Sizes Height to shoulders: 10 in. Length: 22-25 in. from head to end of back Wieght: about 3 lbs. Breeding Sexual Maturity: 21 months old Mating: females are only oestrus for 5-10 hours, so timing is everything Gestation: 63-68 days Litter size: 1-3 average

Lifestyle Habit: solitary and come together only for breeding Diet: birds and their eggs, small rodents, insects, arachnids, frogs and lizards Lifespan: 13 years Related Species The Sand Cat

As special adaptations to their desert habitat, Black-Footed Cats have a broad skull with large, rounded ears, and hair on the black soles of their feet to protect them from the hot sands. Black footed cats are located only in three countries of southern Africa: Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. They are found primarily in short to medium length grass plains, scrub desert, and sand plains, including the Kalahari and Karoo Deserts. Black-Footed Cats are strictly nocturnal animals, sheltering during the heat of the day in termite mound holes or burrows abandoned by other animals. Hunting techniques include waiting up to 40 minutes at rodent burrows, or flushing nesting birds by walking very fast through the grass.

The meow is said to be comparable to the roar of a tiger, only an octave higher, and carries over great distances to communicate with others and locate mates. Babies' eyes open at around seven days, and they are independent at three months. When the mother calls an alarm, the young scatter and "freeze" until the danger has passed.

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