The leopard cat is a small-sized wild cat found in many parts of Asia, including India, Parkistan, Afghanistan, the Himalayan foothills, Korea, China, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sumatra, Java, Taiwan, Borneo, a well as several South Korean and Philippine islands. The Iriomote cat, which can only be found on Japan’s Iriomote Island, is a leopard cat subspecies.

Scientific Name:   There are two different species of leopard cat:

  1. Prionailurus bengalensis  (Mainland leopard cat)
  2. Prionailurus javanensis (Sunda leopard cat)

 

Prionailurus bengalensis subspecies:

 

Conservation Status: Prionailurus bengalensis: Least Concern. The leopard cat is widespread and exists abundantly all over the geographical range they belong to. Prionailurus javanensis: Critically endangered.

 

Physical Characteristics

The leopard cat is a small, slender cat with long legs and clear webs between the toes. It is similar in size to a housecat.
There are two striking dark marks on its head, two stripes that run from the eye region to the ears, and smaller stripes from the eye region down the nose.

Weight:   3kg – 7kg
Body Length (from head):   44.5cm – 107cm
Tail Length:  23cm – 44cm

Habitat (where the leopard cat lives)

The leopard cat inhabits jungles, rainforests, sea level plantations, shrub land, scrub, semi-deserts and some mountainous locations.

Hunting and Prey (diet)

The leopard card is meat eater. It feeds on various small prey which include birds, mammals, amphibians, insects and lizards. Mice and rats constitute the major portion of their diet. The leopard cat leads a solitary life except when it mates. They are excellent climbers and typically hunt at night.

Reproduction and Lifespan

In some southern areas, leopard cats will mate all year round. Leopard cats living in northern locations will have their young in May. The gestation period averages from 65 and 72 days. Litters are from one to four cubs on average. The lifespan of a leopard cat in the wild is unknown. In captivity, leopard cats can live over 13 years.

Conservation Issues

An important conservation threat for leopard cats is loss of habitat. They are also hunted and killed for their fur and meat.