Africa's smallest cat predation efficiency is extremely high. Local rumors have preferentially prey for giraffe and have been banned by the world.

One type of cat, native to the grasslands of southern Africa, is so small that it has been described as "the midget of cats." This cat is called the black-footed cat, and few people have heard of it.

However, despite their small size, black-footed cats are capable of striking people, earning them the nickname "killing machines." Legend has it that it can kill giraffes many times its size!

The black-footed cat has a "bold" in its tiny body! When confronted by other much larger predators, such as the black-backed jackal and the harpy eagle, he will take them on without fear.

Blackfoot cat, set appearance and ability in a suit, clearly can sell cute, but with the strength to win people's admiration.

« -- [· cuteness ·] -- »

The appearance of the black-footed cat, to the Chinese people, is very similar to the common cat. The most striking feature that distinguishes the two is that black-footed cats wear "black boots" on all four feet. Not only are the fur on its feet black, but so are the pads on its feet. For this reason, someone even laughed at it, as if it had not washed its feet in years.

Of course, for an organism, the features are selected by evolution to serve a certain function. The black-footed cat lives in a climate of intense light, high temperatures, and often gritty ground. By wearing black boots, she can avoid burning her feet.

Compared with some pet cats, which can easily weigh more than 10 jin, the average black-footed cat weighs 1.6 kilograms, which can be said to be the slimmer cat in the cat world. On the body size list of felines, black-footed cats are at the bottom of the heap. But the black-footed cat isn't alone. It's tied for smallest cat status with the rusty ocelot.

The black-footed cat's "clothes" walk in a simple and practical style. Its coat color is well adapted to the environment in which it lives, usually light tea gold or reddish brown. The decorative pattern is very simple, dark brown or black stripes or dots.

The cat's tail is probably the most emotional part of the cat's body. The same goes for black-footed cats. Its tail is dotted with black stripes, and the tip of its tail looks like it has been dipped in ink.

When a black-footed cat has a high, cold expression, its tail often gives away its mood, twisting and turning behind it with such dexterity that some people think its tail resembles a snake.

Normally, black-footed cats are hard to see. Because it is so small, and because it has the natural agility and alertness of a cat, it is very difficult to track in the African savannah, where grasses and shrubs and so on are excellent hiding places.

Fortunately, with the development of technology, people use special photosensitive cameras to shoot it at night and capture its footage. And we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of the adorable black-footed cat.

« -- [· True late sleeper] -- »

If a man were to compete with a black-footed cat to stay up late, he would certainly fail. Black-footed cats are nocturnal creatures by nature. They are alive at night and can hunt all night long. During the day, they enter the "lazy" state, and often find a hidden place to hide and recuperate.

A favorite daytime sleeping spot for black-footed cats is termite mounds. Of course, black-footed cats don't colonize colonies full of termites. It often chooses abandoned termite mounds. During breeding season, these termite mounds are her favorite brooding dens.

When the sun goes down, the black-footed cat emerges from the termite mound in good spirits. He is very busy at night, and by sunrise the next day, he has to catch a dozen or so prey to satisfy his whole day's consumption.

Typically, black-footed cats target rodents or small birds. On average, it takes about 50 minutes to kill a prey animal. Some people have wondered, black-footed cat so small body, can eat so much food?

In fact, black-footed cats are "big eaters." It is naturally "lean" and has a very fast metabolism. In other words, the more you eat, the more you burn, the more you probably pull, the more you eat, the more you eat. This constitution, really let the human among the food envy.

« -- [· Rich Recipes ·] -- »

The black-footed cat is more than just a cute creature or a "late sleeper." It certainly deserves its reputation as a "killing machine." Cats are known to catch mice or birds, but black-footed cats have a richer diet than you might think.

In addition to rodents and small birds, black-footed cats don't mind a few bites of insects when necessary. Some vertebrates larger than him, such as hares and the not so small black bustard, are hunted to improve their lives.

Black-footed cats have the virtue of not being picky eaters. At this point, it can make cheetahs who only love to eat fresh meat "shame". Other predators eat the remains of dead animals, or animals that have died for other reasons, and the cat is happy to go up and eat.

Even when it comes across carrion, the black-footed cat has no problem with it, as does a hyena or a vulture. There are also some things on its diet that make people frown, such as scorpions and snakes, which are highly venomous.

In some cases, the black-footed cat's taste makes you wonder if it's a novelty hunter. Some black-footed cats, for example, have even caught giant African bullfrogs.

The giant African bullfrog, which can weigh up to several pounds, is a voracious eater of meat, rodents, birds and more. Still, black-footed cats are higher up the food chain.

I have to give the black-footed cat credit for being frugal with such a rich diet. If you can't finish your prey, pack it up and take it home, hide it in a safe place, and eat it again.

« -- [· Killing Machine ·] -- »

How many lives does a black-footed cat harvest in its lifetime? Some people have done statistics, it can kill 3,000 mice a year, and its lifespan is about 13 years. By the way, a black-footed cat could consume tens of thousands of rats in its lifetime.

And considering its rich diet, the number of creatures that have died under the claws and teeth of cats is uncountable. However, because it is part of the biological chain and plays a role in balancing the ecology, the black-footed cat is considered a good cat in terms of merit.

To discuss how good a killing machine the black-footed cat is. The first is its hunting efficiency. As mentioned above, black-footed cats usually kill more than a dozen prey each night, killing one in 50 minutes.

When it comes to hunting success, black-footed cats must be high on the list. He has a 60% success rate, leaving the lion far behind. Leopards will bow down, for it is said that black-footed cats kill more in one night than leopards kill in six months.

The key to the black-footed cat's killing efficiency is that it possesses a number of qualities that greatly enhance its combat effectiveness. Its strength can be assessed in the following ways.

First, its small size makes it harder for prey to spot. Second, its fur color makes it perfectly hidden. Third, it has excellent hearing, a little wind and grass can not escape its ears.

Fourth, it has excellent eyesight, especially the ability to see at night is enviable. It can notice the slight movements of prey from a distance and realize the "remote monitoring" of prey with the naked eye.

Fifth, its jumping power is amazing! It's like a spring on the sole of the foot! When catching the bird, the bird has taken off in the air, it jumps up hard, also can throw down the other side to eat.

Sixth, it is not short of patience as well as wisdom. It knows how to wait for the rabbit, will squat prey holes, and a squat can stay up for two or three hours. With such patience, it's no wonder you succeed.

When blackfooted cats hunt, they are also strategic. It has three "tactics". First, ambush, and then surprise the prey. It would lie in wait in the grass and then strike with lightning speed, biting down on small prey such as birds or mice.

Second, in the prey's habitat, it sneaks in, lowers itself, and silently approaches those who are unaware of the impending danger, and finally grabs the prey with one bite!

The third is to wait and see. It specializes in squatting in rodent burrows and is more patient than its prey, as long as the prey rises, it cannot escape its claws.

As a predator, black-footed cats have a strong psychological profile. If the prairie animals were to be braved together, it would be braver than many.

Some predators, when confronted with a larger than their size, will be shy. Black-footed cats are not like this. It is not afraid to meet a head better than its own, can rush up and fight with each other a few times.

Researchers have tracked a black-footed cat to a fight with a black-backed jackal more than eight times its size. He jumped up straight at the black-backed jackal's front, and gave him a sharp bite!

Researchers have also seen the black-footed cat, unflinching at the sight of a spotted eagle staring at it in a tree, making eye contact as if it were considering the possibility of lunging and grabbing it for a taste. The harpy is said to be a large predatory bird that coyotes avoid.

Sometimes a black-footed cat can be a little too bold, or a little too "confident." Researchers have observed that black-footed cats have developed an interest in young springbok. It eyed the young springbok hungrily, and soon moved in, ready to kill them.

In the end, the black-footed cat didn't make it. The young springbok is very alert, and it is born very quickly to stand up and run, when it senses danger, it gets up and runs. In fact, the young springbok's size is not easily conquered by a black-footed cat.

Paradoxically, black-footed cats sometimes attack ostriches. An adult ostrich can weigh up to 200 pounds.

One interesting observation researchers have made is that the ostrich, presumably when lying on the ground, looks tame and harmless, leading the black-footed cat to misjudge. The ostrich saw him, and suddenly stood up on his long legs, covering the black-footed cat.

The black-footed cat looked up at the towering ostrich and was stunned. The ostrich is much larger than the black-footed cat, but not daring. Seeing the black-footed cat, the ostrich turned and ran away, almost burying the cat in the dust.

Perhaps it was the efficiency and boldness of the black-footed cat that gave it a harmless "rumor" in local Bushmen lore that it could kill giraffes.

In fact, this is outrageous. Because logically, to kill a giraffe, a black-footed cat would have to use its sharp teeth to kill the animal with a single blow to the neck. Apparently, at the height of the giraffe, the black-footed cat's leaping power, no matter how amazing, is not enough to succeed.

There is little evidence that black-footed cats have killed giraffes. However, it is entirely possible that a black-footed cat would eat the flesh of a dead giraffe.

« -- [· Conclusion] -- »

Such an interesting black-footed cat, now in trouble. It has become an endangered animal. In addition to the natural predators in its environment, there are some unusual circumstances that threaten it.

One is human activity that has destroyed the blackfooted cat's habitat. In recent years, animal husbandry and other human activities have been reducing the range of the black-footed cat.

There are also man-made extermination campaigns, aimed at other animals that cause damage to locals, such as the feral cat, but which often afflict the black-footed cat as well.

Some people, out of curiosity or to show off, want to own a black-footed cat. They kept black-footed cats as pets and wanted to tame them. But the black-footed cat is a wild, untamed cat, not so easy to keep.

Now the black-footed cat has become a protected animal, with a global ban on keeping it in captivity. All in all, black-footed cats, while interesting, are enough to look at from a distance. There is no need to disturb their lives.