Wildcat – Felis silvestris

Felis silvestrisSchreber, 1777

Accepted name, Mammal Species of the World 2005

Also see comments under Felis catus. There is some confusion as to the correct species name. Schreber (1775) illustrated a plate as ‘Felis Catus ferus’, and in 1777 the text listed ‘Felis (Catus) silvestris’ and ‘Felis Catus (domestica).’ Opinion 465 of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1957f) declared silvestris as the specific name for the European wild cat (with the understanding that F. catus and F. silvestris are usually considered conspecific). Revised by Ragni and Randi (1986), who included lybica, and by Haltenorth (1953), who included chutuchta, lybica, and vellerosa. However, Pocock's (1951) revision considered catus as separate and placed chutuchta and vellerosa in bieti, and they probably should be considered incertae sedis. Does not include F. catus (worldwide), which was domesticated from this species (Co... [truncated]

• Wilson, D and Reeder, D. (eds.) 2005. Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 3rd ed. -- 2142 pp. Johns Hopkins University Press.