# Caracal (*Caracal caracal*)

The Caracal is a sleek, medium-sized wild cat known for its tall ears and beautiful golden fur. These amazing cats are great jumpers and can leap high to catch birds!

- **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Savannas
- **Also known as:** Desert Lynx

![Caracal](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425813/objects/2334.jpg)

## Appearance

The Caracal is a medium-sized, slender wild cat with a striking reddish-tan to brick-red coat. It has prominent long, black, tufted ears that stand upright, making it visually distinct. Its face features stark black markings from its eyes to its nose, setting it apart from many other plain-faced felines.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Felidae
- **Genus:** Caracal

## Caracal, up close

The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a slender, medium-sized wild cat of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and India, known for its long black ear tufts and plain tawny to brick-red coat. It hunts mostly at night in dry savanna, scrub and hills, and is famous for leaping into the air to knock down birds. Despite its old name “desert lynx”, its closest relatives are the African golden cat and the serval.

Also called: Rooikat (Afrikaans: “red cat”), Caracal lynx, African lynx, Red lynx, Siyah gosh (India: “black ear”), Karakal.

Black ear tufts, a leap of about 3 m and a name that means “black ear”. Spin it, tap it, then test yourself.

### Special abilities

- **Sky Swat** (≈3 m reported leap): From a crouch, a caracal can spring straight up about 3 m and knock a bird out of the air with its front paws. [2][4][5][7]
  - The species account says it can leap 3 m or more. An older Russian account says up to 4 m; the IUCN Cat Specialist Group says “two metres or more”. We found no modern measurement.
  - It can grab birds as they take off, or knock several out of the air at once.
  - Its hips sit higher than its shoulders, on long, muscular back legs.
  - How high is that?: Caracal leap (reported) ≈3 m; Caracal shoulder height ≈46 cm
- **Power Pounce** (≈2× its own weight in prey): For its size, a caracal is a mighty hunter: it can kill prey about twice its own weight, such as a springbok. [2][4][8][7]
  - Weighing about 8–20 kg, it regularly kills prey more than twice its body mass.
  - Lab tests found its fast muscle fibres produce about 3 times the power of trained human cyclists’ fibres.
  - Small prey gets a bite to the back of the neck; big prey like antelope gets a throat bite.
  - Power from one fast muscle fibre: Caracal and lion fibres ≈29–30; Trained human cyclists 4–11
- **Silent Stalk** (5–15 km a male may roam in a day): Like most cats, it hunts by ambush: it creeps as close as it can under cover, then pounces or makes a short dash. [7][2][13][14]
  - It mostly hunts from dusk to dawn, and on hot days rests under shrubs or in rock crevices.
  - In Israel, males roamed 5–15 km a day and females 2.5–10 km.
  - Near Cape Town, GPS collars showed caracals avoid brightly lit streets when hunting.
  - In Israel’s Arava desert, caracals keep to dry creek beds, where Cape hares, their main prey there, are easiest to find.
- **Tuft Signals** (4–5 cm black ear tufts; still debated): Those long black tufts are the caracal’s trademark, but scientists still don’t know what they are for. [4][2][5][3]
  - The favourite idea: caracals flick and twitch their tufted ears to signal to each other.
  - Other guesses are that tufts keep flies off the face or help hide the outline of the head in tall grass.
  - None of these ideas has been tested. And caracals spend most of their lives alone, which would limit how often tuft signals get used.
- **Radar Ears** (Unmeasured hearing range): Big ears and large ear chambers in the skull suggest sharp hearing. Caracals can find small prey by sound alone. [2][3][15][16]
  - Researchers say vision and hearing are a caracal’s strongest senses.
  - We found no study that has measured which sounds a caracal can hear, so there is no hearing chart for it yet.
  - Young people can hear up to about 20,000 Hz, and that limit drops with age.
- **Night Shine** (2nd chance for light to hit the eye): Shine a torch at night and a caracal’s eyes glow. A mirror-like layer behind the retina bounces light back through it. [6][2][17]
  - This layer, the tapetum lucidum, gives light-sensing cells a second chance to catch light, so the cat sees better in the dark.
  - Caracals mostly hunt at night. In Abu Dhabi, one was most active on the darkest, new-moon nights.
  - Its large eye sockets point to keen eyesight.
- **Purrs & Barks** (6+ kinds of call): Caracals purr like house cats, but also growl, hiss, bark, chirrup and meow. [2][7][5]
  - Contact calls are mostly barks, chirrups and meows.
  - Adults give a loud coughing call, a bit like a leopard’s, in the mating season.
  - Young kittens make a shrill call that sounds like a Cape sparrow.

