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{{Short description|Small wild cat native to Southern Africa}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Black-footed cat
| image = Zoo_Wuppertal_Schwarzfusskatze.jpg
| status = VU
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref =<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Felis nigripes'' |author=Sliwa, A. |author2=Wilson, B. |author3=Küsters, M. |author4=Tordiffe, A. |date=2016 |article-number=e.T8542A177944648 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T8542A177944648.en |errata=2020 |access-date=15 January 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A1
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref =<ref name=iucn/>
| genus = Felis
| species = nigripes
| authority = [[William John Burchell|Burchell]], 1824
| range_map = Distribution of black-footed cat in Southern Africa.svg
| range_map_caption = Distribution of the black-footed cat in 2016<ref name=iucn />
}}

The '''black-footed cat''' ('''''Felis nigripes'''''), also called the '''small-spotted cat''', is the smallest wild [[Felis|cat]] in Africa, having a head-and-body length of {{cvt|35|-|52|cm}}. Despite its name, only the soles of its feet are black or dark brown. With its bold small spots and stripes on the tawny fur, it is well camouflaged, especially on moonlit nights. It bears black streaks running from the corners of the eyes along the cheeks, and its banded tail has a black tip.

The first black-footed cat known to science was discovered in the northern [[Karoo]] of South Africa and described in 1824. It is [[endemism|endemic]] to the [[arid]] steppes and grassland savannas of [[Southern Africa]]. It was recorded in southern Botswana, but only a few authentic records exist in Namibia, in southern Angola and in southern Zimbabwe. Due to its restricted distribution, it has been listed as a [[vulnerable species]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] since 2002. The population is suspected to be declining due to [[poaching]] of prey species for human consumption as [[bushmeat]], persecution, traffic accidents, and [[predation]] by herding dogs.

The black-footed cat has been studied using radio [[telemetry]] since 1993. This research allowed direct observation of its behaviour in its natural habitat. It usually rests in burrows during the day and hunts at night. It moves between {{cvt|5|and|16|km|0}} on average in search of small rodents and birds. It feeds on 40 different [[vertebrate]]s and kills up to 14 small animals per night. It can catch birds in flight, jumping up to {{cvt|1.4|m|ft|0}} high, and also attacks mammals and birds much heavier than itself. A female usually gives birth to two kittens during the [[Southern Hemisphere]] summer between October and March. They are weaned at the age of two months and become independent after four months of age at the latest.

==Taxonomy and phylogeny==
The [[binomial nomenclature|scientific name]] ''Felis nigripes'' was used by the British explorer [[William John Burchell]] in 1824 when he [[species description|described the species]] based on skins of small, spotted cats that he encountered near [[Dithakong|Litákun]] (now known as Dithakong), in South Africa.<ref name=Burchell1824>{{cite book |last1=Burchell |first1=W. J. |author-link=William John Burchell |title=Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa |volume=II |date=1824 |publisher=Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green |location=London |page=592 |chapter=''Felis nigripes'' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AGpdAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA592 |access-date=29 April 2020 |archive-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719111228/https://books.google.com/books?id=AGpdAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA592 |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Felis'' (''Microfelis'') ''nigripes thomasi'' was proposed as a [[subspecies]] by the South African mammalogist [[Guy C. Shortridge]] in 1931, who described black-footed cat skins collected in [[Griqualand West]] that were darker than those of the nominate subspecies.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shortridge |first1=G. C. |author-link=Guy C. Shortridge |date=1931 |title=''Felis'' (''Microfelis'') ''nigripes thomasi'' subsp. nov. |journal=Records of the Albany Museum |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=119–120}}</ref>
When the British zoologist [[Reginald Innes Pocock]] reviewed cat skins in the collection of the [[Natural History Museum, London]], he corroborated that the black-footed cat is a ''[[Felis]]'' species.<ref name=Pocock1951>{{cite book |last=Pocock |first=R. I. |date=1951 |title=Catalogue of the genus ''Felis'' |publisher=British Museum (Natural History) |location=London |chapter=''Felis nigripes'' Burchell |pages=145–150 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/catalogueofgenus00brit#page/145/mode/1up}}</ref>

