Wildcat

Scientific name: Felis silvestris

The wildcat can be differentiated from the domestic cat by its bushier tail with a blunt black tip and thicker, darker stripes on the body and tail. Once found throughout Britain, its range is now restricted to Scotland.

Taxonomy chart

Animalia - Chordata - Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae - Felis - F. silvestris

Conservation status: UK Red List

GB: Critical

England: N/A

Scotland: Critical

Wales: N/A

Global: Least Concern

Species information

Habitat: Upland & moorland, coniferous woodland, deciduous woodland.

Description: Similar to domestic tabby cat but larger and more robust. Darker, thicker body stripes, with no white patches. Thicker, bushy tail with distinctive stripes and blunt black tip.

Size: Average 56cm head & body length, tail measures 29cm.

Weight: Kittens 100-160g at birth. Adult males 5kg, females 4kg.

Lifespan: Average 10-12 years in the wild.

Origin and distribution

Wildcats are confined to Scotland, north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, being absent from all of the Scottish Islands. They prefer areas with varied habitats on the edge of moor, with pasture, scrub and forests. High mountains, where prey is scarce, and intensively farmed lowland regions are avoided. In winter, bad weather drives wildcats into more sheltered wooded valleys.

Diet

Rabbits, hares and small mammals are their principal prey, but quite large birds and animals freshly killed on the roads may also be taken.

General ecology

Wildcats are active at night, mainly around dawn and dusk. During the day, and in periods of heavy rain and snow, wildcats lie up in dens located amongst boulders and rocky cairns, or in old fox earths, badgers sets, peat hags, or tree roots. Wildcats are solitary and territorial, living at a low population density; there may be one cat to 3km2 in good habitats but only one cat in 10km2 in less favourable areas. Urine sprayed on boulders and tree trunks and droppings deposited in prominent places marks territories.

Breeding

Mating generally takes place in February with litters of 2-6 kittens being born in May, though litters may be born up until August. Wildcats produce only one litter a year. Kittens are weaned at 12 weeks and stay with their mother until about five months old. Wildcats can successfully hybridise with the domestic cat, which threatens the genetic purity of the species.

Conservation status

Wildcats used to be found throughout mainland Britain but due to persecution and woodland clearance, populations have declined. Wildcats almost became extinct in Britain in the early years of the 20th century, but declines were reversed. However, this recovery now seems to have slowed down. The urbanised habitat seems to be a barrier to further dispersal. The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981 and 1988) now gives strict legal protection to wildcats and their dens. Although increasing afforestation helps the spread of wildcats, mature forest plantations become less suitable for the small mammals on which wildcats prey. Forestry management to encourage wildcats should therefore aim to diversify the age of plantations.

Identification

Similar to domestic tabby cat but larger with longer limbs and distinctive bushy tail with blunt black tip and thicker tail stripes. Darker, thicker body stripes with no white patches.

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General fact sheet

Confusion species

Domestic cat (Felis catus)

Domestic cat has a tapering tail, whilst the wildcat has a cylindrical tail with a blunt dark tip. Dark stripes on the body and tail are usually wider and more obvious in wildcat. Domestic cat is slightly smaller than the wildcat.