The wildcat in Spain is distributed in the most recondite, rugged and lonely forest areas of our peninsula.It is an animal that is very negatively influenced by the proximity of the human being.
The proliferation of urbanizations throughout the Spanish territory has pushed back the habitat of this beautiful wild feline.In this article Animals and Pets Online I will discover some places where this jewel of nature is still found.
Discover the distribution of the wildcat in Spain , yes, never with the intention of harming the species, rather as a tool to enjoy the wild animals that still inhabit the peninsula.
Personal experience
A few years ago I was riding a bike through a very secluded forest, close to the tiny town of Espoya.Pueblo next to Capellades, in the province of Barcelona, I stumbled upon leaving a bend in a stony path with a wild cat perched on a thick and thick tree .
I hope the big cat got scared as much as I did, which I guess lost a few months of life as a result of the scare that takes me.
Looking at him in photographs or evoking his distant memory sitting on the sofa at home, I see a beautiful and powerful animal, however, find him in a sopeton four or five meters away and on your head, I assure you which is a slightly creepy experience.That icy look still shakes me.
At that moment I could not appreciate its undoubted beauty .The saying goes: "Things are, depending on the glass through which you look ".
Wildcat species in Spain
In Spain there are three varieties of wildcat :
In the north and Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula are the specimens of the Felis silvestris silvestris , which is the typical Mediterranean forest variety.
Its specimens are distributed more densely by the Cantabrian coast and the Pyrenees.deciduous forests and alpine rocks.They feed mainly on wild birds and rodents.On the Mediterranean side the population of wild cats is lower, due to the higher human density.
The wildcat of the downtown area
The wildcat that inhabits the central area of the Iberian Peninsula is the subspecies Felis silvestris tartessia .
This wildcat It is of a larger size and darker coat than the peripheral mountain cat.Perhaps it is because the cat integrates the rabbit into its diet.The banks of the Duero river and the Tagus river are areas with high density of said subspecies.There are also important colonies in Andalucia.
The wild cat in Mallorca
On the island of Mallorca there is the subspecies of wildcat known as Felis lybica jordansi . This subspecies comes from the cat African mountains.
Its size is smaller than that of the two previous subspecies although not less beautiful.We can emphasize that its color is lighter, with sandy tones in its coat , which is shorter.
State of the wild cat in Spain
It's wildcat is a threatened species in Spain .Agriculture and the expansion of rural centers make life difficult for wildcats, although it is true that they occasionally mate with domestic cat females, after which they create hybrids.
There are wildcat protection programs , considered as wildlife of special interest.We must be clear that it is of utmost importance to care and Respect the species to continue enjoying it in the future.
If you want to read more articles similar to Distribution of the wild cat in Spain , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.
Comments
Post a Comment