Total length 70 - 110 cm; tail 18 - 34 cm; shoulder height 40 - 45 cm; mass 7 - 19 kg
A robustly built cat, its hindquarters slightly higher than the shoulders. Coat thick but short and soft; colour varies from pale reddish-fawn to a rich brick-red. Underparts off-white with faint spotting or blotching. Long, pointed ears with tufts of longish black hair at the tip are characteristic. Backs of the ears are black, liberally sprink;led with white hairs. The face is prominently marked with blakc-and-white patches. notable around the eyes and mouth. It has a short reddish tail.

Semi-desert to savanna , woodland; hilly country to coastal forests.

Mainly nocturnal but partly diurnal if undisturbed. Solitairy, except when mating or females accompanied by kittens.Stalks its prey as close as possible and then relies on a direct pounce or a short, fast run.

The caracal hunts mainly small to medium-sized mammals, ranging from mice to antilope (up to the size of bushbuck ewes). It also catches birds and reptiles. In some small stock-farming areas it is considered to be an major problem because of depredations on sheep and goats.

Wikipedia