The [[Valid name (zoology)|validity]] of a subspecies was doubted as no geographical barriers matching the observed differences exist between populations.<ref name="Olbricht97">{{cite journal |last1=Olbricht |first1=G. |last2=Sliwa |first2=A. |name-list-style=amp |date=1997 |title=''In situ'' and ''ex situ'' observations and management of black-footed cats ''Felis nigripes'' |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |volume=35 |issue=35 |pages=81–89 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1997.tb01194.x}}</ref> In 2017, the [[IUCN]] Cat Specialist Group revised felid taxonomy and noted that the black-footed cat is most probably a [[monotypic]] species.<ref name="CatSG2017">{{cite journal |last1=Kitchener |first1=A. C. |last2=Breitenmoser-Würsten |first2=C. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Gentry |first4=A. |last5=Werdelin |first5=L. |last6=Wilting |first6=A. |last7=Yamaguchi |first7=N. |last8=Abramov |first8=A. V. |last9=Christiansen |first9=P. |last10=Driscoll |first10=C. |last11=Duckworth |first11=J. W. |last12=Johnson |first12=W. |last13=Luo |first13=S.-J. |last14=Meijaard |first14=E. |last15=O'Donoghue |first15=P. |last16=Sanderson |first16=J. |last17=Seymour |first17=K. |last18=Bruford |first18=M. |last19=Groves |first19=C. |last20=Hoffmann |first20=M. |last21=Nowell |first21=K. |last22=Timmons |first22=Z. |last23=Tobe |first23=S. |name-list-style=amp |date=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |page=13 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=16 March 2019 |archive-date=30 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730142355/https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Phylogeny and evolution ===
[[Phylogenetic]] analysis of the [[nuclear DNA]] from all [[Felidae]] species revealed that their [[evolutionary radiation]] began in Asia in the [[Miocene]] around {{Ma|14.45|8.38|million years ago|error=|round=2}}.<ref name="Johnson2006">{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=W. E. |last2=Eizirik |first2=E. |last3=Pecon-Slattery |first3=J. |last4=Murphy |first4=W. J. |last5=Antunes |first5=A. |last6=Teeling |first6=E. |last7=O'Brien |first7=S. J. |name-list-style=amp |title=The late miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=311 |issue=5757 |pages=73–77 |date=2006 |pmid=16400146 |doi=10.1126/science.1122277 |bibcode=2006Sci...311...73J |s2cid=41672825 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |access-date=29 August 2020 |archive-date=4 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004075725/https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Werdelin2010">{{cite book |last1=Werdelin |first1=L. |last2=Yamaguchi |first2=N. |last3=Johnson |first3=W. E. |last4=O'Brien |first4=S. J. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae) |date=2010 |pages=59–82 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-19-923445-5 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266755142 |editor1-last=Macdonald |editor1-first=D. W. |editor2-last=Loveridge |editor2-first=A. J. |title=Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=25 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925141956/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266755142 |url-status=live }}</ref> Analysis of [[mitochondrial DNA]] of all Felidae species indicates that they radiated at around {{mya|16.76|6.46}}.<ref name="Li_al2016">{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=G. |last2=Davis |first2=B. W. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Murphy |first4=W. J. |name-list-style=amp |date=2016 |title=Phylogenomic evidence for ancient hybridization in the genomes of living cats (Felidae) |journal=Genome Research |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1101/gr.186668.114 |pmid=26518481 |pmc=4691742}}</ref>

The black-footed cat is part of an [[evolution]]ary [[Lineage (evolution)|lineage]] that is estimated to have [[Genetic divergence|genetically diverged]] from the [[common ancestor]] of all ''Felis'' species around {{mya|4.44|2.16}}, based on analysis of their nuclear DNA.<ref name="Johnson2006" /><ref name="Werdelin2010" /> Analysis of their mitochondrial DNA indicates a genetic divergence of ''Felis'' species at around {{Ma|6.52|1.03|million years ago|error=|round=2}}.<ref name="Li_al2016" /> Both models agree on the [[jungle cat]] (''F. chaus'') having been the first ''Felis'' species that diverged, followed by the black-footed cat.<ref name="Johnson2006" /><ref name="Li_al2016" />

Fossil remains of the black-footed cat have not been found.<ref name="Werdelin2010" /> It possibly migrated during the [[Pleistocene]] into Africa.<ref name="Johnson2006" /> This migration was possibly facilitated by extended periods of low sea levels between Asia and Africa.<ref name="Li_al2016" />

The following [[cladogram]] shows the phylogenetic relationships of the black-footed cat as derived through analysis of nuclear DNA:<ref name="Johnson2006" /><ref name="Werdelin2010" />
{{cladogram |align=left |style=font-size:90%;line-height:100%;width:500px;
 |cladogram={{clade |label1=Felidae
 |1={{clade |label1=[[Felinae]]
   |1={{clade
    |1={{clade
     |1={{clade |label1=''Felis''
       |1={{clade
        |1={{clade
         |1={{clade
           |1={{clade
             |1={{clade
              |1={{clade
               |1=[[Domestic cat]] (''F. catus'')
               |2=[[European wildcat]] (''F. silvestris'')
                   }}
              |2={{clade
               |1=[[African wildcat]] (''F. lybica'')
               |2=[[Chinese mountain cat]] (''F. bieti'')
                   }}}}
             |2=[[Sand cat]] (''F. margarita'')
                }}
          |2='''Black-footed cat'''
              }}
         |2=[[Jungle cat]] (''F. chaus'')
             }}}}
      |2=other Felinae lineages
       }}}}}}
  |2=[[Pantherinae]]
}}}}}}
{{clear}}

