Jungle Cat
Encyclopedia
The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis
. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynx
es.
Felis chaus is listed as Least Concern
in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as it is widespread and common particularly in India
. Population declines and range contraction are of concern, particularly in Egypt
, in the Caucasus
, and in southwestern
, central
and Southeast Asia
.
Dependent on the subspecies the colour of the fur is yellowish-grey to reddish-brown or tawny-grey, and is ticked with black. Vertical bars are visible on the fur of kittens, which disappear in adult cats, although a few dark markings may be retained on the limbs or tail. The muzzle is white, and the underside is paler in color than the rest of the body. In the winter, the fur grows to about 4000 hairs/cm² on the back, and 1700 hairs/cm² on the abdomen, and generally becomes a shade of grayish-ochre.
The most distinctive feature of a jungle cat is the presence of equal-sized claws on both fore and hind legs (unlike those of common domestic cats, for example, where hind claws are normally longer and stronger than fore). These allow it to climb down trees as easily as up, with its head facing downward. The pawprints measure about 5×6cm, and a typical pace is 29–32cm.
The skull is fairly broad in the region of the zygomatic arch, which leads to its appearance of having a rounder head than some other cats. Their stomachs have also been found to contain up to 1,200g of food.
, West and Central Asia
, but also in South Asia
, Sri Lanka
and Southeast Asia
. In India
they are the most common small cats among the felidae found there.
They inhabit savanna
s, tropical dry forests and reedbeds along rivers and lakes in the lowlands, but, despite the name, are not found in rainforest
s. Although they are adaptable animals, being found even in dry steppe, they prefer wetland environments with tall grasses or reeds in which to hide. They do not survive well in cold climates, and are not found in areas where winter snowfall is common. They have been observed from sea levels to altitudes of 8000 ft (2,438.4 m) or perhaps higher in the Himalayas
. They frequent jungles or open country, and are often seen in the neighborhood of villages.
Even though jungle cats were known to be absent from the Malayan peninsula, south of the Isthmus of Kra, the possibility of occurrence of the species was reported from a highly fragmented forest in the Malaysian state of Selangor
.
Although never truly domesticated, a small number of jungle cats have been found among the cat mummies of Ancient Egypt
(the vast majority of which are domestic cats), suggesting that they may have been used to help control rodent populations.
When Johann Anton Güldenstädt
travelled in the Russia
n empire's southern frontier during 1768-1775 at the behest of Catherine II of Russia
, he was the first naturalist
to catch sight of a Kirmyschak in the Caucasus
. In his Latin description of 15 pages, published in 1776, he names the animal Chaus – a name retained for the cat by all subsequent zoologists. Today, the trinomial Felis chaus chaus still refers to the jungle cat subspecies living in the Caucasus. Other subspecies distributed in the Orient
and Asia
have been proposed based largely on variation in external morphology.
The subspecies recognized by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System are listed by year of first descriptions:
Although jungle cats are listed as Least Concern
in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, some populations of subspecies are declining in several countries and areas:
Their most common predators include crocodile
s, bear
s, wolves, and other larger felines such as tiger
s. When countered by a threat, the jungle cat will vocalize before engaging in attack, producing small roar
s, a behavior uncommon for domestic cats
. The meow of the jungle cat is also somewhat lower than that of a typical domestic cat's. In some cases, they jump on their attacker, but will usually retreat upon encountering larger threats. There have been known cases of jungle cats attacking curious humans near their habitat, but their attack seems to pose no medical significance besides wound infection from clawing.
Jungle cats mostly hunt for rodent
s, frog
s, and bird
s. They may also hunt hares, squirrels, juvenile wild boar, as well as various reptiles, including turtles and snakes. They can sometimes catch fish
while diving, but mostly swim in order to disguise their scent trails (as opposed to domestic cats, who use grooming to effect this), or to escape threats, such as dogs or humans. They have been observed to be capable of swimming as much as 1.5km at a time. Near human settlements, they may feed on domesticated chickens and ducks. They may also climb trees.
Like most other cats, they hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey, and they use reeds or tall grass as cover. They are adept at leaping, and sometimes attempt to catch birds in flight. Although they can run at up to 32 kilometres per hour (19.9 mph), they rarely pursue prey that escapes their initial pounce. Like most cats, the Jungle Cat utlizes not only sight and hearing while hunting, but also its sense of smell. While running, jungle cats tend to sway from side to side.
Jungle Cats are generally hard to tame, even if taken into captivity at a young age.
