Sardinian wildcat

Sardinian wildcat
Sardinian wildcat in Villagrande Strisaili
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. lybica
Subspecies: F. l. lybica
Population: Sardinian wildcat
Synonyms
  • Felis silvestris sarda Lataste, 1885
  • Lynx lynx sardiniae Mola, 1908
  • Felis lybica sarda
  • Felis silvestris lybica var. sarda (Mura et. al., 2013)

The Sardinian wildcat is a population of the African wildcat (Felis lybica lybica) on the island of Sardinia. Results of genetic analysis of cat samples from the Mediterranean region indicates that it was introduced at least 2200 years ago from northwestern Africa. It is protected under the legislation of the Sardinian Autonomous Region, the Berne Convention, and the Habitats Directive.