==Characteristics==
{{multiple image |direction=vertical |image1=Black_Footed_Cat.jpg |caption1=A black-footed cat at the Cincinnati Zoo |image2=BlackFootedCat57.jpg |caption2=Its body is covered with dark spots and stripes.}}
The black-footed cat has [[Tawny (color)|tawny]] fur that is entirely covered with black spots. Its head is darker than the rest of the body but paler above the eyes. Its whiskers are white, and its ears bear grizzled dark brown hairs. On the neck and back, some spots are elongated into stripes. The spots form transverse stripes on the shoulders. The forelegs and the hind legs bear irregular stripes. Its tail is confusedly spotted. The underparts of the feet are black or dark brown.<ref name=Burchell1824/><ref name=skinner>{{cite book |editor1-last=Skinner |editor1-first=J. D. |editor2-last=Chimimba |editor2-first=C. T. |title=The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion |date=2005 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cape Town |edition=3rd |isbn=978-0-521-84418-5 |last=Mills |first=M. G. L. |chapter=''Felis nigripes'' Burchell, 1824 (Black-footed cat) |pages=405–408 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iqwEYkTDZf4C&pg=PA405}}</ref> The throat rings form black semi-circles that vary in colour from dusky brown to pale [[rufous]] and are narrowly edged with rufous. Some individuals have a pure white belly with a tawny tinge where it blends into the tawny colour of the flanks.<ref name="Smithers1971">{{cite book |last=Smithers |first=R. N. H. |date=1971 |title=The Mammals of Botswana |location=Pretoria |publisher=University of Pretoria |chapter=''Felis nigripes'' Blackfooted Cat |pages=128–130}}</ref> The ears, eyes and mouth are lined with pale off-white.<ref name=Sliwa2013>{{cite book |last=Sliwa |first=A. |date=2013 |title=Mammals of Africa |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-4081-8994-8 |editor1-last=Kingdon |editor1-first=J. |volume=V. Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses |location=London, New Delhi, New York, Sydney |pages=203–206 |chapter=''Felis nigripes'' Black-footed cat |editor2-last=Happold |editor2-first=D. |editor3-last=Hoffmann |editor3-first=M. |editor4-last=Butynski |editor4-first=T. |editor5-last=Happold |editor5-first=M. |editor6-last=Kalina |editor6-first=J. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B_07noCPc4kC&pg=RA4-PA205}}</ref> Two black streaks run from the corners of the eyes across the cheeks. Individuals vary in background colour from sandy and pale [[ochre]] to dark ochre.<ref name=Guggisberg1975>{{Cite book |last=Guggisberg |first=C. A. W. |title=Wild Cats of the World |year=1975 |publisher=Taplinger Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8008-8324-9 |chapter=Black-footed Cat ''Felis nigripes'' (Burchell, 1842) |pages=40–42}}</ref>
In the northern part of its range, it is lighter than in the southern part, where its spots and bands are more clearly defined. The three rings on the throat are reddish brown to black, with the third ring broken in some individuals.<ref name=Pocock1951/><ref name=skinner/>
The black bands are broad on the upper legs and become narrower towards the paws. The {{cvt|25|to|30|mm|1}} long [[guard hair]]s are gray at the base and have either white or dark tips. The underfur is dense with short and wavy hair.<ref name=skinner/> The fur becomes thicker and longer during winter.<ref name=Sliwa2013/>
The pupils of the eyes contract to a vertical slit, like in all ''Felis'' species.<ref name=Pocock1951/> They are light green to dark yellow.<ref name=Sliwa2013/>

The black-footed cat is the smallest cat species in Africa.<ref name=Guggisberg1975/><ref name=skinner/><ref name=WCoW>{{cite book |last1=Sunquist |first1=M. |last2=Sunquist |first2=F. |name-list-style=amp |date=2002 |chapter=Black-footed cat ''Felis nigripes'' (Burchell, 1824) |title=Wild Cats of the World |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |pages=75–82 |isbn=0-226-77999-8 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA75 |access-date=8 January 2024 |archive-date=21 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221180121/https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA75 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=ms>{{cite journal |last1=Renard |first1=A. |last2=Lavoie |first2=M. |last3=Pitt |first3=J. A. |last4=Larivière |first4=S. |name-list-style=amp |title=''Felis nigripes'' (Carnivora: Felidae) |journal=Mammalian Species |date=2015 |volume=47 |issue=925 |pages=78–83 |doi=10.1093/mspecies/sev008 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Females measure {{cvt|33.7|-|36.8|cm}} in head and body length with a {{cvt|15.7|to|17|cm}} long tail. Males are between {{cvt|42.5|and|50|cm}} with a {{cvt|15|-|20|cm|0}} long tail. Its tapering tail is about half the length of the head and body.<ref name=Guggisberg1975/>
Its [[skull]] is short and round with a basal length of {{cvt|77|-|87|mm}} and a width of {{cvt|38|-|40|mm}}. The [[ear canal]] and the openings of the ears are larger than in most ''Felis'' species. The [[cheek teeth]] are {{cvt|22|-|23|mm}} long and the upper [[carnassial]]s {{cvt|10|mm|1}} long.<ref name=Pocock1951/>
It has small pointed ears ranging from {{cvt|45|to|50|mm}} in females and {{cvt|46|to|57|mm}} in males. The hindfoot of females measures maximum {{cvt|95|mm}} and of males maximum {{cvt|105|mm}}.<ref name=Smithers1971/><ref name=skinner/>
Its shoulder height is less than {{cvt|25|cm}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Pringle, J.A. |year=1977 |title=The distribution of mammals in Natal. Part 2. Carnivora |journal=Annals of the Natal Museum |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=93–115 |url=https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/annals/23/1/588.pdf}}</ref>
Females weigh {{cvt|1.1|-|1.65|kg}} and males {{cvt|1.6|-|2.45|kg}}.<ref name=Sliwa2004>{{cite journal |last=Sliwa |first=A. |date=2004 |title=Home range size and social organization of black-footed cats (''Felis nigripes'') |journal=Mammalian Biology |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=96–107 |doi=10.1078/1616-5047-00124}}</ref><ref name=Sliwa2013/>

The [[African wildcat]] (''Felis lybica'') is almost three times as large as the black-footed cat, has longer legs, a longer tail and mostly plain grey fur with less distinct markings. The [[serval]] (''Leptailurus serval'') resembles the black-footed cat in coat colour and pattern, but has proportionately larger ears, longer legs and a longer tail.<ref name=Hunter>{{cite book |last=Hunter |first=L. |title=Wild Cats of the World |date=2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-1-4729-2285-4 |pages=30–33 |chapter=Black-footed Cat |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hzNBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA30 |access-date=5 November 2020 |archive-date=8 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108130911/https://books.google.com/books?id=hzNBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA30#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
The black-footed cat is [[endemic]] to Southern Africa; its distribution is much more restricted than other small cats in this region.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nowell |first1=K. |last2=Jackson |first2=P. |name-list-style=amp |date=1996 |title=Wild Cats Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |location=Gland, Switzerland |publisher=IUCN Cat specialist Group |pages=8–10 |chapter=Black-footed cat, ''Felis nigripes'' Burchell, 1824}}</ref> Its range extends from South Africa northward into southern Botswana, where it was recorded in the late 1960s.<ref name=Smithers1971/> It has also been recorded in Namibia, extreme southern Angola and southern Zimbabwe. It is unlikely to occur in Lesotho and Eswatini.<ref name=iucn/> It inhabits open, arid [[savanna]]s and semi-arid [[shrubland]] in the [[Karoo]] and the southwestern [[Kalahari]] with short grasses, low bush cover, and scattered clumps of low bush and higher grasses.<ref name=Smithers1971/> The mean annual [[precipitation]] in this region ranges from {{cvt|100|to|500|mm}}.<ref name=skinner/><ref name=Sliwa2013/>
In the [[Drakensberg]] area, it was recorded at an elevation of {{cvt|2000|m|ft|-2}}.<ref name=skinner/>

==Behaviour and ecology==
[[File:Blackfooted2.jpg|thumb|An adult black-footed cat resting]]
[[File:Suspicious Black-Footed Cat.jpg|thumb|A black-footed cat under cover]]
The black-footed cat is [[nocturnal]] and usually solitary, except when females care for dependent kittens.<ref name=Smithers1971/><ref name=Sliwa2004/> It spends the day resting in hollow [[termite]] mounds and dense cover in unoccupied [[burrow]]s of [[South African springhare]] (''Pedetes capensis''), [[aardvark]] (''Orycteropus afer''), and [[Cape porcupine]] (''Hystrix africaeaustralis''). It digs vigorously to extend or modify these burrows for shelter. After sunset, it emerges to hunt.<ref name=Olbricht97/> It seeks refuge at the slightest disturbance and often uses termite mounds for cover or for bearing its young. When cornered, it defends itself fiercely. Due to this habit and its courage, it is called {{lang|af|miershooptier}} in parts of the South African Karoo, meaning 'anthill tiger'. A [[San people|San]] legend claims that a black-footed cat can kill a [[giraffe]] by piercing its [[jugular]]. This exaggeration is intended to emphasize its bravery and tenacity.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sliwa |first=A. |date=November 2006 |title=Atomic Kitten: the secrets of Africa's black-footed cat |magazine=BBC Wildlife |volume=24 |issue=12 |pages=36–40}}</ref>

Unlike most other cats, it is a poor climber, as its stocky body and short tail are thought not to be conducive for climbing trees.<ref name=Armstrong1977>{{cite book |last=Armstrong |first=J. |date=1977 |chapter=The development and hand-rearing of black-footed cats |pages=71–80 |title=The World's Cats: The Proceedings of an International Symposium |volume=3 |issue=3 |editor-last=Eaton |editor-first=R. L. |publisher=Winston Wildlife Safari |location=Oregon}}</ref> However, one black-footed cat was observed and photographed resting in the lower branches of a camelthorn tree (''[[Vachellia erioloba]]'').<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sliwa |first=A. |date=2013 |title=Black-footed Lightning |magazine=Africa Geographic |issue=June |pages=27–31}}</ref>

