Small Wild Cats: The Animal Answer Guide

Did you know that most wild cat species are small and that lions, tigers, and other large cats are the exception? That adult bobcats, clouded leopards, and other small wild cats are completely asocial? And that they fight only as a last resort? This entertaining and informative book reveals these and hundreds of other facts about the behavior, biology, and conservation of the more than 30 small wild cat species.

From bobcats to servals, small cats are spread across the globe. They range in size from the rusty-spotted cat and African black-footed cat, each of which weighs around 5 pounds when fully grown, to the Eurasian lynx, which can reach an adult weight of 60 pounds. These felids are elusive, some are nocturnal, others are arboreal, and all are rare and secretive, making them especially difficult to study. James G. Sanderson, the world’s leading field expert on small wild cats, and naturalist and wildlife artist Patrick Watson provide informative and entertaining answers to common and unexpected questions about these animals. The authors explain why some small cats live on the ground while others inhabit trees, discuss the form and function of their coat types and colors, offer scientifically sound information on human–small wild cat interactions, and even review the role that small wild cats have played in literature, religion, and mythology.

The world of cats is as fascinating as it is diverse. Small Wild Cats: The Animal Answer Guide shows just how important and interesting the littlest of the nondomesticated feline family are.

James G. Sanderson is a Fellow of the Wildlife Conservation Network and the founder of the Small Cat Conservation Alliance. He is coauthor of Wildlife Issues in a Changing World and coeditor of Landscape Ecology: A Top-down Approach. Patrick Watson is a freelance wildlife artist, naturalist, and lifelong cat lover.