Wildlifeof India
Rusty-spotted Cat
Cats
Photo: Ashwin Viswanathan · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Prionailurus rubiginosus
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly rodents and birds; also lizards, frogs and insects
Habitat
Moist and dry deciduous forest, scrub and grassland, favouring dense vegetation and rocky ground; likely absent from evergreen forest
Litter size
1–2 kittens
Gestation period
65–70 days
Size
Head and body 35–48cm; tail 15–30cm
Weight
0.9–1.6kg
The rusty-spotted cat is one of the smallest wild cats in the world and the smallest in Asia. The short fur is reddish grey with rusty spots on the back and flanks, four blackish lines run over the eyes, and the underparts and inner legs are whitish with small brownish spots. The bushy tail is about half the length of the body and is plain reddish grey. It is native to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka (Wikipedia, general species account).
It was long thought to be confined to southern India, but records now show it over much of the country, including Gir in Gujarat, Tadoba-Andhari and Nagzira in Maharashtra, the Eastern Ghats, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in the Terai, and Kalesar National Park in Haryana. In western Maharashtra it breeds in a farmed landscape where rodents are plentiful. Little is known of its wild behaviour: most records are after dark, and it hunts mainly on the ground with quick, darting movements, taking to trees to escape larger predators (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Rusty-spotted Cat eat?
- Mainly rodents and birds; also lizards, frogs and insects
- What habitat does the Rusty-spotted Cat live in?
- Moist and dry deciduous forest, scrub and grassland, favouring dense vegetation and rocky ground; likely absent from evergreen forest
- What is the litter size of the Rusty-spotted Cat?
- 1–2 kittens
- How long is the gestation period of the Rusty-spotted Cat?
- 65–70 days
- How big is the Rusty-spotted Cat?
- Head and body 35–48cm; tail 15–30cm
- How much does the Rusty-spotted Cat weigh?
- 0.9–1.6kg