Felines: small, wild and beautiful - x

Four threatened species

Most of you must be amazed at the number of wild cats that live on our planet, apart from the big cats we are so familiar with. Todate we have featured more than 20 wild cats and this week we feature four more of our feline friends. There are many more species, especially the subspecies to write about.

Chinese mountain cat

A small wild cat that is also known as the desert cat and the Chinese grey cat, it is the least known member of the genus Felis. It is endemic to China and is found at elevations of 3,000 metres (10,000 ft), and contrary to its name, lives in open country too as its habitats range from alpine meadows and forests to rocky steppes and mountains.

The Chinese mountain cat is considered to be an endangered species and is highly protected in China. It is adapted to one of the harshest climates of the world - extreme winters (below zero) and very hot summers.

Closely resembling the European wild cat, it sports a light grey (fawn) coloured coat in winter and a darker coat in summer. It is 69.84 cm (27-33 in) in length with a tail about 29-35 cm (11-14 in) long.

The tail is thick with several dark rings along its length and has a black tip. It has distinctive short ear tufts similar to a lynx's, but it is not classed as a lynx. The paw pads are covered in hair in the same way the sand cat's paw pads are covered. The hair helps the cat to have a better grip when navigating rugged terrain. Its legs are short. The males are larger than the females and weigh about 9 kg (20 lbs). The females weigh about 6.5 kg (14 lbs).

The Chinese mountain cat is known to be a nocturnal (active at night) animal, but has also been observed to be crepuscular (active during twilight) in certain areas.

The reproductive season is from January through March. The female gives birth to 2-4 kittens.

Fact file

Scientific name: Felis bieti

Range: Eastern Tibetian Plateau in Sichuan

Lifespan: 10-12 yers. Many cats die as a result of poisoning from tainted Pika prey, which is their primary food.

Social structure: Solitary

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Iriomote cat

A living fossil?

At one time, there was much debate among researchers as to whether this cat is a subspecies of the leopard cat or a species of its own because of the great similarities between the two species. Now many are of the view that they are two separate species and that the Iriomote cat is closely related to the leopard cat.

No matter what the researchers have decided, the Iriomote cat is one of the most threatened species of the cat family with fewer than 100 said to exist. Found exclusively in Iriomote situated at the southern end of the Japanese Ryuku Islands (200 k east of Taiwan), this cat is considered a 'living fossil' by many biologists. They say the cat has not changed much from its primitive form. It was discovered in 1967 and placed in a separate genus as a survivor of an extinct link.

The islanders refer to the cat by various names such as Yamamayaa (mountain cat), Yamapikaryaa (mountain sparkling eyed) and Pingiimayaa (escaped cat). Its scientific name is Prionailurus iriomotensis The Iriomote cat has a coat which is dusky or greyish brown in colour with dark spots in dense longitudinal rows. They merge into bands. Five to seven dark stripes run along its neck with two white lines going across the cheeks, starting from the corner of each eye.

Its tail (16-45 cm) is thick and bushy and the back of the ears are black with a white central spot. It has an elongated body with short legs. The cat's overall length is 38-66 cm (15-26 in) and it stands at 25 cm (10 in) at shoulder height. It weighs about 3.7 kg (6.6-15.5 lbs).

The Iriomote is a solitary cat, like most of the other cats, and hunts both day and night. It is an opportunistic predator and becomes more nocturnal in the summer than in the winter. During the daytime it could be seen resting or hiding in tree cavities or rock crevices. An enthusiastic swimmer, the cat has been observed playing in the water.

Like most of the cat species, the Iriomote too survives on small mammals, rodents birds and amphibians. Some of its prey include fruit bats, black rats, wild pigs, night herons, quails, pigeons, crabs and box turtles. It generally stalks its prey and captures them in a rush.

Iriomotes are known to meow and howl like your pet cat. The female gives birth to about 2-4 kittens after a gestation period of about 60 days.

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African golden cat

As it lives a reclusive life very little is known about this cat.

A medium sized cat found in the rainforests of West and Central Africa, it is very much similar to the Asian golden cat we featured in Nature trail in the Junior Observer of February 17. It is also known as Temminck's cat.

Presently classified as the only member of the genus Profelis, not much is known of this member of the cat family which lives a secretive life. It has a head/body length of about 80 cm (31. 5 inches) plus a tail that reaches 30 cm (about a foot). The shoulder height is about 38-55 cm (1-2 feet). Males are larger and weigh around 11-14 kg (24-31 lbs). These statistics have been obtained from specimens found by researchers.

Even though it is a good climber, the cat is known to hunt more on the ground. Its prey include rodents, birds and monkeys.

Like the Iriomote cat, the African golden cat too was originally classified as two distinct species because of the colour variations of its coat; the red phase was called the 'Golden' cat and the grey phase was known as the 'Silver' cat. However, today the two phases are recognised as one species.

Even though the colour of the coats are primarily red and grey as mentioned above, African golden cats which are melanistic (all black) have been observed. The spotted markings are known to vary in these cats.

The cat is predominantly found in moist forest zones including alpine bamboo forests and mangroves. It preys on small to mid-sized mammals, large and small rodents, birds and even small antelope.

There is very little known about its reproduction and offspring though according to available information, the female is believed to give birth to one or two kittens weighing about 6.5 - 8 ounces each. Like many offspring of the cat family, they reach maturity by the time they are two years of age.

The African golden cat too is threatened by the loss of habitat and also the depletion of antelope which is part of its diet.

In captivity this cat is known to have lived for 12 years.

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Jaguarundi

A medium sized wild cat found in Mexico and Central and South America, this wild cat is closely related to the much larger cousin in the family - the cougar which is in the genus of puma. It has a chromosome count of 38 as with the puma and jaguar.

The jaguarundi has a uniform coloured coat which comes in two phases

The cat which is classed as an endangered species has four recognised subspecies. Unlike the other cats, the jaguarundi has a uniform coloured coat which comes in two phases; blackish - brownish grey (grey phase) and the foxy red to chestnut colour (red phase).

This colour phases led many a researcher to believe that they are two different species. In fact the two different coloured cats were given two different names, the grey phase was known as the jaguarundi and the red phase, the eyra. However, now it's established that the two phases are the same species since these two phases have been found in the same litter.

Found mostly in lowland brush areas close to running water, the jaguarundi preys on fish, small mammals, reptiles and birds. Averaging a body length of 65 cm (30 in) with a tail of 45 cm (20 in) the jaguarundi has short round ears and short leg.

The head is small in proportion to its elongated body and in general, it has the appearance of a weasel or an otter. Sometimes it is referred to as the otter cat. Its eyes are narrow and brown in colour.

A good tree climber, the jaguarundi is a highly adaptable animal and can be found even in dense forests and shrub areas. Even though it is not hunted for its coat, the animal is endangered due to loss of habitat.

The female gives birth to a litter of 1-4 kittens after a gestation period of 70 days. The kittens mature at two years of age. The spots which are found on their coats at birth disappear as they grow.

Sightings of jaguarundis in the United States have led many people to wonder if there are black panthers in those areas. But, researchers say these sightings are of jaguarundis that are mistaken for black panthers.