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The animal on the cover of PayPal APIs: Up and Running is an African wildcat (Felis silvestris cafra), also known as a desert cat or African caffre. Studies suggest that the common domesticated cat is yet another subspecies of Felis silvestris and that the cats domesticated themselves around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. As agriculture developed in ancient civilizations, humans began to store large amounts of grain. These granaries attracted rodents, and in turn, wildcats.

Thus, the African wildcat bears a resemblance to domesticated cats, though it is roughly 1.5 times larger at 18‒30 inches long and 7‒14 pounds. Among their population, these animals are also much more similar in appearance to each other than house cats. Their coats range from sandy brown to gray, with a white belly and black stripes on the legs and tail. They have shorter fur and are smaller than the main wildcat species of Europe.

The African wildcat can be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and another African subspecies (F. s. lybica) ranges through northern Africa and the Middle East. These animals live in a variety of habitats, such as grasslands and forests. They primarily hunt at night, catching mice and other small mammals, as well as birds, reptiles, and amphibians if the opportunity arises. During the day, they rest in concealed places like old burrows or thick vegetation.

Unsurprisingly, wildcats share many behaviors with domestic felines, such as burying their droppings and vocalizing with purrs, yowls, meows, and hisses. Their genetic similarities may pose a threat to the African wildcat, however; in areas where there is a wildcat population living near human settlements, it is common for wild and domestic cats to interbreed. It is now difficult to find purebred African wildcats anywhere near civilization, which may not bode well for it remaining a unique species.

The cover image is from Lydekker’s Royal Natural History. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSansMonoCondensed.