The African Wildcat, also known as the Desert Cat, is a subspecies of the Wildcat. The African Wildcat is sandy brown to yellow gray in color, with black stripes on the tail. The fur is shorter than that of the European subspecies and is also considerably smaller

The African Wildcat is mainly active during the night and twilight. When confronted, the African Wildcat raises its hair to make itself seem larger and intimidate its opponent. In the daytime it usually hides in the bushes, although it is sometimes active on dark, cloudy days. The territory of a male overlaps with that of a few females, who defend the territory against intruders. The African Wildcat often rests and gives birth in burrows or hollows in the ground.