### Body parts

- **Ears** (Black backs of the ears) [1][2][3]
  - Large, triangular ears, black on the back. They give the caracal its name, from Turkish karakulak, “black ear”.
  - Large ear chambers in the skull (the auditory bullae) point to keen hearing, and caracals can find small prey by sound alone.
  - When threatened, a caracal flicks, twists and turns its ears.
- **Ear tufts** (4–5 cm black tufts) [4][2][5][3]
  - Each ear ends in a tuft of black hairs about 4–5 cm long.
  - No other African cat has distinct ear tufts.
  - Nobody knows for sure what the tufts are for. The favourite idea is signalling to other caracals.
  - Kittens are born with ears lying flat. They stand up at about a month, when the tufts are only about 1 cm long.
- **Eyes** [2][3][6]
  - Usually bright green or yellow, sometimes blue. Kittens have blue-tinted eyes.
  - A dark line runs from above each eye down beside the nose. Scientists think these dark “tear lines” may cut the glare of the sun.
  - Like other cats, caracals have a mirror-like layer at the back of the eye that makes their eyes shine in torchlight.
- **Face** [3][2][7]
  - Black marks on the whisker pads and above the eyes, with white fur on the chin, throat and around the eyes.
  - Its strongly patterned face is thought to help caracals “talk” to each other with expressions.
  - Scent glands on its cheeks and chin help it leave smell messages for other caracals.
- **Teeth** (28–30 teeth) [2][7]
  - The standard cat set is 30 teeth, but in caracals a tiny upper premolar is usually missing: only 8 of 100 skulls in one sample had it.
  - Canines up to about 2 cm long, backed by strong jaw muscles.
  - Small prey is killed with a bite to the back of the neck, bigger prey with a bite to the throat.
  - It plucks the feathers off bigger birds before eating them.
- **Paws** (5–6 cm paw length) [2][4][5]
  - Paws are about 5–6 cm long, with stiff hairs between the pads that help it walk on hot, loose sand.
  - A sturdy dewclaw on each front paw is used in hunting.
  - Caracals scratch trees to sharpen their claws, which also leaves scent and marks for other caracals.
- **Back legs** (≈3 m reported leap) [2][5][7][8]
  - Long, muscular back legs set the hips slightly higher than the shoulders (about 46 cm).
  - They launch the caracal about 3 m into the air from a sitting start, high enough to swat birds.
  - In lab tests, a caracal’s fast muscle fibres produced about 3 times as much power for their size as those of trained human cyclists.
- **Tail** (18–34 cm tail) [2][4][9]
  - About a third of its head-and-body length, which is short for a cat.
  - Sandy-red to golden all the way to the tip, and it hangs nearly straight down.
  - The Eurasian lynx and the African golden cat, its closest relative, both have black-tipped tails.
- **Coat** [2][4][3]
  - Plain, with no spots or stripes on the back: golden to brick red, which gives it the Afrikaans name rooikat, “red cat”.
  - Caracals from dry, low-rainfall areas tend to be paler. Females are often lighter than males.
  - The cream belly has small orange or brown spots.
  - Black (melanistic) caracals have been recorded, but they are extremely rare.
- **Belly** (≈1 kg of food a day) [2][4][10][11][12]
  - A wild caracal eats about 1 kg of food a day.
  - As a meat-only hunter it gets much of the water it needs from its prey, so it can live in dry places.
  - Scientists have recorded 151 different prey species across its range.
  - Near Cape Town, some caracals hunt along the coast, where about a third of their food is seabirds, even endangered African penguins.

### Stats

| Stat | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 8–20 kg | adult males; females 6–16 kg; It can kill prey about twice its weight [2][5][4] |
| Length | 61–106 cm | head and body, plus an 18–34 cm tail [2] |
| Height | ≈46 cm | at the shoulder; the hips sit a little higher [2][5] |
| Leap | ≈3 m | reported, to knock down birds; ≈6½× its own shoulder height [2][5][7] |
| Ear tufts | 4–5 cm | black hair on each ear tip [4][2] |
| Menu | 151 | prey species recorded across its range [10] |
| Food | ≈1 kg | eaten per day in the wild [2] |
| Home range | 7–1,116 km² | from an average female in South Africa’s Western Cape to one male in Saudi Arabia [2][4] |
| Litter | 1–6 | kittens, usually 2–3, after 68–81 days [2][5][3] |
| Lifespan | ≈10–12 yrs | in the wild; record 20.3 years in a zoo [2][5][18] |

