Marbled Cat

About this species

Size

Head and body 45–62cm; tail 35–55cm

Weight

2–5kg

Diet

Birds, squirrels and other rodents, and reptiles, much of it taken in the canopy

Habitat

Forest up to about 2,500m

Range

Eastern Himalayan foothills through south-east Asia, Sumatra and Borneo; in India only the north-east

Litter size

2 kittens (few records)

Gestation

66–82 days (captive)

The marbled cat is about the size of a domestic cat, with rounded ears and a very long, thickly furred tail as long as its head and body. The long, soft fur runs from brownish grey to ochre-brown, patterned with black stripes on the head, neck and back and dark-edged blotches on the flanks that merge into the marbled pattern. The paws are large and webbed, and the canine teeth are unusually big for its size. The long tail acts as a counterbalance in the trees (Wikipedia, general species account).

In India it is confined to the north-eastern forests, and it has been recorded at Eaglenest, Dampa and Pakke and in the Balpakram-Baghmara landscape. Marbled cats recorded in north-east India were active by day, with activity peaking around noon. Much of the diet is probably found in the forest canopy. Very little is known of its behaviour in the wild, and what is known of breeding comes from a few animals bred in captivity (Wikipedia, general species account).

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