Caracal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Small Wild Cats · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. A caracal can spring more than 3 m high to snatch a flying bird, and it can even twist and change direction in mid-air.
2. Thanks to its speed and agility, a caracal can bring down prey two to three times bigger than itself.
3. A caracal stalks until it is within 5 m of its prey, then launches into a sprint.
4. The name caracal comes from a Turkish name meaning "black ear".
5. Caracal kittens come into the world with closed eyes and ears. Their eyes open within ten days.

The quiz

1. How high can a caracal leap to catch birds?

• More than 3 m (correct)
• About 1 m
• About 2 m
• More than 10 m

It can leap more than 3 m in the air.

2. How big a prey can a caracal take down?

• Half its size
• Two to three times its size (correct)
• The same size as itself
• Ten times its size

Its speed and agility let it bring down prey two to three times its size.

3. How close does a caracal stalk before it sprints?

• Within 50 m
• Within 20 m
• Within 5 m (correct)
• Within 1 m

It stalks to within 5 m, then sprints.

4. What does the name caracal mean in Turkish?

• Sand cat
• Fast runner
• Desert hunter
• Black ear (correct)

The Turkish name means "black ear".

5. When do caracal kittens' eyes open?

• At birth
• Within ten days (correct)
• After a month
• After three months

Their eyes open within ten days.

More about the Caracal

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries