European wildcat: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the European wildcat lives – recorded in 8 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Felis silvestris
Group	Small wild cats
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	8 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Mammal
Order	Carnivora
Family	Felidae

Where does the European wildcat live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the European wildcat in 8 countries and territories across Europe. In Spain, Portugal it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the European wildcat endangered?

The European wildcat’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the European wildcat?

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Felidae, genus Felis. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the European wildcat

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a small wildcat species that was described in the late 18th century. Its fur is brownish to grey with stripes on the forehead and on the sides. It has a bushy tail with a black tip. Its head-to-body length reaches up to 65 cm (26 in) with a 34.5 cm (13.6 in) long tail, and it weighs up to 7.5 kg (17 lb).

The European wildcat is native to continental Europe, Scotland, Turkey and the Caucasus. It primarily inhabits broad-leaved and mixed forests. In France and Italy, it is predominantly nocturnal, but also active in the daytime when undisturbed by human activities. It preys foremost on small mammals such as lagomorphs and rodents, but also on ground-dwelling birds.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article European wildcat (revision 1376319397), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q43576 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).