Species comparison
Chinese Mountain Cat vs Black-footed Cat
A side-by-side look at Felis bieti and Felis nigripes across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The chinese mountain cat averages about 4.4 times the body mass of the black-footed cat.
- Both species use grassland.
- Their ranges do not overlap: Chinese Mountain Cat lives in Asia, Black-footed Cat in Africa.
- Both are currently listed as Vulnerable on the Red List.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Felis bieti
Black-footed Cat
Felis nigripes
Chinese Mountain Cat
Felis
Black-footed Cat
Felis
Chinese Mountain Cat
Domestic cat lineage
Black-footed Cat
Domestic cat lineage
Chinese Mountain Cat
Small cats
Black-footed Cat
Small cats
Chinese Mountain Cat
Chinese desert cat, Chinese steppe cat
Black-footed Cat
Small spotted cat, Anthill tiger
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Chinese Mountain Cat
24 in – 2 ft 9 in (60–85 cm) Longer
Black-footed Cat
14 in – 20 in (36–52 cm)
Chinese Mountain Cat
11 in – 16 in (29–41 cm) Longer
Black-footed Cat
5 in – 8 in (12–20 cm)
Chinese Mountain Cat
11 in – 13 in (28–34 cm) Taller
Black-footed Cat
7 in – 10 in (17–25 cm)
Chinese Mountain Cat
14–20 lb (6.5–9 kg) Heavier
Based on a small number of measured animals.
Black-footed Cat
2.2–5.5 lb (1–2.5 kg)
Females often weigh little more than a kilogram.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Black-footed Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Chinese Mountain Cat
8–10 years Longer
Black-footed Cat
6–8 years
Chinese Mountain Cat
10–14 years
Black-footed Cat
10–14 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Chinese Mountain Cat
steppe, rocky alpine, grassland
Alpine meadow, steppe and shrubland on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, generally in open country with rodent colonies rather than in true desert.
Black-footed Cat
semi-arid scrub, grassland, desert
Open, dry short-grass plains and Karoo scrub with termite mounds and rodent burrows for shelter; it avoids both rocky mountain terrain and dense woodland.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Asia
Endemic to China, with confirmed records from Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu provinces.
Black-footed Cat
Africa
Restricted to South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, with marginal records from southern Zimbabwe and Angola.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Chinese Mountain Cat
small mammals, birds
Plateau pikas and zokors form the core of the diet, along with voles and ground birds.
Black-footed Cat
small mammals, birds, insects, reptiles
Gerbils, mice, shrews, larks and other ground birds, plus large insects; prey is small, and a great many items are needed each night.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Solitary
Dens in burrows on grassland slopes; observations remain few, and much of the species' behaviour is still undocumented.
Black-footed Cat
Solitary
Shelters by day in hollow termite mounds and abandoned burrows — the origin of its local nickname — and hunts alone through the night.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Most records come from dusk and night hours, matching pika and rodent activity.
Black-footed Cat
Nocturnal
Emerges after dark and remains active for most of the night, returning to shelter before dawn.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Listening and digging at burrows
Hunts by locating rodents acoustically in open grassland and digging them out.
Black-footed Cat
Continuous fast-paced hunting
Uses three modes: a fast hunt through grass, a slow stalking search, and patient waiting at rodent burrow entrances.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Limited
A ground-dwelling cat in a largely treeless landscape.
Black-footed Cat
Limited
A ground specialist that seldom climbs; its habitat is largely treeless.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Black-footed Cat
Very limited
Occupies arid habitat with almost no standing water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Chinese Mountain Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2015
Black-footed Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Chinese Mountain Cat
Decreasing
Black-footed Cat
Decreasing
Chinese Mountain Cat
Poisoning campaigns against plateau pikas, Hybridisation with domestic cats, Grassland degradation, Killing by herding dogs, Very small known range
A small range and dependence on plateau pikas make this cat vulnerable to large-scale rodent poisoning programmes. Interbreeding with free-ranging domestic cats has also been documented.
Black-footed Cat
Poisoning aimed at jackals and other carnivores, Overgrazing and loss of prey, Road mortality, Predation by domestic dogs, Disease in small populations
A small range, low population density and heavy exposure to poisoning and predator-control measures aimed at other species keep this cat under pressure.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Chinese Mountain Cat
- The first photographs of a wild individual were obtained only in 2007.
- Genetic work has confirmed hybridisation with village cats on the plateau.
- Its dense coat and heavily furred ears are adaptations to sustained sub-freezing temperatures.
Black-footed Cat
- Field studies record hunting success on roughly six of every ten attempts, the highest documented rate for any cat.
- It uses hollow termite mounds as dens, which is why farmers call it the anthill tiger.
- Despite its tiny size it is famously intolerant of handling and does not tame.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Wildlife Conservation Society Field programmes, camera-trap surveys and population monitoring.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Body measurements, longevity records and life-history notes.