Species comparison
Jungle Cat vs African Wildcat
A side-by-side look at Felis chaus and Felis lybica across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The jungle cat averages about 2 times the body mass of the african wildcat.
- Both species use agricultural mosaic and grassland.
- Their ranges both include Asia and Africa.
- Both are currently listed as Least Concern on the Red List.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Jungle Cat
Felis chaus
African Wildcat
Felis lybica
Jungle Cat
Felis
African Wildcat
Felis
Jungle Cat
Domestic cat lineage
African Wildcat
Domestic cat lineage
Jungle Cat
Small cats
African Wildcat
Small cats
Jungle Cat
Reed cat, Swamp cat
African Wildcat
Near Eastern wildcat, Asiatic wildcat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Jungle Cat
20 in – 3 ft 1 in (50–94 cm) Longer
African Wildcat
18 in – 2 ft 6 in (45–75 cm)
Jungle Cat
8 in – 14 in (20–36 cm)
African Wildcat
10 in – 15 in (25–38 cm) Longer
Jungle Cat
14 in – 15 in (35–38 cm) Taller
African Wildcat
13 in – 15 in (32–38 cm)
Jungle Cat
6.6–35 lb (3–16 kg) Heavier
Most adults fall between 4 and 8 kg; the largest records come from the north of the range.
African Wildcat
6.6–14 lb (3–6.5 kg)
Males average about a kilogram heavier than females.
Jungle Cat
Not reliably measured
Not 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.
Jungle Cat
10–12 years Longer
African Wildcat
8–12 years
Jungle Cat
15–20 years Longer
African Wildcat
15–17 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Jungle Cat
wetland, agricultural mosaic, grassland, dry forest
Reedbeds, marsh margins, tall grassland, riverine thickets and irrigated farmland; it avoids both rainforest and true desert.
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.
Jungle Cat
Asia, Africa
From Egypt and the Middle East through the Caucasus, Central Asia, India and Sri Lanka to southern China and mainland South East Asia.
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.
Jungle Cat
small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles
Rodents dominate, supplemented by waterbirds, fish, frogs, snakes and hares.
African Wildcat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Rodents form the great majority of the diet, with birds, lizards and insects making up the remainder.
Jungle Cat
Solitary
Solitary and territorial, though it is more visible than most small cats because it hunts in open cropland.
African Wildcat
Solitary
Solitary and territorial, though tolerant of human settlement — the same trait that started the domestication process.
Jungle Cat
Crepuscular and partly diurnal
Active around dawn and dusk with substantial daytime hunting, particularly in winter and in undisturbed areas.
African Wildcat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly active from dusk to dawn, resting by day in burrows, thickets and rock crevices.
Jungle Cat
Active search in dense vegetation
Moves steadily through reeds and crops, flushing rodents and birds, and will wade into shallow water after fish and frogs.
African Wildcat
Stalk and pounce on rodents
Hunts by walking slowly through cover, freezing at sounds and finishing with a short rush.
Jungle Cat
Capable
Climbs when needed but hunts almost entirely on the ground.
African Wildcat
Strong More developed
Climbs well and uses trees for escape and rest.
Jungle Cat
Strong More developed
Comfortable in water, swimming across channels and hunting in shallow marsh.
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.
Jungle Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2016
African Wildcat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2022
Jungle Cat
Decreasing
African Wildcat
Decreasing
Jungle Cat
Wetland drainage, Agricultural intensification, Killing near poultry, Road mortality, Poisoning of rodent prey
Still widespread, but wetland drainage, intensified agriculture and killing near poultry have caused declines in the western part of the range, especially in Egypt and the Middle East.
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.
Jungle Cat
- Mummified jungle cats have been recovered from ancient Egyptian tombs.
- It is the largest species in the genus that also contains the domestic cat.
- Kittens show faint stripes that fade almost completely in adults.
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.
- 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.