Females are sexually mature at the age of 11 months and give birth to litters of one to six kittens, although more than three is relatively unusual. Jungle cats sometimes raise two litters in a year. Estrus appears to last from January through to mid-April; in males, spematogenesis occurs mainly in February and March. Gestation lasts 63–66 days and is remarkably short for an animal of this size. Birth generally takes place between December and June, depending on the local climate, although females can sometimes give birth to two litters in a year. Before birth, the mother prepares a den in an abandoned animal burrow, hollow tree, or reed bed.
Kittens weigh 43 to 160 g (1.5 to 5.6 ) at birth, tending to be much smaller in the wild than in captivity. Initially blind and helpless, they open their eyes at ten to thirteen days of age, and are fully weaned by around three months. Males usually do not participate in the raising of kittens, but in captivity have been observed to be very protective of their offspring, more than the females, or males of other cat species. Kittens begin to catch their own prey at around six months, and leave the mother after eight or nine months.
The jungle cat's median life expectancy in captivity is ten to twelve years. In the wild, however, some Jungle Cats have been known to live for as long as twenty years.
" (Jungle Cat x domestic cat) and the "jungle bob" (Jungle Cat x Pixie Bob).
Felis
Felis is a genus of cats in the family Felidae, including the familiar domestic cat and its closest wild relatives. The wild species are distributed widely across Europe, southern and central Asia, and Africa; the domestic cat has been introduced worldwide.Members of the genus Felis are all small...
. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
es.
Felis chaus is listed as Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as it is widespread and common particularly in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Population declines and range contraction are of concern, particularly in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, and in southwestern
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
, central
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Description
Somewhat larger than domestic cats, jungle cats range from 55 to 94 cm (21.7 to 37 in) in length, plus a relatively short 20 to 31 cm (7.9 to 12.2 in) tail, and stand about 36 centimetres (14.2 in) tall. Weight varies across the range from 3 to 12 kg (6.6 to 26.5 lb). Males are slightly larger than females. The face is relatively slender, with large rounded ears that are long and set fairly high on the head. Due to the long legs and short tail, and the fact that the ears bear a tuft of black hair in the winter, this cat resembles a small lynx (hence the name "swamp lynx").Dependent on the subspecies the colour of the fur is yellowish-grey to reddish-brown or tawny-grey, and is ticked with black. Vertical bars are visible on the fur of kittens, which disappear in adult cats, although a few dark markings may be retained on the limbs or tail. The muzzle is white, and the underside is paler in color than the rest of the body. In the winter, the fur grows to about 4000 hairs/cm² on the back, and 1700 hairs/cm² on the abdomen, and generally becomes a shade of grayish-ochre.
The most distinctive feature of a jungle cat is the presence of equal-sized claws on both fore and hind legs (unlike those of common domestic cats, for example, where hind claws are normally longer and stronger than fore). These allow it to climb down trees as easily as up, with its head facing downward. The pawprints measure about 5×6cm, and a typical pace is 29–32cm.
The skull is fairly broad in the region of the zygomatic arch, which leads to its appearance of having a rounder head than some other cats. Their stomachs have also been found to contain up to 1,200g of food.
Distribution and habitat
Jungle cats are largely oriental in distribution and found in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, West and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, but also in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
they are the most common small cats among the felidae found there.
They inhabit savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
s, tropical dry forests and reedbeds along rivers and lakes in the lowlands, but, despite the name, are not found in rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s. Although they are adaptable animals, being found even in dry steppe, they prefer wetland environments with tall grasses or reeds in which to hide. They do not survive well in cold climates, and are not found in areas where winter snowfall is common. They have been observed from sea levels to altitudes of 8000 ft (2,438.4 m) or perhaps higher in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. They frequent jungles or open country, and are often seen in the neighborhood of villages.
Even though jungle cats were known to be absent from the Malayan peninsula, south of the Isthmus of Kra, the possibility of occurrence of the species was reported from a highly fragmented forest in the Malaysian state of Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
.
Although never truly domesticated, a small number of jungle cats have been found among the cat mummies of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
(the vast majority of which are domestic cats), suggesting that they may have been used to help control rodent populations.
Distribution of subspecies
Johann Anton Güldenstädt
Johann Anton Güldenstädt was a Baltic German naturalist and explorer in Russian service....
travelled in the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n empire's southern frontier during 1768-1775 at the behest of Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
, he was the first naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
to catch sight of a Kirmyschak in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. In his Latin description of 15 pages, published in 1776, he names the animal Chaus – a name retained for the cat by all subsequent zoologists. Today, the trinomial Felis chaus chaus still refers to the jungle cat subspecies living in the Caucasus. Other subspecies distributed in the Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
have been proposed based largely on variation in external morphology.
