{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "caracal",
  "name": "Caracal",
  "scientificName": "Caracal caracal",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The caracal is a medium-sized wild cat with distinctive black ear tufts, long legs, and a short tail, capable of leaping more than 3 metres to snatch birds in flight. Found across Africa, the Middle East, and into India, it hunts rodents, hares, and small antelope in open country.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Carnivora",
    "family": "Felidae",
    "genus": "Caracal"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 14,
    "lengthM": 0.95,
    "topSpeedKmh": 80,
    "lifespanYears": 15
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Caracal caracal"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — rodents, hares, birds, and small antelope"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Savannas, scrub, dry forests, and rocky hills"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "12–15 years in the wild (longer in captivity)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "8–19 kg (18–42 lb); males larger"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 80 km/h (50 mph) in short pursuit"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Africa south of the Sahara, the Arabian Peninsula, Middle East, Turkey, and western India through Pakistan in savanna, scrub, and dry woodland.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Caracal caracal.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Caracal%20caracal&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Caracal caracal. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Caracal_caracal/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/caracal/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/caracal/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}