Caracal caracal (Schreber, 1776).

A fairly large cat with a long slender body and long legs that averages about 80 cm head-and-body length; the tail is 22 cm. The coat is uniformly sandy brown on the back, white beneath; a blackish stripe runs from the nose through the inner corner of the eye to the forehead; the ears are tipped with distinctive black tufts 4-6 cm long. The Caracal lives in mountains and hilly desert, avoiding sandy areas. It is strictly carnivorous; its favored preys are the gazelles, hares, rodents, and birds. Although nocturnal, it is sometimes seen by day particularly in cooler portions of its range. After a gestation period of 69-78 days, 1-6 cubs are born. This beautiful animal is known in Egypt from parts of Sinai and the Eastern Desert, but like all the larger cats it is becomingly increasingly rare. Its worldwide range is across North Africa and southward to the Cape Province of South Africa. Eastward, it ranges through the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula as far as Iran and northern India.