### Photos

- [Ear tufts up close, Mountain Zebra National Park, South Africa](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caracal_Caracal-001.jpg) (photo: Leo za1, CC BY-SA 3.0)
- [A pale tawny caracal on open ground](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caracal_caracal_caracal_54847036.jpg) (photo: Justin Ponder, CC BY 4.0)
- [A brick-red caracal in dry scrub](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caracal_caracal_ssp._caracal.jpg) (photo: Christiaan Viljoen, CC BY 4.0)
- [Resting in tall grass, tufts up](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caracal_(3926003359).jpg) (photo: Gopal Vijayaraghavan, CC BY 2.0)
- [On the move in dry grass, Kenya](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kenya%2C_Safari_(45203934645).jpg) (photo: Nina R, CC BY 2.0)
- [Sitting up: the tail is about a third of its body length](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caracal_caracal_caracal_61427348.jpg) (photo: Christiaan Viljoen, CC BY 4.0)
- [Mouth wide open, showing its long canines (zoo animal)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zahnezeigen(15549660746).jpg) (photo: Rolf Dietrich Brecher, CC BY 2.0)
- [Mother and kitten at Copenhagen Zoo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caracal_female_and_kitten_playing.jpg) (photo: Clipartqueen, CC0)
- [A kitten’s tufts are still short (Hamerton Zoo Park, UK)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caracal_Kitten_-_Hamerton_Zoo_Park_(48851452021).jpg) (photo: Airwolfhound, CC BY-SA 2.0)

### Questions

- **How high can a caracal jump?** Caracals are reported to leap about 3 m straight up from a crouch, roughly 6½ times their shoulder height, to knock birds out of the air. Estimates vary from “2 m or more” to 4 m, and we found no modern measurement. [2][4][5]
- **Is a caracal a lynx?** No. Its tufted ears earned it the name “desert lynx”, but it belongs to its own genus, Caracal. DNA shows its closest relatives are the African golden cat and the serval. [2][4][19]
- **Can you keep a caracal as a pet?** Scientists say caracals make unsuitable pets: they need lots of space and keep wild habits like hunting, leaping and spraying urine. The exotic pet trade worries conservationists, and in Great Britain you need a dangerous wild animal licence to keep one. [2][4][20]
- **Are caracals dangerous to humans?** Wild caracals are shy and avoid people, and we found no scientific reports of wild caracals seriously hurting anyone. Their conflicts with people are mostly about sheep, goats, poultry and pet cats. Like any wild cat, a caracal can scratch and bite if cornered, so never try to touch or feed one. [7][13][2][39]
- **What does the name caracal mean?** It comes from the Turkish karakulak, meaning “black ear”, after the black backs of its ears. In South Africa it is called rooikat, “red cat”. [1][2]
- **Are caracals endangered?** Not worldwide: the IUCN lists the caracal as Least Concern because it is common in southern and eastern Africa. But it is rare in much of Asia and North Africa, and India may have only about 50 left. [29][30][2][25]
- **How fast can a caracal run?** Nobody has measured it. The scientific species account says only that the caracal is said to be the fastest cat of its size over short distances; figures like 80 km/h found online have no source we could find. [2]
- **How do caracals hunt and what do they eat?** They stalk quietly as close as they can, then pounce, leap or dash. They eat rodents, hares, hyraxes, birds and small antelope, and can kill prey about twice their own weight. Scientists have recorded 151 prey species. [7][2][10]

### Caracal myths and facts

Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer.

- "A caracal is a kind of lynx." **Myth!** Its tufted ears and short tail earned it the name “desert lynx”, but it is in its own genus, Caracal. DNA shows its closest relatives are the African golden cat and the serval, and its family line split off more than a million years before lynxes appeared. [2][4][19]
- "Caracals make good pets." **Myth!** Caracals need lots of space and keep their wild habits: hunting, leaping and spraying urine to mark territory. Scientists call them unsuitable pets, and the pet trade worries conservationists. In Great Britain you need a dangerous wild animal licence to keep one. [2][4][20]
- "Caracals can knock flying birds out of the air." **Fact!** They leap into the air and swat birds with their front paws as the birds take off, sometimes several at once. [2][4][7]
- "Caracals can sprint at 80 km/h." **Not proven!** We found no measurement of a caracal’s top speed. The scientific species account only says it is said to be the fastest cat of its size over short distances. It usually stalks close and pounces rather than chasing. [2][7]
- "A caracal’s ear tufts work like antennae to help it hear." **Not proven!** No one knows what the tufts do. The leading idea is signalling to other caracals; others suggest keeping flies away or camouflage. None has been tested. [4][5][3]
- "The name “caracal” means “black ear”." **Fact!** It comes from Turkish karakulak: kara “black” + kulak “ear”. In India its local name, siyah gosh, also means black ear. [1][2][21]
- "Caracals only live in Africa." **Myth!** They also live in Arabia, the Middle East, Turkey, Central Asia and India: one of the widest ranges of any wild carnivore. [2][4]
- "Caracals sometimes stash food in trees." **Fact!** Sometimes. A caracal may hide a big kill in a tree or thick bush and come back later, though it does this less often than a leopard. [2][4][3]

