Information on the Asian Leopard Cat
The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a wild cat native to Asia. These small cats, which are slightly larger than a domestic cat in most cases, are secretive and solitary. Though they hunt mostly on the ground, leopard cats are adept climbers and swimmers, making them well-suited to a number of habitats throughout Asia.
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Identification
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Leopard cats are among the smallest of the wild cats, with individuals in the southern part of their range measuring approximately 2 feet in length from head to tail, and northern individuals measuring closer to 3 feet in length. The leopard cat's coloration ranges from yellowish to a tawny brown, with dark spots covering the head and tail, sometimes forming stripes, and a white underbelly. A white band borders and outlines the eyes of all leopard cats.
Geography & Habitat
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Leopard cats live across a wide section of Asia. Their geographic range spans from India to Korea, south into the Philippines and north into the southern part of Siberia. They can also be found on several southeast Asian islands, such as Bali.
The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology notes that leopard cats can survive in a number of diverse habitats, but prefer areas of secondary growth--agricultural areas, for example--and habitats near a source of water. Scrubland, forests, grassland and coffee plantations can all be home to leopard cats. -
Diet
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Leopard cats are opportunistic carnivores, which means they will consume a variety of prey animals, depending on what is available in their environment. Rodents make up the bulk of the leopard cat's diet, but they also eat lizards, birds, insects, snakes, hares, fish, frogs, bats and even small ungulates and carrion.
In some cases, leopard cats may raid nearby farms and consume domestic poultry.
Behavior
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Leopard cats are primarily nocturnal, though some populations can be active during the day. Even though leopard cats are solitary hunters, during breeding seasons, males and females can be seen together. In most cases the female rears the young, though males may assist in this process occasionally.
Leopard cats are active hunters, and they require a large territory to be successful. The home territory for a leopard cat may range from approximately 1 square mile to 4.5 square miles in size.
Hybridization
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Because of their small size and attractive coat patterns, leopard cats are sometimes hybridized with domestic cats to produce a breed of cat known as the "Bengal cat." Bengal cat advocates, such as the International Bengal Cat Society, claim that Bengal cats retain much of the appearance of the leopard cat, while displaying the temperament of domestic cats.
Occasionally people keep purebred leopard cat kittens, but due to the fact that they are wild animals, they do not make good pets.
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