View source for Leopard cat

{{Short description|Small wild cat species}}
{{Distinguish|Leopard}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis 2-Découpe.JPG
| image_caption = Indian leopard cat (''P. b. bengalensis'')
| image2 = Chat Léopard de Sibérie.jpg
| image2_caption = Amur leopard cat (''P. b. euptilura'')<br />both at the [[Parc des Félins]]
| name = Leopard cat
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Prionailurus bengalensis'' |name-list-style=amp |date=2022 |author=Ghimirey, Y. |author2=Petersen, W. |author3=Jahed, N. |author4=Akash, M. |author5=Lynam, A.J. |author6=Kun, S. |author7=Din, J. |author8=Nawaz, M.A. |author9=Singh, P. |author10=Dhendup, T. |author11=Marcus, C. |author12=Gray, T.N.E. |author13=Phyoe Kyaw, P. |article-number=e.T18146A212958253 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T18146A212958253.en |access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A2
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = <ref name=iucn/>{{NoteTag|''Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis'' is listed in Appendix I.}}
| genus = Prionailurus
| species = bengalensis
| authority = ([[Robert Kerr (writer)|Kerr]], 1792)
| subdivision = * ''P. b. bengalensis'' (Kerr, 1792)
* ''P. b. euptilura'' ([[Daniel Giraud Elliot|Elliott]], 1871)
| range_map = Leopard cat distribution 2022.jpg
| range_map_caption = Distribution of the leopard cat, 2022<ref name=iucn/>
}}

The '''leopard cat''' ('''''Prionailurus bengalensis''''') is a [[Felinae|small wild cat]] native to continental [[South Asia|South]], [[Southeast Asia|Southeast]], and [[East Asia]]. Since 2002 it has been listed as [[Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] as it is widely distributed although threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range.<ref name=iucn />

Historically, the leopard cat of continental Asia was considered  the same [[species]] as the [[Sunda leopard cat]]. As of 2017, the latter is recognised as a distinct species, with the [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] name ''Prionailurus javanensis''.<ref name=catsg>{{cite journal |last1=Kitchener |first1=A. C. |last2=Breitenmoser-Würsten |first2=C. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Gentry |first4=A. |last5=Werdelin |first5=L. |last6=Wilting |first6=A. |last7=Yamaguchi |first7=N. |last8=Abramov |first8=A. V. |last9=Christiansen |first9=P. |last10=Driscoll |first10=C. |last11=Duckworth |first11=J. W. |last12=Johnson |first12=W. |last13=Luo |first13=S.-J. |last14=Meijaard |first14=E. |last15=O'Donoghue |first15=P. |last16=Sanderson |first16=J. |last17=Seymour |first17=K. |last18=Bruford |first18=M. |last19=Groves |first19=C. |last20=Hoffmann |first20=M. |last21=Nowell |first21=K. |last22=Timmons |first22=Z. |last23=Tobe |first23=S. |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |volume=Special Issue 11 |pages=26–29 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y#page=28}}</ref>

Leopard cat [[subspecies]] differ widely in fur colour, tail length, skull shape and size of [[carnassial]]s.<ref name="groves97">{{cite journal |author=Groves, C. P. |year=1997 |title=Leopard-cats, ''Prionailurus bengalensis'' (Carnivora: Felidae) from Indonesia and the Philippines, with the description of two new subspecies |journal=Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde |volume=62 |pages=330–338}}</ref> Archaeological evidence indicates that the leopard cat was the first cat species domesticated in [[Neolithic]] China about 5,000 years ago in [[Shaanxi province|Shaanxi]] and [[Henan Province]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vigne |first1= J.D. |last2=Evin |first2=A. |last3=Cucchi |first3=T. |last4=Dai |first4=L. |last5=Yu |first5=C. |last6=Hu |first6=S. |last7=Soulages |first7=N. |last8=Wang |first8=W. |last9=Sun |first9=Z. |last10=Gao |first10=J. |last11=Dobney |first11=K. |last12=Yuan |first12=J. |year=2016 |title=Earliest "Domestic" Cats in China Identified as Leopard Cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=11 |issue=1 |article-number=e0147295 |doi-access=free |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0147295 |pmid=26799955 |pmc=4723238 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1147295V}}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
[[File:Leopard cat vertical pupils nocturnal ambush predator.jpg|thumb|An adult leopard cat]]