A female roams in an average [[home range]] of {{cvt|6.23|-|15.53|km2}} in a year, and a resident male in an area of {{cvt|19.44|-|23.61|km2}}. The range of an adult male overlaps the ranges of one to four females. It uses [[scent marking]] throughout its range.<ref name=Sliwa2004/> Receptive females were observed [[Spraying (animal behavior)|spraying urine]] up to 41 times in a stretch of {{cvt|685|m|-1}}. They sprayed less frequently during pregnancy.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Molteno, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Sliwa, A. |author3=Richardson, P. R. K. |title=The role of scent marking in a free-ranging, female black-footed cat (''Felis nigripes'') |journal=Journal of Zoology |date=1998 |volume=245 |issue=1 |pages=35–41 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1998.tb00069.x |doi-access=free}}</ref> Other forms of scent marking include [[scent rubbing|rubbing]] objects, raking with claws, and depositing [[faeces]] in visible locations. Its calls are louder than those of other cats of its size, presumably to allow calls to be heard over relatively large distances. When close to each other, however, it uses quieter purrs or gurgles; when threatened, it hisses and growls.<ref name=Sliwa2004/> Adults move an average of {{cvt|8.42|±|2.09|km}} per night in search of prey.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sliwa |first1=A. |last2=Herbst |first2=M. |last3=Mills |first3=M. |name-list-style=amp |date=2010 |chapter=Black-footed cats (''Felis nigripes'') and African wild cats (''Felis silvestris''): A comparison of two small felids from South African arid lands |pages=537–558 |editor1-last=Macdonald |editor1-first=D. |editor2-last=Loveridge |editor2-first=A. |title=The Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-959283-8}}</ref>
It is difficult to survey because of its highly secretive nature; moreover, it tends to move fast without using roads or tracks like other cats. In South Africa, a density of {{cvt|0.17|/sqkm}} was estimated in Benfontein near [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]] during 1998 to 1999, that fell to {{cvt|0.08|/sqkm|1}} during 2005 to 2014. Farther south, in the Nuwejaarsfontein area, the estimated number of individuals during 2009 to 2014 was {{cvt|0.06|/sqkm}}. These were probably exceptionally high densities, as both areas feature good weather and management conditions, while the number of individuals in less favourable habitats could be closer to {{cvt|0.03|/sqkm|2}}.<ref name=iucn/>

===Hunting and diet===
[[File:Wuppertal - Zoo - Felis nigripes 01 ies.jpg|thumb|A captive black-footed cat with a [[mouse]]]]
The black-footed cat hunts at night irrespective of the weather, at temperatures from {{cvt|-10|to|35|C|F}}. It attacks its prey from the rear, puts its forepaws on its flanks and grounds the prey using its [[dewclaw]]s. It employs three different ways of hunting: "fast hunt", "slow hunt", and "sit and wait" hunt. In a fast hunt, it moves at a speed of {{cvt|2|to|3|km/h}} and chases prey out of vegetation cover. During a slow hunt, it stalks the prey at a speed of {{cvt|0.5|to|0.8|km/h|1}}, meandering cautiously through the grass and vigilantly checking its surroundings while turning its head side to side.<ref name=Olbricht97/> It moves between {{cvt|5|and|16|km|0}} on average in search of small rodents and birds, mostly moving in small circles and zig-zagging among bushes and [[termite]] mounds.<ref name=Sliwa94>{{cite journal |last=Sliwa |first=A. |date=1994 |title=Diet and feeding behaviour of the Black-footed Cat (''Felis nigripes'' Burchell, 1824) in the Kimberley Region, South Africa |journal=Der Zoologische Garten N.F. |volume=64 |issue=2 |pages=83–96}}</ref> In a "sit and wait" hunt, it waits for the prey motionlessly in front of a [[rodent]] den, sometimes with closed eyes. Its ears keep moving, and it opens the eyes as soon as it hears a sound.<ref name=Olbricht97/>

Due to its small size, the black-footed cat hunts mainly small prey such as [[rodent]]s and small birds, but also preys on [[Cape hare]] (''Lepus capensis''), being heavier than itself. Its [[Metabolism|energy requirement]] is very high, with about {{cvt|250|to|300|g|0}} of prey consumed per night, which is about a sixth of its average body weight.<ref name=Sliwa1994>{{cite journal |last=Sliwa |first=A. |date=1994 |title=Black-footed cat studies in South Africa |journal=Cat News |issue=20 |pages=15–19}}</ref>
It is able to satisfy its daily water requirements through its prey, but drinks water when available.<ref name=Sliwa2013/>

