Leopard Cat

COMMON NAME : Leopard Cat / Kucing hutan / Harimau buluh / Rimueng buloh

SCIENTIFIC NAME : Prionailurus bengalensis

TYPE : Mammals

DIET : Carnivore

SIZE : Head and body 15 to 26 inch; tail 11,5 inch

WEIGHT : up to 31 pounds; 1-14 kg

IUCN RED LIST STATUS (Global) : Least Concern

CURRENT POPULATION TREND : Stable

Leopard cat is slender and long-legged with a shorter tail than other Sumatran cats (excepting flat-headed cat). The color is golden-grey-brown coat with small dark spots and a spotted white underside. Two dark lines run from the eyes towards the back where they break up into long spots. The leopard cat’s head is relatively small, with a short narrow muzzle and moderately ling, rounded ears. The tail is about 40 t0 50 percent as long as the head and body. The species has a body weighing of 1-14kg, body length of 38-66 cm, and tail length of 23-29 cm (Mossbrucker, 2020).

These cats are nocturnal and most active at night, but they are sometimes active during the day as well. It is difficult for researchers to study this cat in the wild because they are quite small and shy. From what scientists have been able to observe, these cats are solitary. They patrol and mark their territories with urine and feces to communicate with their neighbors. When cats are receptive to breeding, they advertise this in their scent marking. (animals.net)

Leopard cat can be found in a variety of habitats from dense forests to open and degraded areas, including plantations and other areas with high levels of human activity. Leopard cat can swim well and has colonized several offshore islands. The species also nocturnal (Mossbucker, 2020). Leopard cats feed on a variety of small prey, including mammals, lizards, amphibians, birds, and insects (Sunquist and Sunquist, 2002).