A leopard cat is about the size of a [[domestic cat]], but more slender, with longer legs and well-defined webs between its toes. Its small head is marked with two prominent dark stripes and a short and narrow white muzzle. There are two dark stripes running from the eyes to the ears and smaller white streaks running from the eyes to the nose. The backs of its moderately long and rounded ears are black with central white spots. Body and limbs are marked with black spots of varying size and colour, and along its back are two to four rows of elongated spots. The tail is about half the size of its head-body length and is spotted with a few indistinct rings near the black tip. The background colour of the spotted fur is tawny, with a white chest and belly. However, in their huge range, they vary so much in colouration and size of spots as well as in body size and weight that initially they were thought to be several different [[species]]. The fur colour is yellowish brown in the southern populations, but pale silver-grey in the northern ones. The black markings may be spotted, [[Rosette (zoology)|rosette]]d, or may even form dotted streaks, depending on subspecies. In the [[tropics]], leopard cats weigh {{convert|0.55|-|3.8|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, have head-body lengths of {{convert|38.8|-|66|cm|in|abbr=on}}, with long {{convert|17.2|-|31|cm|in|abbr=on}} tails. In northern China and [[Siberia]], they weigh up to {{convert|7.1|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, and have head-body lengths of up to {{convert|75|cm|in|abbr=on}}; generally, they put on weight before winter and become thinner until spring.<ref name=WCoW>{{cite book |author=Sunquist, M. |author2=Sunquist, F. |name-list-style=amp |year=2002 |title=Wild Cats of the World |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |pages=225–232 |isbn=978-0-226-77999-7 |chapter=Leopard cat ''Prionailurus bengalensis'' (Kerr, 1792) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA226 |access-date=2020-11-14 |archive-date=2022-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417145609/https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA226 |url-status=live }}</ref> Shoulder height is about {{convert|41|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada |date=2018 |title=Leopard Cat |url=https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/asia/leopard-cat/ |website=International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Tsushima Cat 001.jpg|thumb|Tsushima leopard cat]]

''Felis bengalensis'' was the [[scientific name]] proposed by [[Robert Kerr (writer)|Robert Kerr]] in 1792 for a leopard cat from [[Bengal]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kerr |first1=R. |title=The Animal Kingdom or zoological system of the celebrated Sir Charles Linnaeus. Class I. Mammalia |date=1792 |publisher=A. Strahan & T. Cadell |location=Edinburgh & London |page=151−152 |chapter=Bengal Tiger-Cat ''Felis bengalensis'' |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/animalkingdomorz00linn/page/150}}</ref> In the subsequent decades, 20 more leopard cat [[zoological specimen|specimen]]s were described and named, including:<ref name="ems66">{{cite book |author1=Ellerman, J. R. |author2=Morrison-Scott, T. C. S. |year=1966 |title=Checklist of Palaearctic and Indian mammals 1758 to 1946 |edition= Second |publisher=British Museum of Natural History |location=London |pages=312–313 |chapter=''Felis bengalensis'' Kerr, 1792 Leopard Cat |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/checklistofindia00elle#page/312/mode/2up}}</ref>