Black-footed cats have been observed to attempt catching 10 vertebrates in five hours of hunting, with a mean of six successful attempts.<ref name=Olbricht97/>
In 1993, a female and a male black-footed cat were followed for 622 hours and observed hunting. They caught vertebrates every 50 minutes and killed up to 14 small animals in a night. They killed [[shrew]]s and rodents by a bite in the neck or in the head and consumed them completely. They stalked birds quietly, followed by a quick chase and a jump up to a height of {{cvt|1.4|m}} and over a distance of {{cvt|2|m}}, also catching some in the air. They pulled them down to the ground and consumed small birds like [[Cape clapper lark]] (''Mirafra apiata'') and [[spike-heeled lark]] (''Chersomanes albofasciata'') without plucking. They plucked large birds like [[northern black korhaan]] (''Afrotis afraoides''), ate for several hours, [[Cache (biology)|cached]] the remains in hollows and covered them with sand.<ref name=Sliwa94/> [[Neonate]] [[springbok]] (''Antidorcas marsupialis'') lambs keep hiding quietly in a hollow or under a bush for the first few days of their lives.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bigalke, R.C. |year=1972 |title=Observations on the behaviour and feeding habits of the springbok, ''Antidorcas marsupialis'' |journal=African Zoology |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=333–359 |doi=10.1080/00445096.1972.11447448 |url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/az/article/download/151186/140764 |doi-access=free |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727012956/https://www.ajol.info/index.php/az/article/download/151186/140764 |url-status=live}}</ref> A male pounced on a lamb resting in the grass, but abandoned the hunt after the lamb got up on its feet. It later [[scavenger|scavenged]] the carcass of a recently deceased lamb weighing nearly {{cvt|3|kg}}. It consumed around {{cvt|120|g|lb}} meat in each of several bouts of eating, starting from the thighs, making its way from the lower back through the flanks to the neck; later it opened up the chest and fed on the inner organs. [[Insect]]s like [[harvester termites]], [[grasshopper]]s and [[moth]]s constituted about 2% of the prey mass consumed.<ref name=Sliwa94/>
Altogether 54 prey species of the black-footed cat were identified, with the [[gerbil mouse]] (''Malacothrix typica'') being among its most important prey. Its average prey weighs {{cvt|24.1|g}} with small mammals constituting the most important prey class, followed by larger mammals weighing more than {{cvt|100|g}} and small birds.<ref name=Sliwa2006>{{cite journal |last=Sliwa |first=A. |date=2006 |title=Seasonal and sex-specific prey composition of black-footed cats ''Felis nigripes'' |journal=Acta Theriologica |volume=51 |pages=195–204 |issue=2 |doi=10.1007/BF03192671 |s2cid=46729038}}</ref>

===Reproduction and life cycle===
In captivity, male black-footed cats become [[sexually mature]] at the age of nine months, and females at the age of seven months.<ref name="Olbricht97"/> Their [[oestrus]] lasts around 36 hours, and [[gestation]] lasts 63 to 68 days.<ref name=Leyhausen>{{cite journal |last1=Leyhausen |first1=P. |last2=Tonkin |first2=B. |name-list-style=amp |date=1966 |title=Breeding the black-footed cat (''Felis nigripes'') in captivity |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=178–182 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1966.tb01744.x}}</ref> The female gives birth to up to two [[Litter (animal)|litter]]s per year during the Southern Hemisphere summer between October and March. The litter size is usually one or two kittens, in rare cases also four kittens.<ref name=Olbricht97/>

Wild female black-footed cats observed in the wild were [[receptive to mating]] for only five to ten hours, requiring males to locate them quickly. Males fight for access to the female. Copulation occurs nearly every twenty to fifty minutes.<ref name=Sliwa2004/>

Kittens weigh {{cvt|60|to|93|g}} at birth; they are born blind and relatively helpless, although they are able to crawl after just a few hours. Their eyes open at three to ten days, and their [[deciduous teeth]] break through at the age of two to three weeks. Within one month, they take solid food, and are [[Weaning|weaned]] at the age of two months. Their permanent teeth erupt at the age of 148 to 158 days.<ref name=Olbricht97/>

Captive females were observed trying to shift their kittens to a new hiding place every six to ten days after a week of their birth, much more frequently than other small cats. They are able to walk within two weeks and start climbing at three weeks.<ref name=Leyhausen/> In the wild, kittens are born in South African springhare burrows or hollow termite mounds. From the age of four days onward, the mother leaves her kittens alone for up to 10 hours during nights. At the age of six weeks, they can move fast and frequently leave the den. Kittens and independent subadults are at the risk of falling prey to other carnivores such as [[black-backed jackal]] (''Canis mesomelas''), [[caracal]] (''Caracal caracal'') and nocturnal [[Raptor (bird)|raptors]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Sliwa, A. |year=1996 |title=Pleasures and Worries of a Black-Footed Cat Field Study in South Africa |journal=Cat Times |volume=23 |pages=1–3}}</ref> They become independent after three to four months and tend to stay within their mother's home range. Captive black-footed cats can live for up to 15 years and three months.<ref name=Sliwa2013/>