### Caracal records

Superlatives and record holders, each checked against its source.

- Africa’s biggest small cat: Caracal, 6–18 kg (the largest of Africa’s “small cats”) [4][5]
- Highest reported leap: Caracal, ≥3 m (to knock down birds; an older account says up to 4 m) [2]
- Prey on record: Caracal, 151 species (found in 63 studies from 26 countries (1842–2021)) [10]
- Biggest home range: A male in Saudi Arabia, 1,116 km² (used in winter; females in South Africa can live in about 7 km²) [2][4]
- Highest home: Caracals in Ethiopia and Lesotho, 3,300 m (above sea level, though one study found they prefer ground below about 1,200 m) [2][4]
- Oldest known caracal: A wild-born female in captivity, 20.3 yrs (wild caracals live about 10–12 years) [18][2]
- Oldest mum: A female caracal, 18 yrs (age at which one female gave birth) [4]

### Caracals and people: a history

From sacred cat to royal hunting partner, pest and protected species.

- **Ancient Egypt**: A sacred cat. Egyptians showed caracals in wall paintings and bronze figures and mummified some of them. [7][2]
- **Persia and India**: A bird-hunting partner. Royal hunters in Iran, India, Egypt and Syria trained caracals to catch birds, hares and small antelope. In pigeon contests, a caracal reportedly knocked down 10 or more birds in one go. [2][7][5][4]
- **Mughal India**: An emperor’s hunting cat. With the cheetah, the caracal was one of only two cats used by people for hunting. Emperor Akbar helped make it famous, and royal books on caring for cheetahs mentioned caracals too. [22]
- **1616**: Oldest Indian record. Researchers collected 134 reports of caracals in India; the earliest dates from 1616. [23]
- **1761**: A name from Turkish. French naturalist Buffon called it caracal, after the Turkish karakulak, “black ear”. [2][1]
- **1776**: Named by science. Schreber described it as Felis caracal, from the Cape of Good Hope; the place was later pinned down as Table Mountain, Cape Town. [2]
- **1931–1952**: Hunted as a pest. Control operations in South Africa’s Karoo killed an average of 2,219 caracals a year to protect sheep and goats. [2]
- **1979**: Trade rules. CITES listed Asian caracals in Appendix I, banning commercial trade, and all other caracals in Appendix II. [24]
- **2006**: DNA settles it. A DNA family tree of all living cats placed the caracal with the serval and African golden cat, far from the lynxes. [19][2]
- **2021**: India steps in. India added the caracal to a recovery plan for 22 threatened species. Only about 50 may be left there. [25]
- **2025**: A surprise visitor. A camera trap caught a young male caracal in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, central India, where caracals had almost vanished. [21][25]

### Growing up caracal

From a blind newborn to an independent hunter in under a year.

- **Before birth**: A hidden den. The mother chooses a den in an old porcupine or aardvark burrow, a rock crevice, a tree or thick bush, and lines it with fur and feathers. [2][5][26]
- **Day 1**: Born blind. After about 2½ months (68–81 days), 1–6 kittens are born, usually 2–3. Each weighs about 165–250 g. [5][3][2][18]
- **6–10 days**: Eyes open. The kittens open their eyes, which are blue-tinted at first. [2][3]
- **≈1 month**: Ears up. Ears that lay flat stand up, with tufts only about 1 cm long. Kittens are thought to start eating meat at around 4 weeks. [2][7]
- **≈6 weeks**: Moving house. In a Cape Town study, mothers used 1–3 main dens for about six weeks, then moved between short-term dens. Hunting trips away lasted about 12 hours. [26]
- **4–6 months**: Hunting lessons. Kittens stop drinking milk, get their adult teeth at 4–5 months and follow their mother to learn to hunt. [7][5][2]
- **9–10 months**: Leaving home. Young caracals become independent. Young males may travel 60–90 km; females often settle near their mother. [2][4]
- **14–20 months**: Grown up. Females usually first breed at about 14 months, males at 18–20 months. [2]
- **10–12 years**: A long life. Wild caracals live about 10–12 years. The oldest known reached 20.3 years in a zoo. [2][5][18]

### Where caracals live

Caracals like dry country with some cover: savanna, scrub, rocky hills and dry woodland. They avoid open sand seas and rainforest.