* ''Felis nipalensis'' ([[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]] & [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]], 1829) from Nepal
* ''Felis chinensis'' ([[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1837) from [[Guangdong|Canton Province]], China
* ''Leopardus ellioti'' (Gray, 1842) from the area of [[Bombay Presidency]]
* ''Felis horsfieldi'' (Gray, 1842) from [[Bhutan]]
* ''Felis wagati'' (Gray, 1867) and ''Felis tenasserimensis'' (Gray, 1867) from [[Tanintharyi Region|Tenasserim]]
* ''Felis euptilura'' ([[Daniel Giraud Elliot|Elliot]], 1871) based on two skins from Siberia. One was depicted in [[Gustav Radde]]'s illustration cum description of a wild cat; the other was part of a collection at the [[Regent's Park Zoo]]. The ground colour of both was light brownish-yellow, strongly mixed with grey and covered with reddish-brown spots, head grey with a dark-red stripe across the cheek.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Elliott |first1=D. G. |year=1871 |title=Remarks on Various Species of Felidae, with a Description of a Species from North-Western Siberia |journal=Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London |pages=765–761 |url=https://archive.org/stream/proceedingsofgen71zool#page/n939/mode/2up}}</ref> The initial binomial ''euptilura'' given by Elliott has been incorrectly changed to "''euptilurus''" by some later authors, but under the [[International Code of Zoological Nomenclature]] Article 31.2.1, nouns and noun phrases are not subject to gender agreement;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted-sites/iczn/code/|title=International Code of Zoological Nomenclature|website=www.nhm.ac.uk|access-date=2017-03-07|archive-date=2015-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226171112/http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted-sites/iczn/code/|url-status=live}}</ref> at present, both terms appear in use, but only the spelling "''euptilura''" is correct.
* ''Felis microtis'' ([[Alphonse Milne-Edwards|Milne-Edwards]], 1872) from the [[Peking]] area; and also from [[Tsushima Island]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=O. |year=1908 |title=The Duke of Bedford's zoological exploration in Eastern Asia. – VII List of mammals from the Tsushima Islands |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |volume=1908 |issue=January – April |pages=47–54 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1908.tb01833.x |url=https://archive.org/stream/proceedingsofzoo19081430zool#page/52/mode/2up}}</ref>
* ''Felis manchurica'' ([[Tamezo Mori|Mori]], 1922) from the vicinity of [[Mukden]] in Manchuria was a light grey spotted skin.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mori |first1=T. |year=1922 |title=On some new Mammals from Korea and Manchuria |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Including Zoology, Botany, and Geology |series=Ninth  |volume=X |pages=609–610 |url=https://archive.org/stream/ser9annalsmagazi10londuoft#page/608/mode/2up}}</ref>
In 1939, [[Reginald Innes Pocock]] subordinated them to the genus ''[[Prionailurus]]''. The collection of the [[Natural History Museum, London]] comprised several skulls and large numbers of skins of leopard cats from various regions. Based on this broad variety of skins, he proposed to differentiate between a southern [[subspecies]] ''P. bengalensis bengalensis'' from warmer [[latitude]]s to the west and east of the [[Bay of Bengal]], and a northern ''P. bengalensis horsfieldi'' from the [[Himalayas]], having a fuller winter coat than the southern. His description of leopard cats from the areas of [[Gilgit]] and [[Karachi]] under the [[trinomen]] ''Prionailurus bengalensis trevelyani'' is based on seven skins that had longer, paler and more greyish fur than those from the Himalayas. He assumed that ''trevelyani'' inhabits more rocky, less forested habitats than ''bengalensis'' and ''horsfieldi''.<ref name="pocock">{{cite book |author=Pocock, R. I. |year=1939 |title=The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. – Volume 1 |publisher=Taylor and Francis, Ltd. |location=London |chapter=''Prionailurus bengalensis'' |pages=266–276 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/PocockMammalia1/pocock1#page/n339/mode/2up}}</ref>

Two more subspecies were proposed and described:
* ''P. b. alleni'' ([[:nl:Henri Jacob Victor Sody|Sody]], 1949) from [[Hainan]] Island<ref>{{cite journal |author=Sody, H. J. V. |year=1949 |title=Notes on some Primates, Carnivora and the babirusa from the Indo-Malayan and Indo-Australian regions |journal=Treubia |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=121–190 |doi=10.14203/treubia.v20i2.2624 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* ''P. b. iriomotensis'' (Imaizumi, 1967), known as the [[Iriomote cat]], from [[Iriomote Island]] in the [[Japanese Archipelago]];<ref name="imaizumi67">{{cite journal |author=Imaizumi, Y. |year=1967 |title=A new genus and species of cat from Iriomote, Ryukyu Islands |journal=Journal of Mammalian Society Japan |volume=3 |issue=4 |page=74}}</ref> Initially, the Iriomote cat was recognised as a distinct species, but following [[mtDNA]] analysis in the 1990s was considered a leopard cat subspecies.<ref name="masuda95">{{cite journal |last1=Masuda |first1=R. |last2=Yoshida |first2=M. C. |year=1995 |title=Two Japanese wildcats, the Tsushima cat and the Iriomote cat, show the same mitochondrial DNA lineage as the leopard cat ''Felis bengalensis'' |journal=Zoological Science |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=655–659 |doi=10.2108/zsj.12.655 |pmid=8590833 |s2cid=31111378 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Russian zoologists [[Vladimir Geptner|Geptner]], Gromov and Baranova disagreed with this classification. They emphasized the differences of skins and skulls at their disposal and the ones originating in Southeast Asia, and coined the term '''Amur forest cat''', which they regarded as a distinct species.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Heptner, V. G. |year=1971 |title=[On the systematic position of the Amur forest cat and some other east Asian cats placed in ''Felis bengalensis'' Kerr, 1792.] |journal=Zoologicheskii Zhurnal |volume=50 |pages=1720–1727 |language=ru}}</ref><ref>Gromov, I.M., Baranova, G.I., Baryšnikov, G. F. (eds.) (1981). ''Katalog mlekopitaûŝih SSSR : pliocen--sovremennostʹ'' Zoologičeskij Institut "Nauka." Leningradskoe otdelenie, Leningrad</ref> In 1987, Chinese zoologists pointed out the affinity of leopard cats from northern China, Amur cats and leopard cats from southern latitudes. In view of the [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] similarities they did not support classifying the Amur cat as a species.<ref>Gao, Y.; Wang, S.; Zhang, M.L.; Ye, Z.Y.; Zhou, J.D.; eds. (1987). [Fauna Sinica. Mammalia 8: Carnivora.] Science Press, Beijing. (in Chinese)</ref>