===Diseases===
Both captive and free-ranging black-footed cats exhibit a high prevalence of [[AA amyloidosis]], which causes chronic [[Inflammation|inflammatory]] processes and usually culminates in [[kidney failure]] and death.<ref name=Olbricht97/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Terio |first1=K.A. |last2=O'Brien |first2=T. |last3=Lamberski |first3=N. |last4=Famula |first4=T. R. |last5=Munson |first5=L. |name-list-style=amp |date=2008 |title=Amyloidosis in black-footed cats (''Felis nigripes'') |journal=Veterinary Pathology Online |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=393–400 |doi=10.1354/vp.45-3-393 |pmid=18487501 |s2cid=43387363 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Wild black-footed cats are susceptible to transmission of infectious diseases from domestic dogs and cats.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lamberski |first1=N. |last2=Sliwa |first2=A. |last3=Wilson |first3=B. |last4=Herrick |first4=J. |last5=Lawrenz |first5=A. |name-list-style=amp |date=2009 |chapter=Conservation of black-footed cats (''Felis nigripes'') and prevalence of infectious diseases in sympatric carnivores in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa |pages=243–245 |editor1=Wibbelt, G. |editor2=Kretzschmar, P. |editor3=Hofer, H. |editor4=Seet, S. |title=Proceedings of the International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals 2009: May 20th – 24th, 2009, Beekse Bergen |publisher=Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung |location=Berlin}}</ref>

== Threats ==
Known threats include methods of indiscriminate predator control, such as bait poisoning and steel-jaw traps, [[habitat destruction]] from [[overgrazing]], declining South African springhare populations, [[intraguild predation]], diseases, and unsuitable farming practices. Several black-footed cats have been killed by [[herding dog]]s. The majority of protected areas may be too small to adequately conserve viable sub-populations.<ref name=iucn />

== Conservation ==
The black-footed cat is listed on [[CITES Appendix I]] and is protected throughout most of its range including Botswana and South Africa, where hunting is illegal.<ref name=iucn />

=== Field research ===
The Black-footed Cat Working Group carries out a research project at Benfontein Nature Reserve and Nuwejaarsfontein Farm near [[Kimberley, Northern Cape]].<ref>{{cite report |last1=Sliwa |first1=A. |last2=Wilson |first2=B. |last3=Lawrenz |first3=A. |name-list-style=amp |date=2010 |title=Report on surveying and catching black-footed cats (''Felis nigripes'') on Nuwejaarsfontein Farm / Benfontein Nature Reserve, 4–20 July 2010 |publisher=Black-footed Cat Working Group |url=http://koelnerzoo.de/images/pdf/Zeitschriften/Sliwa_Wilson_Report_SA_2010.pdf |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727005227/http://koelnerzoo.de/images/pdf/Zeitschriften/Sliwa_Wilson_Report_SA_2010.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2012, this project was extended to Biesiesfontein Farm located in the [[Victoria West]] area.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Sliwa |first1=A. |last2=Wilson |first2=B. |last3=Lamberski |first3=N. |last4=Lawrenz |first4=A. |name-list-style=amp |date=2013 |title=Report on surveying, catching and monitoring black-footed cats (''Felis nigripes'') on Benfontein Nature Reserve, Nuwejaarsfontein Farm, and Biesiesfontein in 2012 |publisher=Black-footed Cat Working Group |url=http://koelnerzoo.de/images/pdf/Zeitschriften/Sliwa_Wilson_Report_SA_2012.pdf |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727000718/http://koelnerzoo.de/images/pdf/Zeitschriften/Sliwa_Wilson_Report_SA_2012.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Between 1992 and 2018, 65 black-footed cats were [[Radio telemetry|radio-collared]] and followed for extended periods to improve the understanding about their social organisation, sizes and use of their home ranges, hunting behaviour and composition of their diet.<ref>{{cite book |author=Sliwa, A. |year=2018 |pages=7–8 |chapter=25 years of Black-footed Cat ''Felis nigripes'' field research and conservation |title=Proceedings of the First International Small Wild Cat Conservation Summit, 11–14 September 2017, United Kingdom |editor1=Appel, A. |editor2=Mukherjee, S. |editor3=Cheyne, S. M. |publisher=Wild Cat Network, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Borneo Nature Foundation |location=Bad Marienberg, Germany; Coimbatore, India; Oxford, United Kingdom}}</ref>
[[Camera trap]]s are used to monitor the behaviour of radio-collared black-footed cats and their interaction with [[Aardwolf|aardwolves]] (''Proteles cristatus'').<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sliwa |first1=A. |last2=Wilson |first2=B. |last3=Lawrenz |first3=A. |last4=Lamberski |first4=N. |last5=Herrick |first5=J. |last6=Küsters |first6=M. |name-list-style=amp |title=Camera trap use in the study of black-footed cats (''Felis nigripes'') |journal=African Journal of Ecology |date=2018 |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=895–897 |doi=10.1111/aje.12564 |s2cid=92801273 |doi-access= |bibcode=2018AfJEc..56..895S}}</ref>

=== In captivity ===
The [[Wuppertal Zoo]] acquired black-footed cats in 1957, and succeeded in breeding them in 1963. In 1993, the [[European Endangered Species Programme]] was formed to coordinate which animals are best suited for pairing to maintain genetic diversity and to avoid inbreeding. The ''International Studbook for the Black-footed Cat'' was kept in the Wuppertal Zoo in Germany.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Olbricht |first1=G. |last2=Schürer |first2=U. |name-list-style=amp |date=1994 |title=International Studbook for the Black-footed Cat 1994 |publisher=Zoologischer Garten der Stadt Wuppertal}}</ref> {{as of|2011|July}}, detailed records existed for a total of 726 captive cats since 1964; worldwide, 74 individuals were kept in 23 institutions in Germany, United Arab Emirates, US, UK, and South Africa.<ref>{{cite book |last=Stadler |first=A. |date=2011 |title=International studbook for the black-footed cat (''Felis nigripes'') |volume=15 |publisher=Zoologischer Garten der Stadt Wuppertal}}</ref>

