There are many amazing creatures of nature in our world. How many wild cats can be found on our planet! Do you, for example, know what breeds of lynx exist? This is Spanish, and Canadian, and even the steppe. We'll talk about the last one.
Steppe Lynx
Caracal is a predatory mammal that belongs to the Feline family. Outwardly, the animal is very similar to other similar ones, however, genetic features have led to the fact that it was singled out in a separate row.
"Caracal" in Turkish means "black ear". By the way, the back of the ears of such cats is black.
In North Africa, the steppe lynx is called "Barbary". Outwardly, the animal really resembles a lynx, but the caracal is slimmer and slightly smaller. Another difference is the solid color.
On average, the length of the body is 75 cm, and the tail is 28 cm, the height at the shoulders is about 44 cm. Its weight ranges from eleven to nineteen kilograms.
Ears of a lynx with tassels (no more than five centimeters long) at the ends. The fur is thick and short. The outer side of the ears and brushes are black. The color resembles a North American cougar: on the muzzle on the sidesblack markings, whitish underparts, and reddish-brown or sandy upperparts. Very rarely, but you can meet such an amazing creature as a black caracal. A steppe lynx with this color is called a "melanistic caracal".
Morphologically, this animal is closer to the cougar, although outwardly it looks like a lynx. Also, the caracal is close to the African serval. By the way, in captivity he is crossed with him.
The steppe lynx is found in the foothills, deserts and savannahs of Africa, as well as in Asia. You rarely see such an animal in the CIS: it is found in Turkmenistan, as well as in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.
As a rule, the steppe lynx hunts at night, but in spring and winter it can be found during the day.
Where does the wondrous beast live?
As a rule, fox and porcupine burrows, as well as rock crevices serve as shelters for the caracal. Sometimes they use one place for several years. Females occupy small territories that are located on the periphery, while males choose vast ones.
Although the steppe lynx has long legs, it cannot run long distances, so it hunts by overtaking the prey with large (up to 4.5 m long) jumps. She has a very fast response. A caracal from a flying flock can immediately grab several birds. The main food of the steppe lynx is rodents (ground squirrels, gerbils), antelopes (small), as well as tolai hares. Sometimes reptiles, insects, small predatory animals (mongoose, fox) become her food. In addition, it can attack goats and lambs or steal poultry. steppea lynx can go without water for a long time, it will get liquid from its prey.
To hide their game from other predators, the caracal drags it into the trees.
Reproduction
The steppe lynx breeds all year round, the female can have up to three partners during this period. The duration of pregnancy is about 80 days. One female gives birth to up to six cubs. Before the babies are a month old, she takes them from one lair to another every day once a day. When the cubs are six months old, they leave their mother and settle in their possessions. At 18 months, the steppe lynx becomes sexually mature.