[[Molecular genetics|Molecular analysis]] of 39 leopard cat tissue samples clearly showed three [[clade]]s: a northern lineage and southern lineages 1 and 2. The northern lineage comprises leopard cats from [[Tsushima Island]], the [[Korean Peninsula]], the continental [[Far East]], Taiwan, and [[Iriomote Island]]. Southern lineage 1, comprising Southeast Asian populations, showed higher [[genetic diversity]]. Southern lineage 2 is genetically distant from the other lineages.<ref name=Tamada>{{cite journal |author1=Tamada, T. |author2=Siriaroonrat, B. |author3=Subramaniam, V. |author4=Hamachi, M. |author5=Lin, L.-K. |author6=Oshida, T. |author7=Rerkamnuaychoke, W. |author8=Masuda, R. |year=2006 |title=Molecular Diversity and Phylogeography of the Asian Leopard Cat, ''Felis bengalensis'', Inferred from Mitochondrial and Y-Chromosomal DNA Sequences |journal=Zoological Science |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=154–163 |doi=10.2108/zsj.25.154 |pmid=18533746 |citeseerx=10.1.1.332.7592 |s2cid=16057327 |url=http://www2.thu.edu.tw/~biology/files/writing_journal/12/121_808f5b32.pdf |access-date=2011-02-19 |archive-date=2011-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721081858/http://www2.thu.edu.tw/~biology/files/writing_journal/12/121_808f5b32.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

Following a revision of Felidae taxonomy in 2017, two leopard cat [[species]] are now recognised, based on molecular analyses, morphological differences, and biogeographic separation:<ref name=catsg/>
* the mainland leopard cat (''P. bengalensis'') is widely distributed on mainland Asia, from Pakistan to Southeast Asia, China, and the [[Russian Far East]].
* the [[Sunda leopard cat]] (''P. javanensis'') is native to Java, Bali, Borneo, Sumatra, Palawan, Negros, Cebu, Panay, and possibly the [[Malay Peninsula]].

Two mainland leopard cat subspecies are currently recognised:<ref name=catsg/>
* ''P. b. bengalensis''  (Kerr, 1792) ranges in South and East Asia, from Pakistan to China, and probably the Malay Peninsula; and 
* ''P. b. euptilura'' (Elliott, 1871) is native to the Russian Far East, [[Manchuria]], Korea, Taiwan, Iriomote and Tsushima Islands.

=== Phylogeny ===
[[Phylogenetic]] analysis of the [[nuclear DNA]] in tissue samples from all Felidae species revealed that the [[evolutionary radiation]] of the Felidae began in Asia in the [[Miocene]] around {{mya|14.45|8.38}}.<ref name=Johnson2006>{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=W. E. |last2=Eizirik |first2=E. |last3=Pecon-Slattery |first3=J. |last4=Murphy |first4=W. J. |author5=Antunes, A. |author6=Teeling, E. |author7=O'Brien, S. J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2006 |doi=10.1126/science.1122277 |title=The Late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=311 |pages=73–77 |pmid=16400146 |issue=5757 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |bibcode=2006Sci...311...73J |s2cid=41672825 |access-date=2020-04-30 |archive-date=2020-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004075725/https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Werdelin2010>{{cite book |last1=Werdelin |first1=L. |last2=Yamaguchi |first2=N. |last3=Johnson |first3=W. E. |last4=O'Brien |first4=S. J. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae) |year=2010 |pages=59–82 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266755142 |editor1-last=Macdonald |editor1-first=D. W. |editor2-last=Loveridge |editor2-first=A. J. |title=Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-19-923445-5 |access-date=2020-04-30 |archive-date=2018-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925141956/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266755142 |url-status=live}}</ref> Analysis of [[mitochondrial DNA]] of all Felidae species indicates a radiation at around {{mya|16.76|6.46}}.<ref name=Li_al2016>{{cite journal |author=Li, G. |author2=Davis, B. W. |author3=Eizirik, E. |name-list-style=amp |author4=Murphy, W. J. |year=2016 |title=Phylogenomic evidence for ancient hybridization in the genomes of living cats (Felidae) |journal=Genome Research |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1101/gr.186668.114 |pmid=26518481 |pmc=4691742}}</ref>

The ''Prionailurus'' species are estimated to have had a [[common ancestor]] between {{mya|8.16|4.53}},<ref name=Johnson2006/> and {{mya|8.76|0.73}}.<ref name=Li_al2016/>
Both models agree in the [[rusty-spotted cat]] (''P. rubiginosus'') having been the first cat of this [[evolution]]ary [[Lineage (genetic)|lineage]] that [[Genetic divergence|genetically diverged]], followed by the [[flat-headed cat]] (''P. planiceps'') and then the [[fishing cat]] (''P. viverrinus'').<ref name=Johnson2006/><ref name=Li_al2016/> It is estimated to have diverged together with the leopard cat between {{mya|4.31|1.74}}<ref name=Johnson2006/> and {{mya|4.25|0.02}}.<ref name=Li_al2016/>