The subspecies recognized by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System are listed by year of first descriptions:
- Felis chaus affinisFelis chaus affinisFelis chaus affinis is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat, endemic to northern Pakistan....
(GrayJohn Edward GrayJohn Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ....
, 1830) inhabits the Himalayan region; - Felis chaus kutasFelis chaus kutasFelis chaus kutas is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat that inhabits wetlands in areas with arid climates. This cat lives under dense and wet jungle cover.The cat feeds on rodents such as Nesokia and Tatera, as well as fish of the Indus River....
(Pearson, 1832) inhabits northern PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; - Felis chaus furaxFelis chaus furaxFelis chaus furax is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat....
(de WintonWilliam Edward de WintonWilliam Edward de Winton was a British zoologist. He traveled widely, and discovered a number of previously undescribed cricetid species. His East Africa photo collection, from the late 1890s, is kept at the London Natural History Museum.-Notes:...
, 1898) inhabits IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
; - Felis chaus niloticaFelis chaus niloticaFelis chaus nilotica is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat....
(de WintonWilliam Edward de WintonWilliam Edward de Winton was a British zoologist. He traveled widely, and discovered a number of previously undescribed cricetid species. His East Africa photo collection, from the late 1890s, is kept at the London Natural History Museum.-Notes:...
, 1898) inhabits the NileNileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
valley in EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
; - Felis chaus fulvidinaFelis chaus fulvidinaFelis chaus fulvidina is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat.-External links:* * *...
(ThomasOldfield ThomasOldfield Thomas FRS was a British zoologist.Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and sub-species for the first time. He was appointed to the Museum Secretary's office in 1876, transferring to the Zoological Department in 1878...
, 1929) inhabits Southeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, i.e. ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
; - Felis chaus maimanahFelis chaus maimanahFelis chaus maimanah is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat....
(Zukowsky, 1915) inhabits the northwestern parts of JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, eastern parts of IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
along the TigrisTigrisThe Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
and EuphratesEuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
rivers, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, northwards to the northern and western parts of LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and to TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and the LevantLevantThe Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
; - Felis chaus prateriFelis chaus prateriFelis chaus prateri is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat, endemic to Pakistan.-External links:* *...
(PocockReginald Innes PocockReginald Innes Pocock F.R.S. was a British zoologist.Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward's School, Oxford. He received tutoring in zoology from Sir Edward Poulton, and was allowed...
, 1939) inhabits the Thar desertThar DesertThe Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
in western IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and eastern PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; - Felis chaus kelaartiFelis Chaus KelaartiFelis chaus kelaarti is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat found in Sri Lanka.-External links:* * * * *...
(PocockReginald Innes PocockReginald Innes Pocock F.R.S. was a British zoologist.Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward's School, Oxford. He received tutoring in zoology from Sir Edward Poulton, and was allowed...
, 1939) lives in Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
; - Felis chaus oxianaFelis chaus oxianaFelis chaus oxiana is a subspecies of the Jungle Cat....
(Heptner, 1969) lives in the Syr DaryaSyr DaryaThe Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
and Amu DaryaAmu DaryaThe Amu Darya , also called Oxus and Amu River, is a major river in Central Asia. It is formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers...
regions of Central Asia.
Status in the wild
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, some populations of subspecies are declining in several countries and areas:
- Since the 1960s, populations of the Caucasian jungle cat living in the Cis-Caspian region, along the Caspian SeaCaspian SeaThe Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
and in the Caucasus range states have been rapidly declining. Only some small populations persist today. There has been no record in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve in the Volga DeltaVolga DeltaThe Volga Delta is the largest river delta in Europe, and occurs where Europe's largest river system, the Volga River, drains into the Caspian Sea in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast, north-east of the republic of Kalmykia. The delta is located in the Caspian Depression—the far eastern part of the delta...
since the 1980s. This subspecies is considered threatened and included in the Red Books of the Russian Federation, ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, AzerbaijanAzerbaijanAzerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. - In the 1970s, Southeast Asian jungle cats still used to be the most common wild cats near villages in certain parts of northern ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and occurred in many protected areas of the country. But since the early 1990s, jungle cats are rarely encountered and have suffered drastic declines due to hunting and habitat destruction. Today, their official Thai status is critically endangeredCritically endangeredVersion 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
. In CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, jungle cats probably once occurred widely using secondary habitats, which is easily accessible to hunters and where hunting pressure is now very heavy. Due to unselective trapping and snaring, jungle cats appear quite rare nowadays in comparison to sympatricSympatryIn biology, two species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus regularly encounter one another. An initially-interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sharing a common range exemplifies sympatric speciation...
