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                  European Cats


Genus Felis 

The Wildcat (Felis silvestris) is native to Eurasia and Africa but for this sites purposes it is mainly talked about here. The wildcats in Eurasia are not the direct relatives of the domestic cat and show this by their thick fury tails. The domestic cat is bred with long fur but originally it was only shorthaired and not combined with bushy tails and short hair, like the wildcat to the right. They are found in forests other varied habitats and eat birds, rodents, hares, and rabbits.

Genus Lynx

The Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) is also found in Asia as well as Europe as the name suggests. Though this lynx is a small cat males can weight as much as 84 pounds making this the biggest of lynx species. They are darker in color than their American relative and the fur changes slightly with the seasons. They are found in deciduous forests,  woodlands, and old-growth taiga.  Rabbits and hares form a main part of their diet but they will also eat rodents, birds ,deer, and livestock.

The Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) or Spanish Lynx is very endangered and also restricted in its range, being found only in southwestern Spain and Portugal. In 1995 only 100 were thought to survive and the number is most likely not anything but worse. These few live in the forest of juniper, pine, and pistachio scrub on sand dunes. Their main diet is rabbits but they will eat fallow deer fawns,  ducks, and other birds in their claws reach.

Last Updated 07/10/03 

African Cats Asian Cats European Cats American Cats