Black-footed cat: status, range, size and diet
One of the smallest wild cats, found only in the dry grasslands of southern Africa and remaining Vulnerable after a 2026 reassessment.
Also known as Felis nigripes, small-spotted cat, anthill tiger, miershooptier
At a glance
| Scientific name | Felis nigripes |
|---|---|
| Group | Small wild cats |
| Weight | 1-2.5 kg; males are heavier |
| Length | Head and body about 35-52 cm, tail 14-20 cm |
| Known for | A tiny nocturnal hunter with a very high kill rate, nicknamed the anthill tiger. |
Status
| IUCN Red List category | Vulnerable |
|---|---|
| Assessed in | 2026 |
Where it lives
| Range | Southern Africa, mainly South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, with scattered records further north |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Open, arid savanna and semi-arid shrubland such as the Karoo and Kalahari |
| Diet | Small rodents, birds and invertebrates, about ten to fourteen kills a night |
Main threats
- Overgrazing and degraded grassland
- Poison and traps set for other predators
- Loss of prey and den sites
- Disease and dogs
About
The black-footed cat is the smallest cat in Africa and among the smallest in the world. Its tawny coat is marked with black spots and bars, and the soles of its feet are black, which gives the species its name. The head is broad and the ears are rounded. Males weigh noticeably more than females.
It is solitary and strictly nocturnal, spending the day in abandoned termite mounds and burrows. This habit lies behind its Afrikaans nickname, the anthill tiger. Despite its size, it fights fiercely when cornered. It kills many small animals each night, in some studies roughly ten to fourteen, and it gets almost all its water from food. Females usually have litters of one to four kittens.
Where it lives and what it eats
The species is endemic to southern Africa. Most records are from South Africa and Namibia, and it also occurs in Botswana, with a few from Zimbabwe and possibly Angola. It lives in open, dry country, in grassland, thornveld, Karoo shrubland and the southwestern Kalahari, where annual rainfall is low.
Rodents and small birds form the bulk of its diet, with many insects, spiders and other invertebrates. It has been recorded taking more than fifty types of prey, and sometimes catches animals larger than itself, such as hares.
Threats and conservation
Population figures for the species are uncertain. The Red List has long classed it as Vulnerable, and the category was kept in the July 2026 reassessment. A long-term study at one South African reserve found that local density fell over a decade. The cat depends on healthy grassland, den sites and prey. Overgrazing damages the first, and the decline of springhares, often hunted for meat, removes burrows and food. Farmers set poisoned baits and steel traps for jackals and other predators, and cats are caught by accident. They are also killed by herding dogs, hit by vehicles and exposed to diseases of domestic cats. In captivity the species is prone to a kidney disease called AA amyloidosis, which is a leading cause of death in zoos.
The black-footed cat is listed in CITES Appendix I, and hunting is prohibited in Botswana and South Africa.
Cats and people
Most people who live in its range never see one, because it hunts at night and hides by day. Its fate is tied to farming practice, since much of the grassland it needs is cattle and sheep country. A few zoos hold the species, and keeping it healthy there has proved difficult.
Profile last reviewed November 7, 2026