The following [[cladogram]] shows the phylogenetic relationships of the leopard cat as derived through analysis of nuclear DNA:<ref name=Johnson2006/><ref name=Werdelin2010/>
{{cladogram |align=left |style=font-size:90%;line-height:100%;width:500px;
 |cladogram={{clade |label1=[[Felidae]]
 |1={{clade |label1=[[Felinae]]
   |1={{clade
    |1={{clade
       |1={{clade |label1=''Prionailurus''
         |1={{clade
           |1={{clade
            |1={{clade
             |1={{clade
               |1='''Leopard cat'''
               |2=Fishing cat }}
             |2=Flat-headed cat }}
           |2=Rusty-spotted cat }} }}
       |2=[[Pallas's cat]] (''O. manul'') |label2=''Otocolobus''}} }}
    |2=other Felinae lineages }}
   |2=[[Pantherinae]] }} }} }}
{{clear}}

== Distribution and habitat ==
The leopard cat is the most widely distributed Asian small wild cat. Its range extends from eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and large parts of the [[Indian subcontinent]] and [[Southeast Asia]] to the [[Russian Far East]]. It lives in tropical evergreen rainforests and plantations at sea level, in subtropical [[Deciduous forest|deciduous]] and [[coniferous forest]]s in the foothills of the [[Himalayas]] at elevations above {{cvt|1000|m}}.<ref name=WCoW/> It is able to tolerate human-modified landscapes with vegetation cover to some degree, and inhabits agriculturally used areas such as [[oil palm]] and [[sugar cane]] plantations.<ref name=WCoW/><ref name=Chua16>{{Cite journal |last1=Chua |first1=M. A. H. |last2=Sivasothi |first2=N. |last3=Meier |first3=R. |year=2016 |title=Population density, spatiotemporal use and diet of the leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') in a human-modified succession forest landscape of Singapore |journal=Mammal Research |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=99–108 |doi=10.1007/s13364-015-0259-4 |s2cid=14269188 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291014902 |access-date=2019-02-15 |archive-date=2022-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417145609/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291014902_Population_density_spatiotemporal_use_and_diet_of_the_leopard_cat_Prionailurus_bengalensis_in_a_human-modified_succession_forest_landscape_of_Singapore |url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[Afghanistan]], it was reported in the 1970s from Jalalkot and Norgul in the [[Kunar Valley]], and the Waygul forest of [[Dara-I-Pech District]].<ref>Habibi, K. (2004). ''Mammals of Afghanistan''. Zoo Outreach Organisation, Coimbatore, India.</ref> It is rare in Pakistan's arid treeless areas.<ref>{{cite book |author=Roberts, T. J. |year=1977 |title=The mammals of Pakistan |location=London |publisher=Ernest Benn |chapter=Leopard cat}}</ref>

In 2009, a leopard cat was recorded by a [[camera trap]] in [[Nepal]]'s [[Makalu-Barun National Park]] at an elevation of {{cvt|3254|m}}. At least six individuals inhabit the survey area, which is dominated by associations of [[rhododendron]], [[oak]] and [[maple]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ghimirey |first1=Y. |last2=Ghimire |first2=B. | year=2010 |title=Leopard Cat at high altitude in Makalu-Barun National Park, Nepal |journal=Cat News |issue=52 |pages=16–17}}</ref> The highest elevation record was obtained in September 2012 at {{cvt|4474|m}} in the [[Kanchenjunga Conservation Area]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thapa |first1=K. |last2=Pradhan |first2=N. M. B. |last3=Barker |first3=J. |last4=Dahal |first4=M. |last5=Bhandari |first5=A. R. |last6=Gurung |first6=G. S. |last7=Rai |first7=D. P. |last8=Thapa |first8=G. J. |last9=Shrestha |first9=S. |last10=Singh |first10=G. R. |year=2013 |title=High elevation record of a leopard cat in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal |journal=Cat News |issue=58 |pages=26–27}}</ref>

In [[Thailand]]'s [[Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary]], 20 leopard cats were [[Radio telemetry|radio-collared]] between 1999 and 2003. Home ranges of males ranged from {{cvt|2.2|km2}} to {{cvt|28.9 |km2}}, and of the six females from {{cvt|4.4|km2}} to {{cvt|37.1|km2}}.<ref name="lon05">{{cite journal |last1=Grassman Jr, L. I. |last2=Tewes, M. E. |last3=Silvy, N. J. |last4=Kreetiyutanont, K. |year=2005 |title=Spatial organization and diet of the leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') in north-central Thailand |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=266 |pages=45–54 |doi=10.1017/s095283690500659x}}</ref>

