The wildcat (Felis silvestris SCHREBER, 1777) is a carnivorous mammal belonging to the Felidae family. The European subspecies of wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) inhabits the forests of Western, Central and Eastern Europe. Its Latin name means "cat of the woods"; in fact, oak and beech woods are the habitats it is closely associated with. The European wildcat is the only mammal of the Italian fauna with a complex and articulated coat pattern, which makes it possible to clearly distinguish an adult wildcat from a young one. It is usually active at night and very cautious with humans, always trying not to approach inhabited areas. Being a solitary animal, it mainly feeds on micromammals, with their preferred prey being small rodents., Originally distributed throughout Europe, this species has experienced a severe decline over the centuries; today in Italy this species is undergoing a significant range expansion. The main risk factors for the survival of this species are hybridization with domestic cats, the diseases that the latter can transmit and competition with stray specimens, but also the constant habitat destruction, fragmentation and degradation. This species is included in Appendix II of the CITES, in Appendix IV of the Habitats directive directive and in Appendix II of the Bern Convention and it is included in the list of the species of Community interest which require strict protection.