Caracal
Caracal Caracal
Caracal Classification levels
All organisms are part of eight levels of classification these are the ones the Caracal is part of
Domain Eukarya: the Domain Eukarya includes the Caracal
Things that make organisms part of domain Eukarya:
- all are Eukaryotes
- all are multicellular
- all animals are part of it
- The kingdom Animalia does not include Prokaryotes (single celled organisms)
- All animals are Multicellular
- All are Heretrophs
Phylum Chordata: The Caracal is part of the phylum Chordata.
- possess a notochord which is a rod that extends through most of the body and straightens the organism
- bilateral symmetry
- All have a digestive system which helps them eat
Sub Phylum Chordata:
- Vertebrates include Fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals
Class Mammalia:
- all share three ear bones hair and the production of milk from mammary glands
- all are multicellular
- all have a nucleus
Order Carnivora:
- diverse food habits commonly mistaken as only carnivores but include more than just carnivores
- all have a nucleus
- all are multicellular
Family Felidae:
- Only includes Cats
- is often separated into two groups big cats and small cats
- all are multicellular
Caracal hunting a bird
Caracal raising young
Caracal Hunting
Caracal Physical Adaptations
- Caracals can jump up to ten feet high they did this because of the scarce food in the Savannah so they jump to eat birds in low birds nests.
- Caracals aggressively defend there habitat they do this ever so cautiously because of the decreasing amount of food in different locations so when they find a place that is fairly abundant with food they defend it from other Caracals and other predators to the species living in that area.
- The Caracal has developed diverse food habits throughout the century's Caracals food habits include Hyraxes, Hares, Small monkeys, Antelopes, Rodents and Birds.
- the Caracal developed very sharp carnivorous teeth for ripping flesh
- Caracals have sharp retracting claws for designed for ripping flesh to catch prey.
Caracal Behavioral Adaptations
- Caracals range in different colors of fur to blend in with the environment and avoid predators (Hyenas and Lions)
- During mating seasons the males make distinctive coughing noises to attract females.
- The Caracal strategically hunts to spend the least amount of energy while getting its fill of food.
- Because Caracals live in desert environments they have to get their water by eating their prey. They have to do multiple things to retain water that they need such as naturally excreting highly concentrated drops of urine.
- The Caracals have used their nocturnal senses to their advantage and have learned to hunt during the cool night.
Caracal's Geographic Living Range
Caracals live in much of Africa and central Asia. Many of the North African populations are disappearing. Range limits are the Sahara Desert and the Equatorial Forest belt of western and central Africa. They like more diverse habitats. They are typically found in woodlands, thickets, scrub forests, plains, and rocky hills.
Refrences
References
Big cat, small cat. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/caracal
Burton, M. (2002). Caracal. In International wildlife encyclopedia (3rd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 385-386). New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Caracal. (n.d.). Retrieved from International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada website: http://www.wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/africa/caracal/
Caracal. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.czs.org/Brookfield-ZOO/Zoo-Animals/Fragile-Desert/Caracal
Caracal raising young [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.google.com/search?q=Caracal+raising+young&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ow0TVdnkBs2ZyATGwIDQDg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=667&surl=1&safe=active&ssui=on#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=caracal+raising+young&imgdii=_&imgrc=n1gL3LUD9-HXZM%253A%3BKYPEezj6x38TfM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcdn1.arkive.org%252Fmedia%252F03%252F036FA8B1-0900-4332-B78B-A261C7A308DB%252FPresentation.Large%252FFemale-caracal-suckling-3-week-old-kittens.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.arkive.org%252Fcaracal%252Fcaracal-caracal%252F%3B650%3B423
Phillips, L. 2009. "Caracal caracal" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 11, 2015 at http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Caracal_caracal/
Seeing is believing [Photograph]. (n.d.).