The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is usually a bigger animal than domestic cats at maturity, with a broad head, wide set ears and ver
The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is usually a bigger animal than domestic cats at maturity, with a broad head, wide set ears and very robust jaw. It is primarily a nocturnal carnivore, hunting a variety of prey up to the size of a young deer using sight, hearing and very sensitive touch sensors, its whiskers. The domestic cat (Felis s. catus), which originates from the African wildcat subspecies, (F. s. Lybica), is very closely related to Felis s. silvestris and can easily hybridise with it. The wildcat has long been treated as vermin and a major predator, leading to persecution. However, there is now a need to maintain a pure wild population. Using DNA sequencing feral populations can be removed without endangering the true wildcats and there are captive breeding programs in Scotland, where the wild population is under threat. Photographed in Gramat Zoo, France.
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Photo credit: © MARTYN F. CHILLMAID/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: animal, broad, captive, captivity, cat, condition, crepuscular, disorder, endangered, european, feline, felis, feral, france, gramat, head, jaw, lybica, mammal, nocturnal, pest, population, predator, robust, silvestris, subspecies, vermin, whiskers, wild, wildcat, zoo
