The Corsican wildcat is an isolated feral cat (Felis catus) population that used to be considered a subspecies of the African wildcat (Felis lybica). Now it is thought to have been introduced to Corsica around the beginning of the first millennium. In 2019, several newspapers reported on the supposed discovery of the Corsican wildcat as a previously unknown cat species, calling it "cat-fox" (Corsican: ghjattu-volpe). As of 2021, a description of this animal as a supposed species is being drafted.
The Corsican wildcat features in the local shepherds' folklore as a forest cat who would attack the udders of their ewes and goats.
The Corsican wildcat was described as being darker than the African wildcat with a shorter tail and dark brown on the backs of the ears. The front legs are striped, the hind legs are very dark brown, and the stomach fur is russet; the whole of the coat is dense and silky. The tail is the most distinctive: ringed and black-tipped.
Corsican wildcats are found in Corsica, one of the 18 regions of France. There they live in remote areas with plant cover that provides protection from predators. Typically feral cats occur in forests, woodlands, and grasslands, and often visit urban, suburban, and agricultural areas.
Little is known about the behavior of Corsican wildcats in their natural habitat. In general feral cats are most active after dusk. They live in colonies, which are located close to food sources and shelter. Different types of hierarchies have been observed in colonies, including despotic and linear hierarchies. Some colonies are organized in more complex structures, such as relative hierarchies, where the social status of individual cats varies, depending on location, time of day, or the activity the cats are engaged in, particularly feeding and mating. Feral cats may move from colony to colony when home ranges overlap. Most feral cats have small home ranges, although some are more transient and travel long distances. The home ranges of male feral cats are generally two or three times larger than those of female cats. In a free-roaming environment, feral cats avoid humans. They do not allow themselves to be handled or touched by humans, and back away or run when they are able to do so. If trapped, they hiss, growl, bare their teeth, or strike out. They remain fairly hidden from humans and will not approach, although some feral cats gradually become more comfortable around humans who feed them regularly.
Feral cats are either mesopredators (mid-ranking predators) or apex predators (top predators) in their native ranges. Their diet includes a wide variety of small mammals, birds, and lizards.
The information about the reproductive habits of Corsican wildcats is yet to be studied. Generally, feral cats become reproductively mature at the age of around 6 months and can reproduce many times throughout the year. Kittens are born blind and helpless and require a mother’s care.
There are no known threats to the Corsican wildcat at present.
The population size of the Corsican wildcat and its status is unknown.
Like other feral cats Corsican wildcats may play both positive and negative roles in their native ecosystem. In agricultural areas, they can benefit farmers and be effective at keeping mouse and rat populations low. On the other side due to their predation wildcats can threaten native species with extinction; these may include birds, reptiles, and mammals.