- **Africa → India** one of the widest ranges of any carnivore. From the southern tip of Africa north to Arabia and Turkey, and east through Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) to India. [2][4][27]
- **3,300 m** highest records. From sea level to 3,300 m in the mountains of Ethiopia and Lesotho, though caracals prefer lower ground. [2][4]
- **−38%** of its old African range lost. Caracals are common in southern and eastern Africa but rare and patchy in North and West Africa. [2][4]
- **−96%** shrink in India since 2001. Once reported in 13 Indian states, caracals now survive mainly around Ranthambhore (Rajasthan) and Kutch (Gujarat). [23][25]

Caracals are moving into farmland in South Africa and Namibia, and around Cape Town they live right next to the city.

### Caracal vs lynx

Both have tufted ears, but the caracal’s closest relative is the African golden cat, not the lynx.

| | Caracal | Eurasian lynx | African golden cat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name [2][9][28] | Caracal caracal | Lynx lynx | Caracal aurata |
| Where it lives [2][9][28] | Dry savanna, scrub and hills in Africa and Asia | Forests of Europe and northern Asia | Rainforests of equatorial Africa |
| Weight [4][9][28] | 6–18 kg | 17–25 kg | 7–16 kg |
| Ears [4][9][28] | Long black tufts (4–5 cm) | Long black tufts | Rounded, no tufts |
| Coat [4][9][28] | Plain tawny to brick red | Grey to reddish, often spotted | Reddish-brown or grey, spotted or plain |
| Tail [2][9][28] | About ⅓ of body length, no black tip | Short, with a black tip | About ⅓ of body length, black tip |
| Feet [4][9] | Stiff hairs between pads for sand | Furry “snowshoe” paws in winter | — |
| Main prey [2][9][28] | Rodents, hares, hyraxes, birds, small antelope | Small deer such as roe deer and chamois | Rodents and small duikers |
| Kills prey up to [4][9] | 2–3× its own size | 3–4× its own size | Not known |

The caracal and the African golden cat share the genus Caracal; the serval is the third member of their family line. Lynxes (genus Lynx) are a separate branch.

### Are caracals endangered?

Not worldwide: caracals are common in southern Africa. But in much of Asia and North Africa they are rare, and in India only a few dozen may be left.

- **IUCN Red List:** Least Concern (LC) (Trend unknown). Widespread and common in southern and eastern Africa, where it is even spreading on farmland. But it has lost about 38% of its old range in Africa, and scientists say population trends are unknown across most of its range. [29][30][2][4]
- IUCN Red List, assessed 2014 (published 2016).
- **Threat: Killed as a pest** (2,219 a year): Caracals sometimes take sheep and goats, so farmers shoot, trap and poison them. Karoo control operations killed 2,219 a year on average in 1931–1952. In a 2023 survey, over half of Karoo farmers said they had used illegal poison on predators. [2][4][31]
- **Threat: Vanishing in Asia** (≈50 in India): Habitat loss, hunting and conflict with herders have made caracals rare in Asia. India may have about 50 left; Pakistan lists the caracal as Critically Endangered, with 100–150 animals. [25][4][23][27]
- **Threat: Roads and rat poison** (78%): Around Cape Town, cars are the main measured cause of death, and 78% of 102 caracals tested had rat poison in their bodies. The city also cuts off the Cape Peninsula’s roughly 50 caracals, which are becoming inbred. [32][33][34]
- **Threat: Pet trade**: An estimated 50–100 caracals are smuggled each year from Somaliland to Gulf countries, and caracals are openly advertised online as exotic pets. [4]
- **Helping: Legal protection**: Asian caracals have been on CITES Appendix I since 1979. Hunting is banned in many countries, and India gives caracals its highest level of protection. [24][4][22]
- **Helping: India’s recovery plan**: Since 2021 the caracal has been one of 22 species in India’s recovery programme, and researchers planned camera-trap surveys in the Ranthambhore–Kuno landscape. [25]
- **Helping: Smarter farming**: Killing caracals has not solved livestock losses, and studies suggest it can make them worse. Scientists recommend safer night pens and other non-lethal protection. [2][4]
- **Helping: Citizen science** (1,232+): Cape Town residents have sent the Urban Caracal Project more than 1,232 sighting reports, plus roadkill records that help find danger spots. [35][32]
- **Helping: Comebacks**: Caracals have made a strong comeback in Israel over the last 20 years, and camera traps found one in Abu Dhabi, the first confirmed there since 1965 (reported in 2020). [36][17]
- **African golden cat** (VU): The caracal’s closest relative lives in African rainforests. It has lost about 44% of its known range, and deforestation, roads and bushmeat hunting threaten it. [28][37]
- **Serval** (LC): The third member of the caracal’s family line hunts in wetter grasslands than the caracal. [38][2][5]

