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| Scientific Name: Pardofelis marmorata |
Size: Head and body 18-23.5 inches
(45-60cm);
tail 16-21.5 inches (40-55cm) |
| Weight: 11 pounds (5kg) |
| Distribution: Northern India, Nepal,
Sikkim and Assam. Also Indochina, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. |
| Habitat: Lives only in forested areas,
where it is believed to be highly arboreal. |
| Diet: Mostly birds, but also squirrels,
rats and frogs. |
| Reproduction: After a gestation period
of about 81 days, female gives birth to 1-4 kittens. |
| Status: Vulnerable |
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| In earlier times it was named the
Marbled Tiger Cat, but that name has become obsolete. Little larger than a domestic
cat, the Marbled Cat has a thick, soft coat with blotched markings on the trunk,
spotted markings on its long legs and streaks and spots on its very long, black-tipped,
bushy tail. The background color of the Marbled Cat's coat can be dark brownish
gray, yellowish gray or red-brown. In proportion to its body, the Marbled Cat
has one of the longest tails of |
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| any
of the felids. The ears are small and rounded. It has been described as a "smaller
edition of the Clouded Leopard."
A little known, arboreal forest-dweller from Asia, the Marbled Cat has rarely
been observed in the wild. Its diet consists of squirrels, small primates, rats,
lizards, frogs, and above all, birds. It has on one occasion been seen hunting
by creeping along a branch. The few captive specimens that have been taken are
reported to have been "the fiercest of all cats." They are reported
to adopt an arched back posture much more frequently than other species. |
| MARBLED
CAT PHOTOS |
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