Felis nigripes
black-footed cat

Felis nigripes is widely distributed throughout the dry steppe and savannah region of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. (Bosman & Martin, 1997)

This cat is mainly found in the dry country of South Africa. (Sleeper & Wolfe, 1995)

The Black-footed cat is one of the world's smallest cat species. In appearance the cat has a large broad head in proportion to its small body. Its coat varies from dark ochre to pale ochre. This cat shows a bold pattern of round dark brown to black spots, which are found on the throat, chest, and belly. There are two black stripes across each cheek, two transverse black stripes on the forelegs, and up to five on the haunches. The soles of the feet are black. The hair on the bottom of their feet helps protect them from the hot, burning sand and also enhances the tactile sensory nerves in the feet helping it find subterranean insects. The tail is about half the length of the head and body. It is thin with a couple of black stripes embracing it. It closely resembles the house cat in shape. Males are about 42.5 to 50 cm in length whereas the female is about 33.7 to 36.8 cm. (Guggisberg,1975).

Felis nigripes is a solitary animal. In the wild, it is seen only at night. During the day the cat hides in antbear, springhare, or porcupine burrows, caves, dense tangles of low thicket and other secluded spots. It usually emerges several hours after sunset and is not at all active at dusk.

These cats have a strong territorial system; they mark territories with scent from urine and feces. The territories of the male appear to be larger and overlap the territories of several females.

When kittens are disturbed, they don't run back to the den and hide. Instead, they scatter to the nearest cover and freeze until the mother gives an audible all-clear signal. Upon hearing this the kittens relax and leave their cover to gather around the mother. (Bosman & Martin, 1997)

Felis nigripes hunts primarily small prey. They feed on various rodents, spiders, insects and birds. This cat catches its prey by stalking it and pouncing on it. It kills rodents by severing the spinal column with its long canine teeth. It is also common for these cats to cache larger prey and return to the carcass later. They sometimes scavenge on the meat of larger dead mammals such as lambs. (Bosman & Martin, 1997; Garman, 1997)

Black-footed cats are too small to tackle domestic livestock so are not regarded as a problem animal. (Bosman & Martin, 1997)

Felis nigripes is not economically important to humans. They are very hard to hunt; in the last 12 years, only 15 black-footed cat skins have been recorded. (Bosman & Martin, 1997)

Felis nigripes are described as a rare species, but some experts suggest that they are common in parts of their range. These cats are not threatened by hunting but are affected by poison and traps indiscriminately laid for African Wildcats and Jackals. Black-footed cats are listed as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red Book of Endangered Species. It is listed in Appendix II of CITES (Garman, 1997)

Folklore-- According to Bushmen legend, this little cat is so fierce that it will fasten its jaws onto the neck of a giraffe, just as it does when killing its more usual prey (Morris,1996).

Felis nigripes has a life span of about 13 years (Garman).