### Caracal sounds and signals

- Purring: Content and relaxed, just like a house cat. [7][2]
- Ears flicked, twisted and turned: Feeling threatened. [2]
- Head held low, ears turned outwards, tail twitching: Slowly approaching a rival or a threat. [2]
- Mouth wide open, teeth bared, ears pinned back, hissing or spitting: A strong warning: back off. [2]
- “Wah-wah” call: Seems uneasy. [5]
- Barks, chirrups and meows: Contact calls between caracals. [2]
- Urine sprayed on bushes, scratched tree trunks: Smell messages that mark its home range. [2][5]

### Coats

- **Tawny**: Sandy to golden-tawny, with no spots on the back. Caracals from dry, low-rainfall areas tend to be the palest. (Common in deserts and dry scrub) [2][4]
- **Brick red (rooikat)**: A rich reddish-brown coat. In southern Africa caracals are a uniform reddish brown, hence the Afrikaans name rooikat, “red cat”. (Typical of southern Africa) [2][4]
- **Black (melanistic)**: An all-dark coat. Black caracals have been recorded in Kenya and Uganda, and a dark form with grey adults and black kittens was described in central Israel. (Extremely rare) [2][4][3]
- **Mother with kitten**: Kittens have short tufts, blue-tinted eyes and ears that only stand up at about a month old. (Litters of 1–6, usually 2–3) [3][2][5]

### Caracal quiz

1. What does the name “caracal” mean? **Black ear.** It comes from Turkish karakulak: kara “black” + kulak “ear”. [1][2]
2. Is the caracal a lynx? **No, it is in its own genus with the African golden cat.** DNA shows its closest relatives are the African golden cat and the serval. [2][4]
3. About how high can a caracal leap to swat a bird? **About 3 m.** It is reported to leap about 3 m, roughly 6½ times its own shoulder height. [2][5]
4. How long are a caracal’s ear tufts? **4–5 cm.** The black tufts are about 4–5 cm long. [4]
5. What are the tufts for? **Nobody knows for sure.** Signalling to other caracals is the favourite idea, but it has not been tested. [4][3]
6. What does the Afrikaans name “rooikat” mean? **Red cat.** Rooikat means “red cat”, after the reddish coat of southern African caracals. [2]
7. Which caracal coat is extremely rare? **Black.** Black (melanistic) caracals have been recorded in Kenya, Uganda and Israel, but they are very rare. [2][4]
8. How many kinds of prey have scientists recorded caracals eating? **151.** A review of 63 studies from 26 countries found 151 prey species. [10]
9. What is unusual about a caracal’s teeth? **A tiny upper premolar is usually missing.** The standard cat set is 30 teeth, but only 8 of 100 caracal skulls in one sample had the tiny upper premolar. [2]
10. Which caracals are on CITES Appendix I? **Only the Asian population.** Asian caracals have been on Appendix I since 1979; all others are on Appendix II. [24]
11. About how many caracals may be left in India? **About 50.** Only about 50 may survive, mostly around Ranthambhore and Kutch. [25]
12. Around Cape Town, what is the main measured cause of death for caracals? **Cars.** Vehicle collisions are the leading cause, even among GPS-collared caracals. [32]

