The ground-hugging animal, or caracal, is also referred to as the Persian lynx or the African lynx, although it is not part of the lynx family.
The ground-hugging animal is more closely related to the serval cat, the beige, or the so-called leopard cat, and the African golden cat.
The name of this cat comes from the Turkish word karakulak, which Black ear means black ear is a distinctive feature of the earth hugging animal, and although
the earth hugging animal is considered a small cat compared to other wild cats, it is among the heaviest and fastest, and the earth hugging animal is spread in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and West Asia.
Description of the earth hugging animal
The groundhog is a medium-sized cat measuring about 60 to 92 cm (2-3 feet) in head and body between 23-31 cm (9-12 in) long, and the groundhog stands at a
height of 38-50 cm (38-50 cm). 15–20 inches) at the shoulder. Male groundhogs weigh 13–19 kg (29–42 lb), females are slightly smaller and weigh about 30 lb less.
Male and female groundhogs are very similar in appearance.
The ground hugger has a more slender appearance and longer legs than the lynx. The phantom hind legs are longer than the front legs. Its ears are elongated and have long black tufts that grow to about 1-2 inches in length. It uses its ears to locate prey and is controlled by 20 individual muscles.
The earth hugging animal has a narrow black line that extends from its eyes to its nose and has no side hairs, and the color of the fur ranges from
reddish-brown and gray to light sandy color. Red on its underparts, there are no signs of adults, and the pupils of the groundhog's eyes shrink in the form of circles instead of slits as in other cats.
Habitat of the earth hugging animal
The land hugger's habitat is scrub forests, dry steppes, semi-deserts, woodlands and savannas, and it usually uses abandoned burrows or rocky crevices for its mothers' nests.
Earth hugging animal and diet
Groundhogs are strict carnivores with very strong jaws. Groundhogs usually hunt at night during the summer, and during the day in the cooler seasons.
They either hunt singly or in pairs. Groundhogs are picky eaters and are known to ignore internal organs. Of mammals, the fur is partially plucked from lint and large prey.
The groundhog avoids eating hair by neatly cutting the flesh from the skin, however, it will eat the feathers of small birds and tolerate rotten meat.
The earth hugger can survive for long periods of time without water, satiating its thirst with the bodily fluids of its prey.
The prey is usually in the form of small rodents and rabbits.
However, it has been known to attack large mammals such as gazelles and antelopes, and will even gobble up ostriches.
The small, ground-hugging animal is also famous for its hunting skills and catching birds in low flight as it can climb and jump very well, has excellent hearing and vision and stalks its prey before catching it with a quick jump.
Earth hugging animal behaviour
Groundhogs are very territorial and mark their territories with urine. Groundhogs are very easy to tame and have been used as a hunting cat in India and Iran. Groundhogs can hide especially well. Despite their abundance, due to this ability to hide, they are rarely seen.
It is seen in the wild, and its communication vocalizations with other animals include meowing, growling, hissing, and coughing calls. The combination of strength, speed, and agility makes the groundhog a formidable predator.
Earth hugging animal reproduction
The earth hugging animal mates during the entire year, and the individuals are in pairs only for the purpose of mating, and the female earth hugging animal has a gestation period of just over two months (10-11 weeks), and the average number of young is 3 cats, and the young are small in size and exposed to predators, so take care of them
Their mothers for a period of 10-11 months after birth, and the kittens are pale in color at birth and can open their eyes after about 10 days, and they
can eat solid food at the age of about two months, and the young animal hugs the earth reach sexual maturity between 6-24 months, and the life span of an animal Hug the earth in the wild about 12 years and 17 years in captivity.
Is the earth's hug animal threatened with extinction
The groundhog has been classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The groundhog is sometimes kept as pets and can easily adapt to the human environment.
However, some farmers consider it a pest due to its frequent habits of climbing fences and eating chickens and other birds.
Beasts are often killed on suspicion of preying on young livestock, and are also hunted for their fur and meat.