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AFGHAN ARABIA WILD
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WILDLIFE OF AFGHANISTAN WILDLIFE OF SAUDI ARABIA NORTHWEST WILDLIFE ONLINE
ARABIAN WILDCAT
BY JOHN M. REGAN
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Special thanks to Tim Stone for the photo - live from Saudi Arabia
Although it is hard to say for sure if the feline in the photograph is an Arabian Wildcat, Felis silvestris gordoni, the possibility that it may be mixed breed of that species with a domestic cat, Feilis catus, is strong. The topic is an interesting one. The Arabian Wildcat is a sub species of the European Wildcat, Felis sivestris, that once ranged throughout Europe and Russia. Sub species of this cat are reported from Scotland to Sardenia, so it is not surprising that a sub species would occur in Saudi Arabia considering the existence of a land bridge between the two. The range and population of the European Wildcat is greatly diminished in modern times and one of the ongoing threats to the species is hybridization with domestic cats. The Arabian Peninsula has far greater open spaces than the European continent, of course, but it is reasonable to assume that the same hybridization takes place there. Cats are viewed much more favorably in the Middle East than dogs, but that does not exclude them from direct persecution or habitat destruction. The Arabian Wildcat is considered extremely endangered if not extinct.
Several species of small felines inhabit Arabia, and the rest of the world for that matter. Of the 38 separate species of felines 32 of them are considered small, that is, about the size of a lynx or smaller. The Arabian Wildcat certainly fits that description but approaching 20 pounds and 30 inches in length it is not a tiny animal either. Depending on the sources consulted the Arabian Wildcat shares its range in the Arabian Peninsula with The African Wildcat, the African Golden Cat, the Caracal, and the Sand Cat. There may be other felines as well; species from ibex to hedgehogs range from Europe to Saudi Arabia. Finding and observing desert dwelling animals is a challenge. Many are nocturnal and the Arabia desert is vast. Don’t expect to just walk out there and find one but you may very well see traces of them in the sand. Every morning you can roam about the desert and read the story that was written the night before.
References:
Walker’s Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition, Volume 1
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AFGHAN ARABIA WILD
ARTICLES AND POSTS
WILDLIFE OF AFGHANISTAN WILDLIFE OF SAUDI ARABIA NORTHWEST WILDLIFE ONLINE
Saudi Arabian Wildlife Afghanistan Wildlife