Marbled Cat
| Marbled Cat Conservation status: Vulnerable | ||||||||||||||
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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. Its pattern is blotched and banded, usually compared to the markings of the much larger Clouded Leopard. In color the base fur ranges from pale yellow through to brownish grey with lighter under parts being a lighter variation. Despite its small size Pardofelis is a member of the Pantherinae subfamily.
It has two generally recognized subspecies, P. marmorata marmorata and P. m. charltoni.
The range of the Marbled Cat extends from Assam in northeast India, with a subspecies, Pardofelis marmoratus charltoni, in Nepal, through southeast Asia including Borneo and Sumatra, which have been linked to the mainland of Asia during the Paleocene ice ages. It is probable that the forest canopies provide the Marbled Cat with much of its prey: birds, squirrels and 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.
No Marbled Cats are known to be in captivity.
External links
- Marbled Cat
- Cat Survival Trust website Marbled Cat