If you’re a reader of Animal Expert, you’ll have noticed that we use the term “felines” as a synonym for cats. Certainly, all cats are cats, but not all cats are cats. The feline family (Felidae) comprises 14 genes, 41 described species and their subspecies with unimaginable characteristics.
For better or worse, you may not have the opportunity to meet many of these living and colorful species. To prove that, yes, they exist (always) and are perfect, in this post of Animal Expert we made a selection of rare cats: photos and their amazing features. Scroll down and read good!
- Unfortunately.
- Many of the world’s rarest felines are those that are endangered or those living in the most remote parts of the planet:.
According to WWF, the love leopard could be one of the rarest cats in the world. This subspecies of leopard that inhabits the Sijote-Alin Mountains in Russia, parts of China and North Korea, has its conservation status critically endangered. It’s hard to spot one of these wild felines, but when this happens, it’s usually night, because of their nocturnal habits.
The population of the Java leopard, native and endemic to the island of the same name, Indonesia, is in a critical state of conservation. At the end of this article, it is estimated that fewer than 250 individuals lived in the tropical forests of the island.
This subspecies of leopard is rare, due to poaching and habitat destruction, and is native to the Middle East. Of the subspecies of leopards, it is the smallest of them. Even so, it can measure up to 2 meters and weigh up to 30 kg.
The difference between the snow leopard and other subspecies lies in its range in the mountains of Central Asia. It’s such a rare feline that its population is unknown.
The Iberian lynx is one of the most endangered rare cats on the planet, according to WWF, [2] due to diseases that have caused an imbalance in its food chain (feeding on rabbits), crushing and illegal possession. Of course, it is advisable to find them in the forests of southern Europe, because it is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula.
Also known as Asian cheetah or Iranian cheetah, this subspecies is critically endangered, especially in Iran. Although feline, the anatomy of your body (thin body and deep chest) may resemble that of a dog.
Among rare cats, the decline in the tiger population of southern China due to a rampant hunting season makes the species part of the list. Its size may resemble that of the Bengal tiger with some differences in the shape of the skull.
What makes the Asian lion one of the few cats is its endangered state of conservation. Previously specified as Panthera Leo Persica and today as Panthera leo leo since the Asian lion was treated as a subspecies and is today treated as the African lion. The fact is that fewer than a thousand individuals have now been counted in Gir Forest National Park in India.
It is believed that this subspecies of Puma concolor is the only surviving cougar breed in the eastern United States. Efforts have been made to repopulate, but in the meantime, the Florida Panther remains one of the few wild felines found.
This feline living on a Japanese island of the same name (Iriomote Island) is the size of a domestic cat, but is wild. Until the end of this article, its estimated population does not exceed 100 living individuals.
It is a breed of wild cat found in Scotland, with a population of probably no more than 4,000 individuals. One of the reasons he is now on the list of rare felines is the half-breed with domestic cats and his consequent hybridization.
This rare species of cat that inhabits tropical forests near freshwater springs in southeastern Malaysia is becoming less prominent. It is a wild cat the size of a domestic cat, small ears, brown spots on the top of the head whose anatomy gives it its popular name.
This feline that occurs in the wetlands of Indochina, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Java is known for its aquatic fishing habits that are not always associated with felines. It feeds on fish and amphibians, in general, and dives to catch the most remote prey.
The desert cat is one of the few cats you see simply because it inhabits the most inhospidic regions of the planet: the deserts of the Middle East. Its most striking features are its appearance as an eternal puppy due to its small size, its adaptation to the extreme temperatures of the desert and its ability to spend several days without drinking water.
Most Brazilian wild cats are also difficult to detect or are endangered:
Although well known, the jaguar, the largest feline in America and the third largest in the world, is classified as ‘almost threatened’ because it no longer inhabits most of the regions in which it lived.
This is one of the few cats you can see. When this happens, it’s usually where you live: in the Atlantic Forest. We remember very well an ocelot in miniature version.
It is one of the smallest cats in the world and does not exceed 100 cm in length. That is, it is very similar to domestic cats but is wild and can be found in South America, in the pantanal, Cerrado, Pampa or Andean fields regions.
It can also be called cat pampa-pajar, where it lives but is rarely seen. It is one of the few Brazilian cats and the cause is its risk of extinction.
This rare feline of nocturnal habits is found in areas of open forest. It can be black or yellowish with spots and has a size similar to that of a domestic cat.
It is one of the felines native to South America and is also often called maracaja-preto or jaguarundi. Its long body and tail, short legs and ears and uniform grey are its hallmarks.
The domestic cat, on the other hand, is one of the most popular cats in the world. In the video below, we list some of the world’s most popular breeds of cats:
If you want to read more articles similar to rare cats: photos and features, we recommend that you visit our Endangered Animals section.