The marbled cat is about the size of a domestic cat. Its
head and body length is 45 - 62 cm (18 - 24") and it weighs 2 - 5 kg (4 -
11 lb). Its tail is extremely long and bushy. The background color of its fur
varies from dark gray-brown through yellowish gray to red-brown. The flanks and
back are strikingly marked with large, irregular, dark-edged blotches. The legs
and underparts are marked with black dots, and the tail is marked with black
spots and rings. There are spots on the forehead and crown, which merge into
narrow longitudinal stripes on the neck and irregular stripes on the back.
The marbled cat is primarily an animal of moist tropical
forest, but there is only anecdotal information on the specificity of its
habitat requirements. The range of habitat types the species has been recorded
in includes mixed deciduous-evergreen forest areas, mountainous evergreen
forest, secondary forest, clearings, six-year-old logged forest, and
Dipterocarp forest. It has been found from sea level to 3000 m (10,000'). Birds
and/or rodents have been reported as likely forming a major part of its diet. Although
previously the marbled cat was considered to be primarily nocturnal (Nowell
& Jackson 1996), recent studies have shown that it can be cathemeral, with
observations of the cat having been made throughout the day. Observations of
marbled cats in the wild have indicated arboreal and terrestrial habits.
The marbled cat is found in northern India,Nepal, Guangxi
and Yunnan provinces in China,
and south through Cambodia,Laos, Myanmar,Thailand, Viet
Nam, peninsular Malaysia,Sumatra (Indonesia),
and Borneo. Throughout its range it is thought to be
rare, although it has also been suggested that the perception of the marbled
cat's rarity may be caused by its secretive nature and its preference for
remote forest areas. Because of its dependence on forest habitat, the major
threat to the marbled cat is habitat destruction caused by felling of trees and
the traditional, shifting, "jhum" method of local cultivation. The
marbled cat is also thought to be intolerant of human disturbance, abandoning a
forest that is even moderately disturbed. Poaching for skins, bones and meat
may also be a threat.
Tidbits
*** Cat Tidbit #8: Cats can hear in the 65 - 70 kHz range,
well above the human limit of 15 - 20 kHz. Cats do not produce ultrasonic
calls, so their ability to detect these high-frequency sounds is probably
related to hunting. Rodent ultrasound communication occurs in the 20 - 50 kHz
range, so small cats are well equipped to detect the sounds of their prey.
(Sunquist & Sunquist 2002) (See Cat Tidbit #9.)
*** Superficially, the marbled cat looks like a house cat,
but it possesses an odd mixture of small cat and big cat characteristics. For
example, with its enlarged canines, blotched coat pattern, and broad feet, it
resembles the larger clouded leopard, (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002)
Status and Trends
IUCN Status:
[The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of
Nature; also called the World Conservation Union) is the world’s largest
conservation organization. Its members include countries, government agencies,
and non-governmental organizations.The
IUCN determines the worldwide status of threatened animals and publishes the
status in its Red List.]
Countries Where the
Marbled Cat Is Currently Found:
2005: Occurs in Brunei,Cambodia, China,India, Indonesia(Kalimantan, Sumatra), Laos,Malaysia, Myanmar,Nepal, Thailandand Viet Nam.
May occur in Bangladeshand Bhutan.
(IUCN 2005)
Taxonomy:
Recent genetic analyses have lead to the proposal that all
modern cats can be placed into eight lineages which originated between 6.2 -
10.8 million years ago. The marbled cat is placed in the "bay cat
lineage," which diverged from its ancestors as a separate lineage 10.8
million years ago. The bay cat lineage also includes the Asiatic golden cat and
the bay cat. (Johnson et al. 2006)
Population Estimates:
[Note: Figures
given are for wild populations only.]
* WORLD
o The
marbled cat’s total effective population size is estimated at below 10,000
mature breeding individuals (IUCN 2005).
Distribution:
The marbled cat is found in northern India,Nepal, Guangxi
and Yunnan provinces in China,
and south through Cambodia,Laos, Myanmar,Thailand, Viet
Nam, peninsular Malaysia,Sumatra (Indonesia),
and Borneo. Throughout its range it is thought to be
rare, although it has also been suggested that the perception of the marbled
cat's rarity may be caused by itssecretive nature and its preference for remote forest areas. It is
rarely seen in the wild. (Nowell & Jackson 1996, Sunquist & Sunquist
2002, IUCN 2005)
Distribution Map #1 (2 Kb GIF) (Big Cats Online)
Distribution Map #2 (Showing the areas where the two
subspecies of the marbled cat are found: 1) P.m. marmorata - Southeast
Asia, 2) P.m. charltoni - Nepal)
(24 Kb GIF) (Fauves du Monde)
Threats:
Because of its dependence on forest habitat, the major
threat to the marbled cat is habitat destruction caused by felling of trees and
the traditional, shifting, "jhum" method of local cultivation. The
marbled cat is also thought to be intolerant of human disturbance, abandoning a
forest that is even moderately disturbed. Poaching for skins, bones and meat
may also be a threat. Other conservation issues include insurgency, straying
into human habitation, and various developmental activities. (Sunquist & Sunquist
2002, Choudhury 2003)
Data on Biology and Ecology
Size and Weight:
The head and body
length of the marbled cat is 45 - 62 cm (18 - 24") and it weighs 2 - 5 kg
(4 - 11 lb) (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002).
Habitat:
The marbled cat is
primarily an animal of moist tropical forest, but there is only anecdotal
information on the specificity of its habitat requirements. The range of
habitat types the species has been recorded in includes mixed
deciduous-evergreen forest areas, mountainous evergreen forest, secondary
forest, clearings, six-year-old logged forest, Dipterocarp forest, and one
animal that was described as living on a river cliff, which consisted of rocks
overgrown with scrub and low bush. It has been found from sea level to 3000 m
(10,000'). (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002, IUCN 2005)
The marbled cat is
found in the Himalaya, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland
Biodiversity Hotspots (Cons. Intl. 2005).
Estimated to vary
from 66 - 82 days (captivity) (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002).
Birth Season:
Two litters were
born in January and February; another in September (Sunquist & Sunquist
2002).
Birth Rate:
Litter size: 1 - 4
(captivity) (Nowell & Jackson 1996).
Early Development:
Captive kittens
begin accepting meat at 121 days (Humphrey & Bain 1990).
Maximum Age:
At least 12 years
and 3 months (captivity) (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002).
Diet:
Birds and/or
rodents (such as squirrels and rats) have been reported as likely forming a
major part of its diet, and possibly lizards and frogs are consumed (Sunquist
& Sunquist 2002, Scott et al. 2004).
Behavior:
Although
previously the marbled cat was considered to be primarily nocturnal (Nowell
& Jackson 1996), recent studies have shown that it can be cathemeral, with
observations of the cat having been made throughout the day and not indicating
a crepuscular bias (Holden 2001). Observations of marbled cats in the wild have
indicated arboreal and terrestrial habits (Grassman et al. 2005).
Range:
A female marbled
cat who was radio-tracked for a brief period in the Phu Khieo Wildlife
Sanctuary in Thailandwas using an area of 5.8 sq km (2.2 sq mi) (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002).
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