The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is a small cat about which relatively little is known. It is native to the forests of Southeast Asia.
Although distinctive enough to be placed in its own genus, and once considered to belong to the pantherine lineage of "big cats", the Marbled Cat is now believed to be closely related to the Asian Golden Cat and the Bay Cat, members of the genus (Catopuma). It has two generally recognized subspecies, P. m. marmorata (Southeast Asia) and P. m. charltoni (Nepal).
Although distinctive enough to be placed in its own genus, and once considered to belong to the pantherine lineage of "big cats", the Marbled Cat is now believed to be closely related to the Asian Golden Cat and the Bay Cat, members of the genus (Catopuma). It has two generally recognized subspecies, P. m. marmorata (Southeast Asia) and P. m. charltoni (Nepal).
The Marbled Cat is similar in size to a domestic cat, with a longer, more thickly furred tail, an adaptation to its arboreal life-style, where the tail is used as a counterbalance. Marbled cats range from 45 to 62 centimetres (18 to 24 in) in head-body length, with a 35 to 55 centimetres (14 to 22 in) tail. Recorded weights vary between 2 and 5 kilograms (4.4 and 11 lb).
The fur is blotched and banded like a marble, usually compared to the markings of the much larger Clouded Leopard. In colour, the base fur ranges from pale yellow through to brownish grey with lighter underparts. There are dark spots on the legs, underparts, and forehead, with bands on the tail and stripes on the neck and along the middle of the back. There are also white bands on the backs of the ears.
In addition to its long tail, the marbled cat can also be distinguished by its large feet, a feature it shares with the Clouded Leopard. It also possesses unusually large canine teeth, resembling those of the big cats, although these appear to be the result of parallel evolution.
Distribution and habitat
The range of the Marbled Cat extends from Assam in northeast India, with the P. m. chartoni subspecies in Nepal, through southeast Asia including Borneo and Sumatra, which were linked to the mainland of Asia during the Pleistocene ice ages. It inhabits forested environments from sea level to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).
Behavior and biology
It is probable that forest canopies provide the Marbled Cat with much of its prey: birds, squirrels, other rodents and reptiles; there are reports that the cat also hunts on the ground in parts of its range[citation needed]. From the few observations conducted, marbled cats seem to be crepuscular or nocturnal and to range across an area of approximately 5.8 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi) in search of prey.
A few marbled cats have been bred in captivity, with gestation estimated at between 66 and 82 days. In the few recorded instances, two kittens were born in each litter, and weighed from 61 to 85 grams (2.2 to 3.0 oz). The eyes open at around twelve days, and the kittens begin to take solid food at two months, around the time that they begin actively climbing.
Marbled cats reach sexual maturity at 21 or 22 months of age, and have lived for up to twelve years in captivity.
Conservation
It is rarely sighted in its densely forested habitat, and little studied or understood. Its population is estimated at below 10,000 mature individuals. Its forested habitats have been shrinking, accounting for its vulnerable listing in IUCN.
The only captive Marbled Cats registered by ISIS are a pair kept at a breeding center in the United Arab Emirates and a male kept in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.
The fur is blotched and banded like a marble, usually compared to the markings of the much larger Clouded Leopard. In colour, the base fur ranges from pale yellow through to brownish grey with lighter underparts. There are dark spots on the legs, underparts, and forehead, with bands on the tail and stripes on the neck and along the middle of the back. There are also white bands on the backs of the ears.
In addition to its long tail, the marbled cat can also be distinguished by its large feet, a feature it shares with the Clouded Leopard. It also possesses unusually large canine teeth, resembling those of the big cats, although these appear to be the result of parallel evolution.
Distribution and habitat
The range of the Marbled Cat extends from Assam in northeast India, with the P. m. chartoni subspecies in Nepal, through southeast Asia including Borneo and Sumatra, which were linked to the mainland of Asia during the Pleistocene ice ages. It inhabits forested environments from sea level to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).
Behavior and biology
It is probable that forest canopies provide the Marbled Cat with much of its prey: birds, squirrels, other rodents and reptiles; there are reports that the cat also hunts on the ground in parts of its range[citation needed]. From the few observations conducted, marbled cats seem to be crepuscular or nocturnal and to range across an area of approximately 5.8 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi) in search of prey.
A few marbled cats have been bred in captivity, with gestation estimated at between 66 and 82 days. In the few recorded instances, two kittens were born in each litter, and weighed from 61 to 85 grams (2.2 to 3.0 oz). The eyes open at around twelve days, and the kittens begin to take solid food at two months, around the time that they begin actively climbing.
Marbled cats reach sexual maturity at 21 or 22 months of age, and have lived for up to twelve years in captivity.
Conservation
It is rarely sighted in its densely forested habitat, and little studied or understood. Its population is estimated at below 10,000 mature individuals. Its forested habitats have been shrinking, accounting for its vulnerable listing in IUCN.
The only captive Marbled Cats registered by ISIS are a pair kept at a breeding center in the United Arab Emirates and a male kept in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.
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