Iriomote Cat (Prionailurus iriomotensis)

Iriomote cat in Ueno Zoo. Photograph by theducks. Some rights reserved.

Description

The Iriomote Cat is a long cat with relatively short legs and short tail. It has dark brown fur of medium length. It has dark spots in rows along the body, and dark stripes along the neck. The back of the ears have white spots. The eyes are surrounded by white fur. The irises are yellow to amber.

Size

Length: 70cm - 90cm (average 80cm). Weight 3.2kg - 4.2kg.

Habitat

mountain areas with cover, broad-leaved forest, sub-tropical forest, mangrove forest on the island of Iriomote. Sometimes found on coastal beaches and near villages.

Food

Diet includes small mammals (such as bats and rats), birds, snakes, frogs, lizards, insects and sometimes fish, crabs.

Breeding

Female Iriomote Cats give birth to a single kitten (sometimes two) after a gestation believed to be about 60 days. The young are weaned after about two to three months and become independent after about four or five months.

Range

found on the island of Iriomote, Japan

Conservation Status

The conservation status in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "critically endangered".

Classification Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Prionailurus Species: iriomotensis

Relatives in same Genus   Leopard Cat (P. bengalensis)   Rusty-Spotted Cat (P. rubiginosus)   Fishing Cat (P. viverrinus)