Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
Summary 3
The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range. There are twelve leopard cat subspecies, which differ widely in appearance.
Habitat 4
Prionailurus bengalensis is found in tropical and temperate forests, coniferous forests, shrub land habitat, and grasslands. Its distribution is limited to areas with less than 10 cm of snow annually, and it is not found in steppe or arid climates. Prionailurus bengalensis has a fairly diverse diet and is able to find food in most habitats. It seems relatively impervious to human disturbance as populations in secondary growth and disturbed areas are stable and it is often found near agricultural fields and rural settlements. Prionailurus bengalensis is an exceptional swimmer, possibly explaining its distribution on islands, and is intolerant of temperatures above 35 C, possibly explaining its absence from central India. It is capable of living at higher elevations (i.e., 3000 m) with minimal snow fall.
Range elevation: 0 to 3000 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural
Physical description 5
Leopard cats are the size of large housecats. On average, they weigh between 3 and 7 kg. In general, they have pale, tawny pelage with a white belly. Their body and tail are covered with rosettes and their tail is often ringed at the tip. Four longitudinal bands run from their foreheads to their necks. Their head to body length ranges from 44.5 to 107 cm, and their tail ranges from 23 to 44 cm. Leopard cats have a small head with a short muzzle and round ears. There are differences in coat length and color based on local environmental conditions. At more northern latitudes their fur is longer and paler, and they typically weigh more. Their coloration varies with habitat. For example, individuals in snowy habitats have lighter pelage than those in heavily forested habitats, which tend to have dark-tawny pelage. Sexual segregation has not ben documented in this species.
Range mass: 3 to 7 kg.
Range length: 44.5 to 1070 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Fuentes y créditos
- (c) M Kuhn, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/43239824@N00/3816307969
- (c) 中国数字科技馆, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://csdb.ioz.ac.cn/images/Upload_images/Animalia/Chordata/Mammalia/CARNIVORA/Felidae/Prionailurus/bengalensis/A3A529AE-4D68-4A2B-8896-4773D7791109.jpg
- Adaptado por Brian Martin del trabajo de (c) Wikipedia, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prionailurus_bengalensis
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18668449
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18668450
