat survives the 1. Year of life, then however, the chances become ever better.

Continuance The prosecution of the wildcat still remains inexplicable through the human being. In Germany, it became until on low remainders in the Hunsrück, in which Eifel and exterminated completely in the resin. Only since some years, the fundamental attitude towards the wildcat, above all among also hunters, so far changed, has that protection-regulations are heeded better and anything recover the continuances slowly for itself. By the association nature conservation, wildcats are even bred and in the wild are exposed to the young, after particular training. This way, the re-settling of old wildcat-areas should be accelerated. The wildcat still is on the red list of the strongly endangered types with us.