In China, it was recorded in the [[Changqing National Nature Reserve]] in the [[Qinling]] Mountains, in the Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in the [[Min Mountains]], in [[Wolong Nature Reserve]] and other protected areas in the [[Qionglai Mountains]] and [[Daliang Mountains]] between 2002 and 2008.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Li, S.|author2=Wang, D. |author3=Lu, Z. |author4=Mc Shea, W. J. |year=2010 |title=Cats living with pandas: The status of wild felids within giant panda range, China |journal=Cat News |issue=52 |pages=20–23}}</ref>

In far eastern Russia, it lives close to rivers, valleys and in [[ravine]] forests, but avoids areas with more than {{cvt|10|cm}} of snowfall.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Heptner, V. G. |author2=Sludskij, A. A. |orig-date=1972 |year=1992 |title=Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola |trans-title=Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats) |publisher=Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation |location=Washington DC |chapter=Amur, or Far Eastern Forest Cat |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov221992gept#page/328/mode/2up |pages=328–355}}</ref>
In the [[Japanese archipelago]], the leopard cat is currently restricted to the islands of [[Iriomote Island|Iriomote]] and [[Tsushima Island|Tsushima]].<ref name="imaizumi67"/><ref name="NES13">Ministry of the Environment, Tsushima Wildlife Conservation Center (2005). [http://kyushu.env.go.jp/twcc/multilang/english/pamph.htm ''National Endangered Species Tsushima Leopard Cat - English Version''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105232037/http://kyushu.env.go.jp/twcc/multilang/english/pamph.htm |date=2013-01-05 }}.</ref> Fossils [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavated]] dating to the [[Pleistocene]] period suggest a broader distribution in the past.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ohdachi |first1=S. |last2=Ishibashi |first2=Y. |last3=Iwasa |first3=A.M. |last4=Fukui |first4=D. |last5=Saitohet |first5=T. |year=2015 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280721253 |title=The Wild Mammals of Japan |publisher=Shoukadoh |isbn=978-4-87974-691-7 |access-date=2016-05-19 |archive-date=2018-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916202137/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280721253 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Ecology and behaviour ==
[[File:Leopard cat India.jpg|thumb|A leopard cat photographed in the [[Sundarbans]], India]]
[[File:Leopard Cat Tennoji.jpg|thumb|An alert leopard cat]]

Leopard cats are [[wiktionary:solitary|solitary]], except during the breeding season. Some are active during the day, but most hunt at night, preferring to stalk [[Muridae|murids]], [[tree shrew]]s and [[hare]]s. They are agile climbers and quite arboreal in their habits. They rest in trees, but also hide in dense thorny undergrowth on the ground.<ref name="lon05" /> There, leopard cats feed on a large proportion of rats compared to forested areas.<ref name=Chua16 />

Leopard cats can swim, but seldom do so. They produce a similar range of vocalisations to the domestic cat. Both sexes [[scent mark]] their territory by [[spraying urine]], leaving faeces in exposed locations, [[Bunting (animal behavior)|head rubbing]], and scratching.<ref name=WCoW/>

===Diet===
Leopard cats are carnivorous, feeding on a variety of small prey including mammals, lizards, amphibians, birds and insects. In most parts of their range, small rodents such as rats and mice form the major part of their diet, which is often supplemented with grass, eggs, poultry, and aquatic prey. They are active hunters, dispatching their prey with a rapid pounce and bite. Unlike many other small cats, they do not "play" with their food, maintaining a tight grip with their claws until the animal is dead. This may be related to the relatively high proportion of birds in their diet, which are more likely to escape when released than are rodents.<ref name=WCoW/>

===Reproduction and development===
The breeding season of leopard cats varies depending on the climate. In tropical habitats, kittens are born throughout the year. In colder habitats farther north, females give birth in spring. Their [[gestation]] period lasts 60–70 days. Litter size varies between two and three kittens. Captive-born kittens weighed {{convert|75|to|130|g|oz}} at birth and opened their eyes by 15 days of age. Within two weeks, they double their weight and are four times their birth weight at the age of five weeks. At the age of four weeks, their permanent canines break through, and they begin to eat meat. Captive females reach [[sexual maturity]] earliest at the age of one year and have their first litter at the age of 13 to 14 months. Captive leopard cats have lived for up to thirteen years.<ref name=WCoW/>

The [[estrus]] period lasts five to nine days.{{citation needed|date=June 2010}}

== Threats ==
[[File:Prionailurus bengalensis pelt id.jpg|thumb|Skin and skin details from an identification guide for law enforcement agents]]

