Asian Golden Cat

About this species

Size

Head and body 66–105cm; tail 40–57cm

Weight

9–16kg

Diet

Muntjac and other small deer, hares, rodents, birds and reptiles; occasionally domestic calves

Habitat

Evergreen, moist and dry deciduous forest, with rocky ground, bamboo and shrubland

Range

Eastern Nepal, north-east India and Bhutan through south-east Asia and southern China

Litter size

1–3 kittens

Gestation

78–80 days (captive)

The Asian golden cat is a medium-sized cat, two or three times the weight of a house cat, and it comes in an unusual number of colours: golden, cinnamon, brown, reddish, grey, spotted and black. White stripes edged in dark brown or black cross the cheeks and the inner corners of the eyes, the ears are rounded with black backs, and the underparts are pale. The tail is white beneath and its tip curls upward when it is carried. Males are larger than females (Wikipedia, general species account).

In India it is found in the north-eastern hill forests. Records from the north-east show animals active by day with a peak around noon, and in the Sikkim mountains it has been reported hunting ghoral. Across its range it is solitary and territorial, and climbs trees when needed. It takes birds, hares, rodents, reptiles and small deer, and can kill prey as big as a domestic buffalo calf. In one radio-collar study a male's territory covered 47.7 km² and a female's 32.6 km² (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)