The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of mammary glands, the presence of hair or fur; specialized teeth; the presence of a neocortex region in the brain; and endothermic or 'warm-blooded' bodies. The brain regulates endothermic and circulatory system, including a four-chambered heart. In India there are 410 species, 186 genera, 45 families and 13 orders of which nearly 89 species are listed as threatened in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN 2006).

The Asian wild cat (Felis silvestris ornata) is a wild cat subspecies that occurs from the eastern Caspian north to Kazakhstan,into western India, western China and southern Mongolia. It is also known as Indian desert cat. In India, Asiatic wild cats inhabit the Thar Desert and are associated with scrub desert. In the scrub habitat of western Rajasthan, they live largely on desert gerbils, but also hunt hares, rats, birds etc. They have also been observed killing cobras, saw-scale vipers, sand boas, geckos, scorpions and beetles.

IUCN Status: Least Concern (LC) Photo: Ramki Sreenivasan