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Ordine: Carnivori (Carnivora) Famiglia:Felidi (Felidae) Sottospecie italiana: Felis silvestris silvestris (Italia Continentale) |
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Ordine: Carnivori (Carnivora) Famiglia:Felidi (Felidae) Sottospecie italiana: Felis silvestris silvestris (Italia Continentale) |
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Italy has two subspecies of mountain cat: Felis silvestris silvestris in continental Italy, and Felis silvestris lybica in Sardinia. Its presence in the National Park of the Monti Sibillini is confirmed, even though its especially elusive character make it very difficult to spot.
SIZE
Varies greatly according to sex. The much larger males can weigh between 3.5 and i 5.5
Kg and length ranges from 45 to 70 cm.e una lunghezza tra i 45 e i 70 cm.
APPEARANCE (morphology)
Quite similar to the domestic cat, though distinguished from it by
several characteristics. The limbs are more slender and the body longer, and the color of the fur is not variable like that
of the domestic cat. The coat is long and thick, especially in winter; the tail is short and thick in adults. It has a
yellowish-gray undercoat and silvery gray fur, but dark stripes are the most distiguishing feature. The head is vertically
striped, and a black band runs along the body from the base of the neck until the root of the tail. The tail is black-tipped
with 2 to 4 black rings.
HABITAT
The mountain cat in the Sibillini lives in mixed woodlands in hilly areas and in the
mountain beechwoods, preferring the most isolated and wild areas.
DIET
Exclusively carnivorous, the diet of mountain cat is made up of small prey: rodents, hares,
birds and reptiles. It is a nocturnal hunter.
REPRODUCTION
Sexual maturity is reached at about 10 months of age. The preiod of reproduction
is between January and March. The mating season is marked by loud mating calls, one of the ways that the presence of the
mountain cat can be confirmed. After a gesatation of 63 -68 days, the female produces a litter of 2 – 4 cubs, who are weaned
after about 90 days. Pups become completely independent starting from 6 months of age.
BEHAVIOUR
The mountain cat is a solitary and nocturnal creature. Extremely agile, it is able
to climb up trees, even though most of its hunting is done on the ground. The male cat marks borders of his hunting territory
with feces and urine. Inside this territory the mountain cat stakes out several shelters, often burrows that have been abandoned,
in the most inaccessible of places.
Copyright © 2002-2007 Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillinii
Immagini concesse dal Ministero dell'ambiente e della tutela del territorio)
Tutti i diritti riservati - All rights reserved
Revised -- 16.05.2007
URL:
http://www.sibillini.net/en/il_parco/fauna/index.html