Marbled Cat
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| Pardofelis marmorata (Martin, 1837) |
The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is similar in size to the Domestic Cat, with a longer, more thickly furred tail, an indicator of an arboreal life-style, where the tail is used as a counterbalance. The weight is about 4.5 kg (10 lbs), 53 cm (21 in) and the tail is 45 cm (18 in). Its fur pattern is blotched and banded like a marble, usually compared to the markings of the much larger Clouded Leopard. In colour, the base fur ranges from pale yellow through to brownish grey with lighter under parts being a lighter variation.
It has two generally recognised subspecies, P. marmorata marmorata and P. m. charltoni.
The range of the Marbled Cat extends from Assam in northeast India, with the P. m. chartoni subspecies in Nepal, through southeast Asia including Borneo and Sumatra, which were linked to the mainland of Asia during the Pleistocene ice ages. It is probable that the forest canopies provide the Marbled Cat with much of its prey: birds, squirrels, other rodents and reptiles; there are reports that the cat also hunts on the ground in parts of its range. It is rarely sighted in its densely forested habitat, and little studied or understood. Its population is unknown. Its forested habitats have been shrinking, accounting for its vulnerable listing in IUCN.[2]
The only captive Marbled Cat registered by ISIS is a male kept in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand [1].
References
- ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 542. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ a b Cat Specialist Group (2002). Pardofelis marmorata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
External links
- Marbled Cat
- Cat Survival Trust website Marbled Cat
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