### Sources (checked 2026-10-16)

1. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Caracal (definition and etymology).](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caracal)
2. [Veals AM, Burnett AD, Morandini M, Drouilly M, Koprowski JL (2020). Caracal caracal (Carnivora: Felidae). Mammalian Species 52(993):71–85.](https://doi.org/10.1093/mspecies/seaa006)
3. [Phillips L (2009). Caracal caracal. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Caracal_caracal/)
4. [IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group. Caracal (Caracal caracal) – Living species.](https://www.catsg.org/living-species-caracal)
5. [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Caracal (Caracal caracal). Animals & Plants.](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/caracal)
6. [Ollivier FJ, Samuelson DA, Brooks DE, Lewis PA, Kallberg ME, Komáromy AM (2004). Comparative morphology of the tapetum lucidum (among selected species). Veterinary Ophthalmology 7(1):11–22.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-5224.2004.00318.x)
7. [Urban Caracal Project (University of Cape Town). Caracal (rooikat) basics.](https://www.urbancaracal.org/caracal-basics)
8. [Kohn TA, Noakes TD (2013). Lion (Panthera leo) and caracal (Caracal caracal) type IIx single muscle fibre force and power exceed that of trained humans. Journal of Experimental Biology 216(6):960–969.](https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.078485)
9. [IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) – Living species.](https://www.catsg.org/living-species-eurasianlynx)
10. [Parchizadeh J, Schooler SL, Adibi MA, Arias MG, Rezaei S, Belant JL (2023). A review of caracal and jungle cat diets across their geographical ranges during 1842–2021. Ecology and Evolution 13(5):e10130.](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10130)
11. [Leighton GRM, Froneman PW, Serieys LEK, Bishop JM (2024). Sustained use of marine subsidies promotes niche expansion in a wild felid. Science of the Total Environment 914:169912.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169912)
12. [Kotzé P (2024, 8 Oct). Caracal, meet penguin: how humans pushed unlikely predator and prey together. Mongabay.](https://news.mongabay.com/2024/10/caracal-meet-penguin-how-humans-pushed-unlikely-predator-and-prey-together/)
13. [Hickling CJ, Serieys LEK, Leighton GRM, Kienle SS, Bishop JM, Carroll KA (2026). Illuminating the influence of artificial light at night on the behavior of an adaptable carnivore. Science of the Total Environment 1016:181469.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181469)
14. [Barocas A, Weisbein Y, Geffen E (2026). Creek beds and Cape hares: spatial and seasonal determinants of caracal movement and diet in a hyperarid desert ecosystem. Ecology and Evolution 16(2):e73117.](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73117)
15. [Urban Caracal Project (University of Cape Town). What we do.](https://www.urbancaracal.org/what-we-do)
16. [Rodríguez Valiente A, Trinidad A, García Berrocal JR, Górriz C, Ramírez Camacho R (2014). Extended high-frequency (9–20 kHz) audiometry reference thresholds in 645 healthy subjects. International Journal of Audiology 53(8):531–545.](https://doi.org/10.3109/14992027.2014.893375)
17. [Gubiani R, Al Zaabi R, Chuven J, Soorae P (2020). Rediscovery of caracal Caracal caracal (Schreber, 1776) in Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(16):17194–17202.](https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5856.12.16.17194-17202)
18. [AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database. Caracal caracal entry. Human Ageing Genomic Resources.](https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Caracal_caracal)
19. [Johnson WE, Eizirik E, Pecon-Slattery J, Murphy WJ, Antunes A, Teeling E, O'Brien SJ (2006). The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: a genetic assessment. Science 311(5757):73–77.](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1122277)
20. [UK Government. The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (Modification) (No. 2) Order 2007 (SI 2007/2465), Schedule.](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/2465/schedule/made)
21. [Shrivastava S (2025, 4 Aug). Caracal sighting offers a clue, not a sign of recovery, say conservation biologists. Mongabay-India.](https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/caracal-sighting-offers-a-clue-not-a-sign-of-recovery-say-conservation-biologists/)
22. [Tandon A (2022, 18 May). From a life among royals, to fighting for survival. Mongabay-India.](https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/from-a-life-among-royals-to-fighting-for-survival/)
23. [Khandal D, Dhar I, Reddy GV (2020). Historical and current extent of occurrence of the caracal Caracal caracal (Schreber, 1776) in India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(16):17173–17193.](https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6477.12.16.17173-17193)
24. [UNEP-WCMC / CITES Secretariat. Species+ : Caracal caracal – CITES listings.](https://speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/4645/legal)
25. [Shrivastava S (2023, 11 Oct). As caracals inch towards extinction, path to conserving the wild cat remains unclear. Mongabay-India.](https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/as-caracals-inch-towards-extinction-path-to-conserving-the-wild-cat-remains-unclear/)
26. [Serieys L, Leighton GR, Merondun J, Bishop JM (2024). Denning and maternal behavior of caracals (Caracal caracal). Research Square preprint.](https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3840757/v1)
27. [Gritsina MA (2019). The caracal Caracal caracal Schreber, 1776 in Uzbekistan. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(4):13470–13477.](https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4375.11.4.13470-13477)
28. [IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group. African golden cat (Caracal aurata) – Living species.](https://www.catsg.org/living-species-africangoldencat)
29. [Avgan B, Henschel P, Ghoddousi A (2016). Caracal caracal. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 (errata version): e.T3847A102424310. Assessed 9 May 2014.](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T3847A50650230.en)
30. [GBIF. IUCN Red List checklist entry: Caracal caracal (von Schreber, 1776), Least Concern (IUCN taxon 3847).](https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2435010/iucnRedListCategory)
31. [Drouilly M, Nattrass N, O'Riain MJ (2023). Small-livestock farmers' perceived effectiveness of predation control methods and the correlates of reported illegal poison use in the South African Karoo. Ambio 52(10):1635–1649.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01892-7)
32. [Urban Caracal Project (University of Cape Town). Threats.](https://www.urbancaracal.org/threats)
33. [Leighton GRM, Bishop JM, Camarero P, Mateo R, Serieys LEK (2026). Toxic towns: drivers of anticoagulant rodenticide exposure in an urban edge carnivore. Environmental Pollution 407:128859.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.128859)
34. [Kyriazis CC, Serieys LEK, Bishop JM, Drouilly M, Viljoen S, Wayne RK, Lohmueller KE (2024). The influence of gene flow on population viability in an isolated urban caracal population. Molecular Ecology 33(9):e17346.](https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17346)
35. [Urban Caracal Project (University of Cape Town). Report sightings and roadkill.](https://www.urbancaracal.org/report-sightings-roadkill)
36. [Hadad E, Kosicki JZ, Yosef R (2025). The return of the caracal Caracal caracal: 56 years of population changes in Israel. Ecological Modelling 508:111197.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2025.111197)
37. [GBIF. IUCN Red List checklist entry: Caracal aurata (Temminck, 1827), Vulnerable.](https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5787236/iucnRedListCategory)
38. [GBIF. IUCN Red List checklist entry: Leptailurus serval (von Schreber, 1776), Least Concern.](https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2435172/iucnRedListCategory)
39. [Urban Caracal Project (University of Cape Town). Living with caracals.](https://www.urbancaracal.org/livingwithcaracals)