Several zoos reported breeding successes, including [[Cleveland Metroparks Zoo]],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Cleveland Metroparks Zoo |date=2012 |url=http://www.clemetzoo.com/whats_new/new_animals.asp |title=Press Release: Animal News: Second Litter of Black Footed Cats |archive-date=20 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920181420/http://www.clemetzoo.com/whats_new/new_animals.asp}}</ref> [[Fresno Chaffee Zoo]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Condoian |first=L. |date=2011 |title=General Meeting of the Board of Directors |work=FresnoChaffeeZoo.org |publisher=Fresno Chaffee Zoo Corporation |url=http://www.fresnochaffeezoo.org/pdf/2011-0609minutes.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114152306/http://www.fresnochaffeezoo.org/pdf/2011-0609minutes.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2011}}</ref> [[Brookfield Zoo]],<ref>{{cite web |author=Katzen, S. |website=Chicago Zoological Society |date=2012 |title=Black-footed cats born: A first at Brookfield Zoo |url=http://www.czs.org/CZS/About-CZS/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Black-Footed-Cats-Born-A-First-at-Brookfield-Zoo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331001315/http://www.czs.org/CZS/About-CZS/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Black-Footed-Cats-Born-A-First-at-Brookfield-Zoo |archive-date=31 March 2012}}</ref> and [[Philadelphia Zoo]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/indulge/index.ssf/2014/06/philadelphia_zoo_visitors_paws_to_gush_over_black-footed_cat_kittens.html |title=Philadelphia Zoo visitors 'paws' to gush over black-footed cat kittens |first=K. |last=Rearick |work=South Jersey Times |date=2014 |access-date=10 June 2014 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714112337/http://www.nj.com/indulge/index.ssf/2014/06/philadelphia_zoo_visitors_paws_to_gush_over_black-footed_cat_kittens.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Audubon Nature Institute]]'s Center for Research of Endangered Species is working on advanced genetics involving cats.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jeffries |first=A. |date=2013 |title=Where cats glow green: Weird feline science in New Orleans |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/11/6/4841714/where-cats-glow-green-weird-feline-science-acres-in-new-orleans |access-date=30 August 2017 |archive-date=21 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121071408/https://www.theverge.com/2013/11/6/4841714/where-cats-glow-green-weird-feline-science-acres-in-new-orleans |url-status=live }}</ref> In February 2011, a female kept there gave birth to two male kittens – the first black-footed cats to be born as a result of [[In vitro fertilization|{{lang|la|nocat=y|in vitro}} fertilization]] using frozen and thawed [[sperm]] and frozen and thawed [[embryo]]s. In 2003, the sperm was collected from a male and then frozen. It was used to fertilize an egg in 2005, creating embryos that were thawed and transferred to a surrogate female in December 2010. The female carried the embryos to term and gave birth to two kittens.<ref>{{cite web |last=Burnette |first=S. |date=2011 |url=http://www.auduboninstitute.org/media/audubonheadlines/rare-cats-born-through-amazing-science |title=Rare cats born through amazing science at Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species |work=AudubonInstitute.org |publisher=Audubon Nature Institute |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218041529/http://www.auduboninstitute.org/media/releases/rare-cats-born-through-amazing-science |archive-date=2014-02-18 }}</ref> The same center reported that on 6 February 2012, a female black-footed cat kitten, Crystal, was born to a domestic cat [[Surrogate mother|surrogate]] after interspecies [[embryo transfer]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Waller |first=M. |date=2012 |title=Audubon center in Algiers logs another breakthrough in genetic engineering of endangered cats |work=NOLA.com |publisher=New Orleans Net |url=http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/03/audubon_center_in_algiers_logs.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120235949/http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/03/audubon_center_in_algiers_logs.html |archive-date=2018-01-20 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Felis nigripes}}
{{Commons category|Felis nigripes}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.black-footed-cat.wild-cat.org/ |title=Black-footed Cat Working Group |work=Wild Cat Network}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=105 |work=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |title=''Felis nigripes''}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/felinigr.htm |work=Animal Info |title=''Felis nigripes''}}
*{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl8o9PsJPAQ&ab_channel=NatureonPBS |work=Nature on PBS |title=''Documentary: Meet the Deadliest Cat on the Planet''|date=25 October 2018 }}
*{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxFGkfYeUeA |work=Wildlife Wonder |title=''Documentary: Black-footed cats''|date=18 May 2015 }}

{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q204814}}

[[Category:Felis|black-footed cat]]
[[Category:Felids of Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Southern Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Botswana]]
[[Category:Mammals of Namibia]]
[[Category:Mammals of South Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1824|black-footed cat]]
[[Category:Taxa named by William John Burchell]]