CARACAL DESCRIPTION

Highlights

*Largest small cat

*Black tufted ears

*Leaps to catch   birds

Caracal Pages on the Web

Karoo Cats

Big Cats Online

International Society for Endangered Cats

BODY 

• The Caracal is robustly built and is the most powerful of the small cats.  
• Its hindquarters are slightly higher than its shoulders as the hind legs are longer than the front legs. 
• The tail is short relative to its body length.  

COAT

• The coat is thick but short and soft. 
• The colour varies from yellowish-brown, pale reddish to a rich brick-red, grey or sand-coloured.  
• The underparts are off-white with faint spotting or blotching.  
• Melanistic (black) caracals also occur.

SIZE

The Caracal is the largest of Africa's smaller cats, with males about 25% larger than the females.   

	Weight	Size
Female	11 - 15 kg	60 - 92 cm*
Male	13 - 20 kg	80 - 105 cm*
Shoulder height		40 - 45 cm
Tail 1/3 of length		25 - 30 cm

 *Head to body length excluding the tail.  

FACE 

• The Caracal's face has prominent black and white markings around the eyes and mouth, with white under the chin. 
• The long, pointed ears have tufts of long black hair at the tip.  The backs of the ears are black, liberally sprinkled with white hairs. 

AGE 

• In the wild - up to 12 years
• In captivity - up to 19 years