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 61-106 cm
- **Weight:** 6-20 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-16 years
- **Litter Size:** 1-6
- **Gestation:** 68-81 days

## Diet & Feeding

Caracals are fierce hunters that mostly eat small mammals, birds, and sometimes even larger prey.

- **Primary Foods:** Birds, Rodents, Hares, Hyraxes, Small Antelope
- **Foraging Method:** Ambush

## Ecological connections

- **Hunts:** [Rock Hyrax](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rock-hyrax) (*Procavia capensis*) — Main prey item in some regions.
- **Hunts:** Dorcas Gazelle (*Gazella dorcas*) — Often preys on fawns or smaller adults.
- **Eaten by:** Lion (*Panthera leo*) — Occasionally hunted by larger predators.
- **Hunts:** Cape Hare (*Lepus capensis*) — Main prey in some dry places, such as Israel’s Arava desert.

## Traits

- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.
- [Savanna](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/savanna): This habitat trait denotes species native to savannas, which are grasslands with scattered trees, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons.
- [Ambush Predator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ambush-predator): An ambush predator hunts by patiently waiting and concealing itself, then launching a sudden attack when unsuspecting prey comes within range.
- [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.

## Collections

- [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Caracals are shy wild animals and should be admired from a distance. A cornered caracal can scratch and bite, so never try to touch or feed one.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Caracal?

Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Caracal?

61-106 cm

### How much does Caracal weigh?

6-20 kg

### How long does Caracal live?

10-16 years

### What does Caracal eat?

Caracals are fierce hunters that mostly eat small mammals, birds, and sometimes even larger prey.

### Where is Caracal usually found?

Savannas

### How many babies does Caracal usually have?

1-6

## Where to spot

- [Brandywine Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brandywine-zoo) — Delaware, US · Zoo
- [Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/oklahoma-city-zoo-and-botanical-garden) — Oklahoma, US · Zoo

## Watch

- [Play video: Caracal](https://www.snappit.app/videos/caracal)
- [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=GNJ7sH-mN9M)

## More Mammals

- [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*)
- [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*)
- [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*)
- [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*)

---

Source: [Caracal: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/caracal)