Marbled
Cat - Pardofelis marmorataBy: C.M.Shorter
Marbled Cats are extremely secretive and elusive. Rarely
seen or photographed in the wild, they are thought to
be the Old World counterpart to the South American Margay.
Similar in size and vocalizations to that of a domestic
cat, they have a very distinctive marbled coat markings
resembling those of the Clouded Leopard. The Marbled
Cat has a face sporting a well defined line stripe extending
from the corner of each eye and jutting back over the
forehead. Eyes are amber or golden in color and ears
are small, rounded and have prominent white spots on
the backs. Legs break the illustrious marbled pattern
where they are instead speckled with an irregular shaped
dark spot pattern. Face muzzle has three distinct lines
on each side of the nose and they have a light grey to
white underside. Coat is extremely thick and soft with
substantial underfur and they have a very long thick
tail, tipped in black. |
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Marbled Cats are mainly arboreal, relying on the treetop canopy
for both shelter and food. In this regard, they are very dependent
on the forest cover and suffer greatly from deforestation of their
habitat. Range covers Asia, India through Sumatra, Borneo, Malaysia
through Indochina. Blood serum analysis shows they are indeed related
to the other big cats. Perhaps their size decreased is a way for
nature to compensate, allowing them to coexist with the larger
cats occupying this same territory such as the Clouded
Leopard,
Fishing Cat and Jungle
Cat. Marbled Cats prefer prey that also
occupies the treetop canopy such as squirrels, fruit
bats, birds,
mice and rats. They may also feed on fish, reptiles, frogs and
insects.
This cat is protected in India and Thailand and, due to their
secretive nature, they are not targeted for the Asian fur trade
although pelts do occur in the illegal markets. Marbled Cats
are seldom kept in captivity and are poor breeders in Zoos with
offspring usually hand-reared. Destruction of their forest habitat
throughout Southeast Asia is occurring at an alarming rate almost
parallel to that of the habitat loss in the Amazon Rainforest
basin. Still they are offered protection in only part of their
range, dwindling populations have placed them on CITES Appendix
I.
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Scientific Name: Pardofelis marmorata
Common Name(s): Marbled Cat
Range: Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Borneo, Malaysia, Nepal through
Indochina
Average Weight: 4 - 8kg (9 - 18 lbs)
Length: 80 - 115 cm (32 - 36")
Diet: Carnivorous. Primarily arboreal feeding on squirrels, fruit
bats, birds. They may also feed on mice and rats, fish, reptiles,
frogs and insects.
Gestation Period: 80 - 82 Days
Cub Maturity: 6 - 8 Months
Cubs Per Litter: 1 - 4 Kittens
Lifespan: 8 - 10 years. Recorded to have lived 12 years in captivity.
Predators: Man. Major threats - deforestation, loss of habitat.
Social Structure: Solitary
Territory Size: 15-20km (8-11 miles)
Conservation Status: Placed on CITES Appendix I.
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