Wildlifeof Vietnam
Marbled Cat
Cats
Photo: Mike Gordon — wildlifeofeverywhere.com · Project photograph
Pardofelis marmorata
Rare visitor: recorded only occasionally in this country
Basic stats
Diet
Birds, squirrels and other rodents, and reptiles, much of it taken in the canopy
Habitat
Forest up to about 2,500m
Range
Eastern Himalayan foothills through south-east Asia, Sumatra and Borneo
Litter size
2 kittens (few records)
Gestation period
66–82 days (captive)
Size
Head and body 45–62cm; tail 35–55cm
Weight
2–5kg
The marbled cat is about the size of a domestic cat, with rounded ears and a very long, thickly furred tail as long as its head and body. The long, soft fur runs from brownish grey to ochre-brown, patterned with black stripes on the head, neck and back and dark-edged blotches on the flanks that merge into the marbled pattern. The paws are large and webbed, and the canine teeth are unusually big for its size. The long tail acts as a counterbalance in the trees (Wikipedia, general species account).
Records show animals active by day, with activity peaking around noon. Much of the diet is probably found in the forest canopy. Very little is known of its behaviour in the wild, and what is known of breeding comes from a few animals bred in captivity.
Quick answers
- What does the Marbled Cat eat?
- Birds, squirrels and other rodents, and reptiles, much of it taken in the canopy
- What habitat does the Marbled Cat live in?
- Forest up to about 2,500m
- Where is the Marbled Cat found?
- Eastern Himalayan foothills through south-east Asia, Sumatra and Borneo
- What is the litter size of the Marbled Cat?
- 2 kittens (few records)
- How long is the gestation period of the Marbled Cat?
- 66–82 days (captive)
- How big is the Marbled Cat?
- Head and body 45–62cm; tail 35–55cm
- How much does the Marbled Cat weigh?
- 2–5kg