NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Caucasian wildcat
Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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.
Wikipedia contributors, European wildcat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:02:23.236311+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777
- Name authority
- Schreber, 1777
- Common name
- Caucasian wildcat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Felidae
- Genus
- Felis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderCarnivora Bowdich, 1821
- suborderFeliformia Kretzoi, 1945
- familyFelidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
- subfamilyFelinae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
- genusFelis Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesFelis silvestris Schreber, 1777
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Felis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic CatFelis catus Linnaeus, 1758 | FelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sand CatFelis margarita Loche, 1858 | FelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Jungle CatFelis chaus Schreber, 1777 | FelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| African WildcatFelis lybica Forster, 1780 | FelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-footed CatFelis nigripes Burchell, 1824 | FelidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Felis silvestris grampia Miller, 1907 Miller, 1907 | synonym |
| Felis silvestris brockmani Pocock, 1944 Pocock, 1944 | synonym |
| Felis silvestris pyrrhus Pocock, 1944 Pocock, 1944 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=180589 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3DXW2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.