Caracal (genus)

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Caracal
Caracal genus.png
African golden cat (C. aurata)
Caracal (C. caracal)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Caracal
Gray, 1843
Type species
Caracal melanotis
Gray, 1843
Species

See text

Caracal is a genus in the subfamily Felinae of the family Felidae. It was proposed by John Edward Gray in 1843 who described a skin from the Cape of Good Hope in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. [1] Historically, it was considered to be a monotypic genus, consisting of only the type species: the caracal C. caracal. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic analysis revealed that caracal, African golden cat (C. aurata) and serval (Leptailurus serval) are genetically closely related forming a genetic lineage that diverged from the common ancestor of the Felidae 7.91 to 4.14 million years ago. [3] This taxonomic classification is used in the IUCN Red List for the African golden cat. [4] It is used as a synonym for the serval. [5]

Genus Caracal Gray, 1843 – two species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Caracal

Caracal hunting in the serengeti.jpg

Caracal caracal
(Schreber, 1776)

Three subspecies
  • Southern caracal (C. c. caracal) (Schreber, 1776)
  • Northern caracal (C. c. nubicus) (Fischer, 1829) [6]
  • Asiatic caracal (C. c. schmitzi) (Matschie, 1912)

Caracal distribution.jpg
Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 NT 


[7]


African golden cat

Caracal aurata 2.jpg

Caracal aurata
(Temminck, 1823)

Two subspecies
  • C. a. aurata (Temminck, 1827)
  • C. a. celidogaster (Temminck, 1827)

AfricanGoldenCat distribution.jpg
Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 VU 


[4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African golden cat</span> Small wild cat

The African golden cat is a wild cat endemic to the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is threatened due to deforestation and bushmeat hunting and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is a close relative of both the caracal and the serval. Previously, it was placed in the genus Profelis. Its body size ranges from 61 to 101 cm with a 16 to 46 cm long tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serval</span> Medium-sized wild cat

The serval is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in range countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caracal</span> Medium-sized wild cat

The caracal is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, relatively short tail, and long canine teeth. Its coat is uniformly reddish tan or sandy, while the ventral parts are lighter with small reddish markings. It reaches 40–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulder and weighs 8–19 kg (18–42 lb). It was first scientifically described by German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1776. Three subspecies are recognised.

<i>Pardofelis</i> Genus of carnivores

Pardofelis is a genus of the cat family Felidae. This genus is defined as including one species native to Southeast Asia: the marbled cat. Two other species, formerly classified to this genus, now belong to the genus Catopuma.

<i>Leopardus</i> Genus of felines native to the Americas

Leopardus is a genus comprising eight species of small cats native to the Americas. This genus is considered the oldest branch of a genetic lineage of small cats in the Americas whose common ancestor crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia to North America in the late Miocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Guinea-Bissau</span>

Guinea-Bissau is a West-African country rich in biodiversity.

References

  1. Gray, J. E. (1843). "The Caracal". List of the specimens of Mammalia in the collection of the British Museum. London: The Trustees of the British Museum. p. 46.
  2. Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Genus Carcal". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 533. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. Johnson, W. E.; Eizirik, E.; Pecon-Slattery, J.; Murphy, W.J.; Antunes, A.; Teeling, E.; O'Brien, S.J. (2006). "The Late Miocene Radiation of Modern Felidae: A Genetic Assessment". Science. 311 (5757): 73–7. Bibcode:2006Sci...311...73J. doi:10.1126/science.1122277. PMID   16400146. S2CID   41672825.
  4. 1 2 Bahaa-el-din, L.; Mills, D.; Hunter, L. & Henschel, P. (2015). "Caracal aurata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T18306A50663128.
  5. Thiel, C. (2015). "Leptailurus serval". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T11638A50654625. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  6. Fischer, J. B. (1829). "F. caracal Schreb.". Synopsis Mammalium. Stuttgart: J. G. Cottae. p. 210.
  7. Avgan, B.; Henschel, P. & Ghoddousi, A. (2016) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Caracal caracal". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T3847A102424310. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T3847A50650230.en . Retrieved 15 January 2022.