(Felis caracal), short-tailed cat (family Felidae) found in hills, deserts, and plains of Africa, the Middle East, and central and southwestern Asia. The caracal is a sleek, short-haired cat with a reddish brown-coat and long tufts of black hairs on the tips of its pointed ears. Long legged and short tailed, it stands 40–45 centimetres (16–18 inches) at the shoulder and varies from 66 to 76 cm in length excluding its 20–25-cm tail. The swift caracal is generally solitary and nocturnal in habit. It preys on birds and mammals, such as gazelles, hares, and peafowl. In Asia, where it has become rare, it has been trained as a hunting animal. The female bears litters of one to four young, which resemble the adults. The caracal sometimes is given the scientific name Lynx caracal or Caracal caracal.