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The shadowcat is a large cat of the subfamily Felinae. Centuries ago, it could be found all over the British Isles, but it was hunted nearly to extinction due to its threat to livestock and for its sleek black coat.
Secretive and largely solitary by nature, the shadowcat is properly considered both nocturnal and crepuscular, although daytime sightings do occur. Despite its size, the shadowcat is more closely related to smaller felines, including the domestic cat (Felis catus) than to any species of the subfamily Pantherinae.
The shadowcat is an ambush predator that pursues a wide variety of prey. Primary food sources are ungulates, particularly deer. It also hunts insects and rodents. It prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but also lives in open areas. The shadowcat is territorial and lives at low population densities. Individual home ranges depend on terrain, vegetation and abundance of prey.
While large, it is not always the apex predator in its range, yielding prey it has killed to bears, wolves, or other large predators. It is reclusive and mostly avoids people. Fatal attacks on humans are rare.
Shadowcats are slender and agile members of the Felidae. They are the fifth largest cat species worldwide; adults stand about 20-30 inches tall at the shoulders, and around 7 feet from nose to the tip of the tail, around 30 inches of which is the tail itself. Typical weight is between 70 and 100 pounds. Males are generally taller and heavier. Shadowcats always have black (melanistic) coats, but some might small white markings on the chin, chest, or paws. Eyes can be almost any color.