The geography we live in is truly a magnificent place. Thousands of volumes could be written about the creatures living in this region alone. One of these creatures is the reed cat, also known as the reed cat. The reed cat is slightly larger than the lynx, but slightly larger than the domestic cats we keep at home. If you get a chance to see it without being hidden in the bushes, you will realize how cute it is.
The reed cat is cute, but a wild animal and an extremely powerful hunter. Unfortunately, this interesting creature is in danger of extinction, although it does no harm to the region it is in and the people living in that region, except for small hunts. Yes, we are guilty again. Let’s take a closer look at the interesting information that should be known about the reed cat, which we may not see again in a short time.
Interesting facts about the reed cat:
- Like the cat we know, but never as we know it.
- Hunts alone, no one escapes.
- The reed cat is an excellent swimmer.
- It lives in a very wide geography.
- The reed cat changes the fate of the area it hunts.
- Communicates only to reproduce.
- It’s been a while since the last reed cat was seen.
Like the cat we know but never like we know:
Wild as well as cute, reed cats can have a horizontal length of 70 – 120 cm, and a vertical length of 35 – 38 cm. Their weight can range from 4 to 16 kilograms. Male reed cats are larger than females. It has long, slender legs, it is gray in color, each individual has different stripes on its legs, its ears are long and its tip is tasseled, its tail is relatively short, and its eyes can be yellow or green in color.
The images, weights and heights of reed cats vary according to the region they live in. A reed cat, which lives for an average of 12-14 years, can even survive 20 years if it is comfortable in the area it lives in. If it can live and hunt comfortably without danger of becoming prey, it can grow quite large. The reed cat is generally gray with black stripes, but gray colors have also been seen in some subspecies.
It hunts alone, no one escapes:
Well, like many felines, the reed cat prefers to hunt or even live alone. Although it prefers to hunt at night, it chooses to be active during the daytime to sunbathe, especially in winter. It has a very extensive menu on hunting.
Reed cats can generally hunt anything weighing less than 1 kilogram. Therefore, their first choice is rodents. However, it has also been seen to feed on lizards, snakes, frogs, rabbits, birds, insects and farm animals. It has also eaten fruit according to its needs, but the most interesting thing is that reed cats can even hunt wild boars much larger than themselves. Although it is not common, it is a situation that has been seen.
The reed cat is an excellent swimmer:
The Latin name of the reed cat is Felis chaus, and the English name is Jungle cat. So the reed cat is a forest creature and has adapted accordingly. This is where the ability to hide among reeds and bushes comes from. However, the most interesting feature of the reed cat is undoubtedly its love of water.
There are many feline species that live in different parts of the world and love water, but the reed cat is the only wild cat species in our country that loves water. So much so that a reed cat jumps into the water without fear, swims wonderfully and can hunt even in water. Unknown, but maybe even fish.
It lives in a very wide geography:
reed cat; It loves wetlands, swamps, areas with heavy rainfall, areas that have been turned into forests and reeds. It has been recorded that they live in Lake Eğirdir in Isparta, Nallıhan in Ankara, around Manavgat Stream, around Porsuk Stream and in Adana Akyatan Lake. In the world, it has been recorded that they live in South Asia, the Nile Delta, the Caspian and Aral Sea surroundings, the Caucasus, Iran, Southern Lebanon, India, Pakistan, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, and Syria.
reed cat; It lives in dense bushes, tree hollows, and nests made by other animals and then abandoned. Since its sense of smell and sight is developed, it can stand still for a long time by hiding behind a bush or reed in case of danger. For this reason, it prefers bushes and reeds around lakes and rivers.
The reed cat changes the fate of the region it hunts:
The title is weird, but you’ll understand once you read it. We said that the reed cat feeds on small animals, but can also hunt large animals if it comes across. These corresponding animals are the old, sick and disabled ones in the herd. In other words, the hunting cat hunts animals that will harm the health of the generation, ensuring that the population develops much more healthily and their numbers remain in balance.
It communicates only to reproduce:
Reed cats live alone, hunt alone, and die alone. A reed cat only communicates with another reed cat twice a year, to mate. When mating season comes, reed cats release scent through their urine and saliva and make purring sounds similar to all felines. They also make similar, and sometimes more terrifying, sounds to smuggle their opponents away.
The gestation period of female reed cats is an average of 66 days. Polygamous reed cats give birth to 3-5 kittens at the end of a pregnancy. The mating period of these creatures is generally in February – March. After mating, female and male reed cats go their separate ways. Puppies born on average 130 grams suck milk for up to 15 weeks. Kittens separated from their mothers when they are 8 -9 months old are ready for breeding when they are 11 – 18 months old.
It’s been a while since the last reed cat was seen:
Within the scope of the studies carried out in our country by the World Wide Fund for Nature, briefly WWF, 44 different reed cats were identified by photo traps and video traps in 2011, and 33 different reed cats in 2012. In other words, 77 reed cats were detected in Akyatan Wildlife Development Area in 2012.
How the situation is in recent years is unknown. But even if it stays the same, this number is pretty bad. Reed cats are endangered. They are hunted even if they have no material value, their habitats are shrinking, they cannot find a place to live because the swamps are turned into agricultural land, and rodents cannot be hunted because they are destroyed by humans. Support is expected for the protection of a creature that has such an important role in natural life.
We talked about the interesting information you need to know about the reed cat, which looks as cute as it is wild, and tried to get to know this creature, which unfortunately is endangered, a little more closely. If we do not want to show only the photos of the reed cat to future generations, precautions must be taken in this regard.
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