Scientific name: linked Rufos
Short-tailed cat, body length 0.7-1.2 meters, height at the shoulder 36-38 cm. The short-tailed cat is a feline found in North America. Short-tailed cats are highly adaptable predators that inhabit woodlands, semi-deserts, cities and swamps. Short-tailed cats are dawn animals, mainly at dawn and dusk, feeding on rabbits, hares, insects, small gnawing animals, short-tailed cats in the wild the longest life expectancy of 16 years. American short-tailed cats, adult males have a total length of 0.7- 1.2 meters, an average of 0.9 meters; including 10-18 cm long tail, shoulder height of 36-38 cm, and generally weigh 7-14 kg. Females weigh an average of 9 kilograms, short-tailed cat muscular, hind limbs longer than the front limbs, short-tailed cat at birth weighs about 280-340 grams, 25 centimeters long, the first year of life can grow up to 4.5 kilograms of weight, short-tailed cats like other species of the genus Shelly, but on average, slightly finer, and it varies in its fur.

It is generally fawn to grayish brown with black markings on the forelimbs of the body and tail, its original spots can be used for camouflage, the tips of the ears are black with short thick hairs, and the lips cheeks and belly are generally beige. Short-tailed cats in the desert Southwest have lighter colored fur, while those in the northern forests are darker. Kittens are born with fur and spots already, there are a few blackened short-tailed cats found in Florida that are black but may still retain spots, the short-tailed cat’s face looks wide due to the hair under the ears, it’s fur is easily damaged but the hair is longer and extremely dense, the nose is pinkish red, the sides of the face and the back are gray, yellowish red or maroon, the eyes are yellow and the pupils are black, the pupil up and down at night will The pupils are black and the top and bottom of the pupils dilate at night to get the most light. Short-tailed cats are exceptionally adaptable, preferring to live in deciduous vegetation or mixed woodlands, but are not as dependent on forests as other Shelly Rat species. They can range from wet swamps to rugged mountainous terrain, and they can build nests in areas where they have access to farmland, and their spots can be used as camouflage if they are in stony swampy forests. Short-tailed cats are dawn animals, mainly at dawn and dusk, they are active from 3 hours before sunset until about midnight, then again from dawn to 3 hours after sunrise, each night they move 3-11 km along their roosting paths, this behavior changes seasonally as in the winter they regulate themselves to their prey and become active during the day.

Short-tailed cats can go for long periods without eating, but will eat constantly when prey is abundant. When food is scarce, they will hunt larger animals in order to supply their needs later. Short-tailed hunter cats eat different sizes of animals, and will change hunting methods, for small animals, such as rodents, squirrels, birds, fish and insects, short-tailed cats will go to the prey where there is an abundance of lying down, waiting for and ambush the prey, for a little larger animals, such as rabbits and hares. It will track the prey until it is within 6-20 meters of the prey and begin to pursue the prey. It will also prey on larger animals such as foxes, young mice, small dogs and domestic cats. Adult short-tailed cats have pumas and gray wolves as natural predators in addition to humans, and they will kill each other. The natural enemies of kittens include owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes and adult short-tailed cats, and when there is a lack of their prey, it is difficult for kittens to grow into adult short-tailed cats. The gestation period of short-tailed cats is 60-70 days, and they are born around April to May, with 1-6 kittens per litter, usually 2-4, and sometimes the second litter will be born as late as September. Females will generally give birth in confined locations such as tiny burrows or tree holes, kittens will open their eyes on day 9-10 and begin to explore their surroundings after about 4 weeks, they will be weaned after 2 months, they will begin to go out with their mothers after month 3-5, they will hunt for food on their own by the winter of their first year and will be on their own soon after. Living alone in Michigan has been observed with kittens still with their mothers as late as spring, short-tailed cats generally live 6-8 years, with a few reaching 10 years, and the longest-lived short-tailed cats in the wild are 16 years old, while bred ones are 32 years old.