In China, leopard cats are hunted mainly for their fur. Between 1984 and 1989, about 200,000 skins were exported yearly. A survey carried out in 1989 among major fur traders revealed more than 800,000 skins on stock. Since the [[European Union]] imposed an import ban in 1988, Japan has become the main importing country, and received 50,000 skins in 1989.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Nowell, K. |author2=Jackson, P. |year=1996 |title=Wild Cats: status survey and conservation action plan |location=Gland, Switzerland |publisher=IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group |chapter=Leopard Cat ''Prionailurus bengalensis'' (Kerr 1792): Principal Threats |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724185409/http://lynx.uio.no/lynx/catsgportal/cat-website/catfolk/bengal07.htm |archive-date=2011-07-24 |chapter-url=http://lynx.uio.no/lynx/catsgportal/cat-website/catfolk/bengal07.htm}}</ref> Although commercial trade is much reduced, the leopard cat continues to be hunted throughout most of its range for fur, food, and for sale as a pet. It is widely viewed as a poultry thief and killed in retribution.<ref name=iucn />

In [[Myanmar]], 483 body parts of at least 443 individuals were observed in four markets surveyed between 1991 and 2006. Numbers were significantly larger than non-threatened species. Three of the surveyed markets are situated on international borders with China and Thailand, and cater to international buyers, although the leopard cat is completely protected under Myanmar's national legislation. Implementation and enforcement of [[CITES]] is considered inadequate.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Shepherd, C. R. |author2=Nijman, V. |year=2008 |title=The wild cat trade in Myanmar |location=Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia |publisher=TRAFFIC Southeast Asia |url=http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_mammals40.pdf |access-date=2011-02-19 |archive-date=2010-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704203401/http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_mammals40.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Conservation==
[[File:Stavenn Felis bengalensis 00.jpg|thumb|A leopard cat at the [[Bronx Zoo]]]]
The leopard cat is listed in [[CITES Appendix II]]. In [[Hong Kong]], it is [[List of protected species in Hong Kong|protected]] under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170. The population is well over 50,000 individuals and, although declining, the cat is not endangered.<ref name=iucn />

The Tsushima leopard cat is listed as Critically Endangered on the Japanese Red List of Endangered Species, and has been the focus of a conservation program funded by the Japanese government since 1995.<ref name=murayama>{{cite thesis |author1=Murayama, A. |year=2008 |title=The Tsushima Leopard Cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura''): Population Viability Analysis and Conservation Strategy |type=MSc thesis |publisher=Imperial College London |location=London |url=http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/files/thesis/murayama_2008_msc.pdf |access-date=2013-01-03 |archive-date=2013-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627215643/http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/files/thesis/murayama_2008_msc.pdf }}</ref> It is threatened by habitat loss, including from logging in the 1950s and 1960s, and a growing deer population which removes undergrowth that the Tsushima cat hunts for rodents in. The historical population has been split into two by the dividing of Tsushima island by a canal, and the southern population was thought extinct until a sighting in 2007. A recorded 122 individuals were killed by cars from 1992 to 2022. A captive breeding program has been initiated, but has not led to any successful reintroductions.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/meet-japans-iriomote-and-tsushima-cats-ambassadors-for-island-conservation/ |title=Meet Japan's Iriomote and Tsushima cats: Ambassadors for island conservation |author=Annelise Giseburt |work=Mongabay |date=24 October 2023 |access-date=26 November 2023}}</ref>

In the United States, the leopard cat is listed as Endangered under the [[Endangered Species Act]] since 1976; except under permit, it is prohibited to import, export, sell, purchase and transport leopard cats in [[interstate commerce]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Department of the Interior |year=1976 |title=Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Endangered Status of 159 Taxa of Animals |journal=Federal Register |volume=41 |issue=115 |pages=24062−24067 |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr103.pdf |access-date=2012-11-28 |archive-date=2011-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017180259/http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr103.pdf }}</ref> A permit is required for the import or exportation of the Asian leopard cat. Those who import/export without a CITES permit face large fines.<ref>{{cite web |title=Olathe Man Fined $5,000 For Unlawfully Importing Asian Leopard Cats |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/olathe-man-fined-5000-unlawfully-importing-asian-leopard-cats |date=2018 |work=U.S. Department of Justice |access-date=31 March 2019 |archive-date=31 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331173448/https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/olathe-man-fined-5000-unlawfully-importing-asian-leopard-cats |url-status=live}}</ref>

