Species comparison
Iberian Lynx vs African Wildcat
A side-by-side look at Lynx pardinus and Felis lybica across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The iberian lynx averages about 2.4 times the body mass of the african wildcat.
- Both species use semi-arid scrub and dry forest.
- Their ranges do not overlap: Iberian Lynx lives in Europe, African Wildcat in Africa and Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Iberian Lynx is listed as Vulnerable, African Wildcat as Least Concern.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Iberian Lynx
Lynx pardinus
African Wildcat
Felis lybica
Iberian Lynx
Lynx
African Wildcat
Felis
Iberian Lynx
Lynx lineage
African Wildcat
Domestic cat lineage
Iberian Lynx
Medium-sized cats
African Wildcat
Small cats
Iberian Lynx
Spanish lynx, Pardel lynx
African Wildcat
Near Eastern wildcat, Asiatic wildcat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Iberian Lynx
2 ft 3 in – 2 ft 8 in (68–82 cm) Longer
African Wildcat
18 in – 2 ft 6 in (45–75 cm)
Iberian Lynx
5 in – 12 in (12–30 cm)
African Wildcat
10 in – 15 in (25–38 cm) Longer
Iberian Lynx
18 in – 20 in (45–50 cm) Taller
African Wildcat
13 in – 15 in (32–38 cm)
Iberian Lynx
18–33 lb (8–15 kg) Heavier
Males average about 12.8 kg, females about 9.3 kg.
African Wildcat
6.6–14 lb (3–6.5 kg)
Males average about a kilogram heavier than females.
Iberian Lynx
Not reliably measured
Not systematically measured in the field.
African Wildcat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Iberian Lynx
9–13 years Longer
African Wildcat
8–12 years
Iberian Lynx
15–20 years Longer
African Wildcat
15–17 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Iberian Lynx
semi-arid scrub, dry forest, agricultural mosaic
Mediterranean scrub mosaics of dense cover for shelter and open pasture for rabbits, typically in cork oak and holm oak landscapes.
African Wildcat
savanna, semi-arid scrub, dry forest, grassland, agricultural mosaic
Almost every habitat in Africa except rainforest interior and the driest sand seas, plus scrub and steppe across the Middle East and Central Asia.
Iberian Lynx
Europe
Southern and central Spain and eastern Portugal. Reintroduction programmes have re-established populations well beyond the two relict nuclei of Doñana and the Sierra Morena.
African Wildcat
Africa, Asia
Across Africa outside the Congo rainforest, and through the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, Central Asia and into western India and China.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Iberian Lynx
hares, small mammals, birds
European rabbit is the staple; red-legged partridge, rodents and young ungulates are taken when rabbits are scarce.
African Wildcat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Rodents form the great majority of the diet, with birds, lizards and insects making up the remainder.
Iberian Lynx
Solitary and territorial
Territories are held for years and passed between generations; young disperse only when a vacancy opens, which makes habitat connectivity critical.
African Wildcat
Solitary
Solitary and territorial, though tolerant of human settlement — the same trait that started the domestication process.
Iberian Lynx
Crepuscular and nocturnal
Most movement occurs at twilight, shifting towards daylight in cold winter weather.
African Wildcat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly active from dusk to dawn, resting by day in burrows, thickets and rock crevices.
Iberian Lynx
Stalk and short rush in scrub
The lynx works rabbit warrens and scrub edges, closing quietly before a brief sprint.
African Wildcat
Stalk and pounce on rodents
Hunts by walking slowly through cover, freezing at sounds and finishing with a short rush.
Iberian Lynx
Capable
Climbs trees when pressed but hunts almost entirely on the ground.
African Wildcat
Strong More developed
Climbs well and uses trees for escape and rest.
Iberian Lynx
Limited More developed
Avoids water; there are few records of deliberate swimming.
African Wildcat
Very limited
Avoids water, in common with most arid-country cats.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Iberian Lynx
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2024
African Wildcat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2022
Iberian Lynx
Increasing
African Wildcat
Decreasing
Iberian Lynx
Rabbit population crashes from viral disease, Road mortality, Habitat fragmentation, Illegal killing and snaring, Genetic bottlenecks in small nuclei
Moved from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2024 after two decades of captive breeding, reintroduction, rabbit habitat management and road mitigation raised the population from fewer than one hundred animals to several thousand.
African Wildcat
Hybridisation with domestic cats, Disease transmitted by domestic cats, Habitat conversion, Persecution near poultry, Road mortality
The species remains widespread, but genetic mixing with free-ranging domestic cats is eroding wild populations, particularly near settlements. Pure wild-type populations are increasingly restricted to remote areas.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Iberian Lynx
- The species was reduced to roughly one hundred individuals in two isolated populations in the early 2000s.
- Its recovery is one of the largest proportional improvements ever recorded for a wild cat.
- Underpasses and fencing along Spanish highways were built specifically to cut lynx road deaths.
African Wildcat
- All domestic cats descend from this species, not from the European wildcat.
- Wild individuals sit with a distinctly upright posture that helps separate them from feral tabbies.
- Genetic screening is now a standard part of conservation work, since appearance alone cannot confirm a pure wild animal.
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.
- Iberian Lynx Ex-situ Conservation Programme Annual census figures and reintroduction reporting for the Iberian lynx.
- LIFE Lynx-Connect (European Commission LIFE programme) Population recovery monitoring across Spain and Portugal.
- World Wildlife Fund Range descriptions, threat summaries and conservation programme reporting.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.