small cats. Skins are occasionally recorded in border markets, and live individuals, possibly taken from MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
or Cambodia, occasionally turn up in the Khao Khieo and Chiang MaiChiang MaiChiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
zoos of Thailand. - Jungle cats are rare in the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. In JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, they are highly affected by the expansion of agricultural areas around the river beds of YarmoukYarmouk RiverThe Yarmouk River is the largest tributary of the Jordan River. It drains much of the Hauran Plateau. It is one of three main tributaries which enter the Jordan between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. To the south, are the Jabbok/Zarqa and the Arnon/Wadi Mujib) rivers...
and Jordan rivers, where they are hunted and poisoned by farmers for attacking poultry. In AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
they are also considered rare and threatened.
Ecology and behavior
Jungle cats are solitary in nature. They rest in other animals' abandoned burrows, tree holes, and humid coves under swamp rocks, or in areas of dense vegetation. Although often active at night, they are less nocturnal than many other cats, and in cold weather may sun themselves during the day. They have been estimated to travel between 3 and 6 km (1.9 and 3.7 mi) per night, although this likely varies depending on the availability of prey. Territories are maintained by urine spraying and scent marking. The jungle cat's main competitors are the jackal and forest cat.Their most common predators include crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, wolves, and other larger felines such as tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
s. When countered by a threat, the jungle cat will vocalize before engaging in attack, producing small roar
Roar
Roar may refer to :*Roar , a sound produced by certain animals such as lions and tigers* Roar, the King's College London student newspaper*Brisbane Roar FC, an Australian football club...
s, a behavior uncommon for domestic cats
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. The meow of the jungle cat is also somewhat lower than that of a typical domestic cat's. In some cases, they jump on their attacker, but will usually retreat upon encountering larger threats. There have been known cases of jungle cats attacking curious humans near their habitat, but their attack seems to pose no medical significance besides wound infection from clawing.
Jungle cats mostly hunt for rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s, frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, and bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. They may also hunt hares, squirrels, juvenile wild boar, as well as various reptiles, including turtles and snakes. They can sometimes catch fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
while diving, but mostly swim in order to disguise their scent trails (as opposed to domestic cats, who use grooming to effect this), or to escape threats, such as dogs or humans. They have been observed to be capable of swimming as much as 1.5km at a time. Near human settlements, they may feed on domesticated chickens and ducks. They may also climb trees.
Like most other cats, they hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey, and they use reeds or tall grass as cover. They are adept at leaping, and sometimes attempt to catch birds in flight. Although they can run at up to 32 kilometres per hour (19.9 mph), they rarely pursue prey that escapes their initial pounce. Like most cats, the Jungle Cat utlizes not only sight and hearing while hunting, but also its sense of smell. While running, jungle cats tend to sway from side to side.
Jungle Cats are generally hard to tame, even if taken into captivity at a young age.
Reproduction
During mating season, the male "barks", sounding like a large dog.Females are sexually mature at the age of 11 months and give birth to litters of one to six kittens, although more than three is relatively unusual. Jungle cats sometimes raise two litters in a year. Estrus appears to last from January through to mid-April; in males, spematogenesis occurs mainly in February and March. Gestation lasts 63–66 days and is remarkably short for an animal of this size. Birth generally takes place between December and June, depending on the local climate, although females can sometimes give birth to two litters in a year. Before birth, the mother prepares a den in an abandoned animal burrow, hollow tree, or reed bed.
Kittens weigh 43 to 160 g (1.5 to 5.6 ) at birth, tending to be much smaller in the wild than in captivity. Initially blind and helpless, they open their eyes at ten to thirteen days of age, and are fully weaned by around three months. Males usually do not participate in the raising of kittens, but in captivity have been observed to be very protective of their offspring, more than the females, or males of other cat species. Kittens begin to catch their own prey at around six months, and leave the mother after eight or nine months.
The jungle cat's median life expectancy in captivity is ten to twelve years. In the wild, however, some Jungle Cats have been known to live for as long as twenty years.
Hybrids
This species of cat is capable of being domesticated under certain conditions. Cat breeders have been able to hybridize jungle cats with certain domestic cats, producing such breeds as the "chausieChausie
A Chausie is a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Jungle Cat . Despite their wild appearance, they are domestic.- Breeding history :...
" (Jungle Cat x domestic cat) and the "jungle bob" (Jungle Cat x Pixie Bob).