Chinese Mountain | Desert Cat

The Chinese mountain cat, also known as the Chinese desert cat, inhabits western China near the Tibetan Plateau.

CLASSIFICATION

Interesting Chinese mountain cat facts

• Also known as the Chinese desert cat and Chinese steppe cat.
• During the day, they sleep in the burrows of other animals.
• The cat’s scientific name was proposed in 1892.
• Belongs to the Felis (domestic cat) lineage.
• Had a common ancestor with the Asiatic wildcat 1.5 million years ago.
• The first photographs were taken in 2007

Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is an elevated plateau (an area  consisting of a raised, flat terrain) surrounded by mountains. The plateau is 620 miles north to south and 1,600 miles east to west. It is where Central, South and East Asia intersect. Many of the ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau are montain grasslands. There are also tundras (regions without trees because of the high elevation), shrublands and forests. Animals that inhabit the Tibetan Plateau include wild yak, water buffalo, cranes, vutures, hawks, geese, snakes and snow leopards.

More about the Chinese Mountain Cat

Before 2007, information about this rare cat had come from a small number of them living in Chinese zoos. In 2007, the first images of a wild Chinese desert cat were captured in a camera trap in Sichuan (a province in Southwest China) at an elevation of over 11,000 feet. The cat was first identified in 1892 from a skin found in the Sichuan Province.

Physical Appearance

Chinese desert cats have a stocky appearance, with short legs and a bushy tail. They have long hair down to the pads of their feet. The cat’s fur is the color of sand, with barely visible stripes on its legs and face. In Tibet, it is called the “grass cat” because the color of its fur is the color of dry grass in the region. The fur turns darker in the summer. The cat’s lower lip, chin, and belly are white. The ears of the Chinese mountain cat have black tips, and its legs and tail have black rings.  The cat is 27 to 33 inches long, with an 11 to 16-inch tail. Adults generally weigh 14 to 16 lbs.

Territory

The cat has been seen roaming in grasslands, meadows, shrublands, and forests at elevations ranging from 8,200 to 16,400 feet. The climate where it has been found is usually extreme, ranging from very hot to very cold.

Hunting and Prey

It appears Chinese desert cats lead solitary lives. They prey on pikas (a cousin of the rabbit), moles, voles, birds, and rodents. They hunt at twilight and during the evening.

Reproduction and Lifespan

A Chinese mountain cat litter contains one to four kittens. The females give birth to the kittens in hidden burrows.

Conservation

A significant threat to the Chinese mountain cat is the poisoning of their prey (pika, moles, and voles). The purpose of the poisoning is to reduce population size, but the poison also kills the cats.