Cat with a Squirrel Tail, the Only Native Chinese Feline

Desert cats may not have been heard of by many people. As China's only native cat species, they only live in high-altitude mountainous areas. So far, most desert cats have been found in the Qilian Mountains.

Appearance characteristics

The weight of the desert cat is between 4.1 and 9 kg, second only to the rainforest cat. Its fur color is usually a sandy yellow tone, with relatively light shades, and it has several stripes on its face, but they are quite faint and not obvious. However, its round cheeks are very cute. The ear characteristics are similar to those of lynxes. Because the living environment is relatively open and spacious, the desert cat's ears are like lynxes—pointed (to expand hearing). Also, the longer tufts of fur on its ears are longer than those of other cats, which also confirms its nickname 'grass lynx'. The desert cat's tail is very distinctive, with a tail that accounts for 45% of its body length, and has obvious ring-shaped stripes. Although its tail is shorter than that of most cats, its fluffiness is comparable to that of a squirrel, and the thick tail is often used by the desert cat as a blanket.

Species behavior

Desert cats mainly eat highland rodents. They make a living by hunting mice and rabbits. Desert cats are standard nocturnal animals. They live regularly during the day and hunt at night. They usually choose natural caves as their homes, and caves are generally located in grasslands and shrublands for easy hunting.