Young Baby Caracal Kittens

The caracal has a particularly close relationship with the African golden cat (Caracal aurata). These two species, together with the serval (Leptailurus serval), form one of the eight lineages of Felidae. It possibly diverged from the serval within the last five million years, around the split between the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras. In the past, the caracal was classified with either the Lynx or Felis genera. However, recent molecular evidence now supports a monophyletic genus.
Behavior
Caracals are nocturnal hunters. They are normally solitary animals, but some live in pairs. Social interactions usually occur only during mating. Caracals can purr, hiss, snarl, bark and growl. The caracal breeds throughout the year. Females have from one to six kittens per litter. The kittens become independent after about nine or ten months. The young then travel considerable distances to find and claim their own new territory. Females normally have one litter per year. In captivity, a caracal can live up to 16 years; in the wild, they live for 10 to 12 years. Females stay in one place to defend the territory, while males roam over larger areas. Both genders leave scent marks. The caracal's speed and agility makes them very good hunters; they are able to take down prey two to three times their size. Their powerful hind legs allow them to leap more than three metres (9.8 ft) into the air to catch birds on the wing. Caracals are primarily nocturnal, and occasionally arboreal although they usually stay on the ground.