Leopard cats are considered an [[umbrella species]], being the second most effective umbrella species for core habitat protection.<ref name="Penjor-2024">{{Cite journal |last1=Penjor |first1=Ugyen |last2=Kaszta |first2=Zaneta M. |last3=Macdonald |first3=David W. |last4=Cushman |first4=Samuel A. |date=2024-01-25 |title=Identifying umbrella and indicator species to support multispecies population connectivity in a Himalayan biodiversity hotspot |journal=Frontiers in Conservation Science |language=English |volume=5 |article-number=1306051 |doi=10.3389/fcosc.2024.1306051 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2024FrCS....506051P |issn=2673-611X}}</ref> The only animal ahead of the leopard cat as an effective umbrella species is the Asian elephant.<ref name="Penjor-2024"/> Umbrella species' protection indirectly protects other species within its ecosystem.<ref name="Penjor-2024" /> As an umbrella species, leopard cats play a role in the conservation of many species within its ecosystem, being more effective than larger predators.<ref name="Penjor-2024" /> Along with being an umbrella species, leopard cats are [[indicator species]], meaning their presence is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.<ref name="Ghai-2024">{{Cite web |last=Ghai |first=Rajat |date=2024-05-17 |title=India's small cats have been ignored & overlooked, experts tell DTE as leopard cat spotted in Maharashtra's Pench |url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/india-s-small-cats-have-been-ignored-overlooked-experts-tell-dte-as-leopard-cat-spotted-in-maharashtra-s-pench-96208#:~:text=India's%20small%20cats%20have%20been,due%20to%20its%20adaptive%20flexibility |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Down To Earth |language=en}}</ref> When leopard cats are present, their prey species are more controlled and larger predator species' health is improved, meaning the entire ecosystem is healthier.<ref name="Ghai-2024"/>

==Leopard cats and hybrids as pets==
[[Fossil]] remains of leopard cats were [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavated]] at [[Neolithic]] villages in Central China in 2001. [[Radiometric dating]] of these bones showed that they are at least 5,000 years old. These findings indicate that the leopard cat was a human [[commensal]] or [[domesticate]]d in [[Neolithic China]]. They were later replaced with domestic [[cat]]s that originated in the Middle East, some time before the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref name="Vigne2016">{{cite journal |last1=Vigne |first1=J.-D. |last2=Evin |first2=A. |last3=Cucchi |first3=T. |last4=Dai |first4=L. |last5=Yu |first5=C. |last6=Hu |first6=S. |last7=Soulages |first7=N. |last8=Wang |first8=W. |last9=Sun |first9=Z. |last10=Gao |first10=J. |last11=Dobney |first11=K. |last12=Yuan |first12=J. |title=Earliest "Domestic" Cats in China Identified as Leopard Cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=11 |issue=1 |date=2016 |article-number=e0147295 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0147295 |pmid=26799955 |pmc=4723238 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1147295V|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The [[Bengal cat]] is a [[Cross breed#Interspecific hybrids|cross breed]] between the leopard cat and the domestic cat. It was introduced to cat shows in the 1970s. The fifth generation is marked like a leopard cat.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Robbins |first1=N. |title=Domestic Cats: Their History, Breeds and Other Facts |date=2013 |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |location=Scotts Valley, CA |isbn=978-1-300-69542-4 |chapter=Breeds of Domestic Cats: Bengal |pages=115−119 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RQ63-D3C9wcC&pg=PA115 |access-date=2020-11-14 |archive-date=2022-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417145609/https://books.google.com/books?id=RQ63-D3C9wcC&pg=PA115 |url-status=live }}</ref> This hybrid is usually permitted to be kept as a pet without a licence. The founding parents from the [[F1 generation|F1]]–F3 generations of breeding are usually reserved for [[breeding stock]] purposes or the specialty-pet home environment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bengalcat.co.uk/asian-leopard-cat.htm|title=The Asian Leopard Cat – the Bengals wild ancestor|website=bengalcat.co.uk|date=4 June 2018|access-date=2 November 2009|archive-date=2 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102075913/http://www.bengalcat.co.uk/asian-leopard-cat.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Explanatory notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Prionailurus bengalensis}}
{{Commons category|Prionailurus bengalensis}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=123 |website=Cat Specialist Group |title=Leopard Cat ''Prionailurus bengalensis'' |access-date=2014-12-16 |archive-date=2018-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206102349/http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=123 }}

{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q42627}}

[[Category:Carnivorans of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Felids of Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1792]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bhutan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Mammals of China]]
[[Category:Mammals of India]]
[[Category:Mammals of Japan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Korea]]
[[Category:Mammals of Laos]]
[[Category:Mammals of Nepal]]
[[Category:Mammals of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Russia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Singapore]]
[[Category:Mammals of Taiwan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Thailand]]
[[Category:Mammals of Vietnam]]
[[Category:Prionailurus]]