Jungle Cat (Felis chaus)

Jungle Cat Photograph by Petra Karstedt / Wilfried Berns. Some rights reserved.

Description

The Jungle Cat is similar in shape to a domestic cat. The fur is pale gray brown to tawny brown and it has no distinctive markings on the body. The tail has dark rings and a black tip. The ears have black tufts. The legs are comparatively long enabling it to run fast when chasing prey.

Size

Head and body length: 50cm - 75cm. Tail length: 25cm - 29cm

Habitat

grasslands, reed thickets near stagnant or slow moving water. They are sometimes found in drier areas provided there is water nearby.

Food

The Jungle Cat is a carnivore and preys on small animals such as hares, ground birds, snakes, lizards and frogs. They hunt during day and night, but mainly early morning and late afternoon.

Breeding

The female gives birth to a litter of 3-5 kittens after a gestation period of about 66 days. The kittens weigh about 130g at birth and are weaned after about 102 days.

Range

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

Classification Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Felis Species: chaus

Relatives in same Genus   Pallas' Cat (F. manul)   Sand Cat (F. margarita)   Black-footed Cat (F. nigripes)   Wildcat (F. silvestris)

Felis chaus from Munsiyari, Uttarakhand, India Photograph by L. Shyamal. Some rights reserved.

Felis chaus Photograph by L. Shyamal. Some rights reserved.