There are still little-studied animals in the world, including the Caucasian forest cat. Despite the fact that they are common in a number of countries in Eastern and Western Europe, Central Asia, not as much information is known about them as about other wild animals. There are reasons for this: a secretive lifestyle, hard-to-reach habitats and a small number of individuals.
Description
The Caucasian Forest Cat is listed in the Red Book of Russia. As a rare species, she was assigned the 3rd number. It is protected in the Caucasian, Teberdinsky and other reserves. No special measures have been developed for the protection of animals. This is a subspecies of a wild cat that lives in the Caucasus and Turkey.
Large, ordinary "yard" color - something like this looks like a Caucasian forest cat. Its description is presented below.
- Weight: males - 3.1-6.08 kg, females - 3.0-6.0 kg.
- Muscular body length: males - 50, 1-67 cm, females - 52, 3-61 cm.
- Tail length in percentageratio to the length of the body is: in males - up to 60%, in females - up to 56%.
- Claws - big, sharp.
- Head - wide, rounded.
- Ears are rounded, up to 7 cm high.
- Moustaches are long.
- Eyes - big, no lashes.
- Hairline - dense, lush in winter.
Wild life has left its mark on the animal's coat color:
- general color - gray with a redhead, a black stripe stretches along the ridge, there are also dark stripes on the sides;
- black stripes are clearly visible on the head along the forehead to the back of the head;
- lower throat, belly, groin areas - light, almost white, with a buffy tint, it is especially noticeable on the undertail;
- may have vaguely outlined dark spots on the abdomen;
- tail "decorated" with dark rings, quantity - from 3 to 8.
This pattern allows animals to disguise themselves for ambush hunting. It is brighter in summer and dim in winter. The cat prefers to hunt at night.
The rut for cats starts in February-March. Pregnancy lasts 68-70 days. There are usually 3-5 kittens in a litter. They suckle their mother for up to 4 months. From the age of two months, the mother teaches them to get their own food. After six months, males leave their mother, girls can stay with her longer. Sexual maturity occurs at one year of age. The first offspring in young individuals appears by the age of three.
Food
Caucasian forest cat is a predator. She freely climbs trees, but prefers to hunt on the ground. In her diet - rodents of all kinds, lizards, fish,small birds, eggs and chicks. For hunting, the animal is able to eat up to 20 mice. Hunting grounds for one individual are up to 3 km2. In habitats, they compete with the raccoon dog, badger, striped raccoon, marten, fox.
The lack of the main subject of hunting can force cats to hunt larger game. The diet includes pheasants, muskrat, nutria, hares and young ungulates. If possible, they catch poultry. In addition, they eat green cereals, fruits, insects and fresh carrion in small quantities. Deep snow makes cats migrate, it interferes with fast movement and, accordingly, the extraction of food.
Habitat Halo
Animals prefer beech-fir broad-leaved forests and crooked forests. They are found in Europe and Asia. In Russia, they are distributed in Chechnya, the southern part of Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea, North Ossetia, in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories. There are populations in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia.
Cats prefer the wilderness, choosing rock crevices, old burrows of other animals and even hollows. Near rivers they live in dense thickets of bushes and reeds. Animals have been spotted near human buildings, they may take a liking to abandoned buildings.
Despite the meager information about animals, there is some information about how the Caucasian forest cat lives. Interesting facts about them can be found in the list below:
- in their habitats they have no natural enemies;
- on the NorthIn the Caucasus, they are not in danger of being reborn due to mating with domestic cats, harsh living conditions will not allow hybrids to survive;
- live at an altitude of 2500-3000 meters above sea level;
- prefer to ambush, very rarely chase fleeing game, but easily catch a hare.
Numbers
Human activity is the main factor in the disappearance of many species of animals from the face of the Earth. Previously, relative accounting of animals was carried out according to the number of skins produced. The minimum population was 1800 animals, the maximum was 3500.
The Caucasian Forest Cat also lives in the Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve, there are about 120 individuals of both sexes. The population is relatively stable and only decreases during severe winters.
The main reasons for the decline in numbers are:
- reduction of habitat due to chaotic deforestation;
- illegal hunting;
- unfavorable environmental conditions (especially in winter).
Enthusiasts are trying to increase the population of such animals as the Caucasian forest cat. The Red Book helps to save these mysterious animals. Preservation of unique broad-leaved forests in the North Caucasus guarantees the life of forest predators.
