6 Wildcats You've Never Heard Of

With fur that matches its sandy surroundings, the sand cat lives in the deserts of Asia and Africa. This small (6 pounds) kitty digs burrows to hide in during the day and hunts after dark. It can live without drinking water, getting the hydration it needs from its prey.

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Roaming much of sub-Saharan Africa, servals are active in daytime and nighttime when they hunt for prey using their acute sense of hearing. They’re solitary animals that generally don't socialize with each other except at mating time, and each serval establishes a range of 4 to 12 square miles.

This small cat is a bit bigger than a typical domestic cat, and it is native to South America. Largely due to loss of habitat, the pampas cat is listed as near threatened on the Red List of Threatened Species. Encounters with the elusive cat are said to bring good luck, and the killing of one is thought to bring bad luck.

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Occupying small areas of Portugal and southwest Spain, the medium-sized Iberian lynx likes to feast on the European rabbit, which it finds in forests and grasslands. While restoration efforts are underway, the cat remains endangered, with only around 1,000 cats remaining.

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A medium sized cat that can grow to as much as 40 pounds, the caracel is native to Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, parts of Pakistan and northwestern India. The distinctive ear tufts of this nocturnal carnivore aid in communication and its speed and agility makes it an efficient hunter.