Wildlifeof Nepal
Jungle Cat
Cats
Photo: Harshad Sharma · CC BY 4.0
Felis chaus
Basic stats
Diet
Rodents, birds, squirrels, frogs, lizards, small snakes and insects
Habitat
Scrub, grassland, wetland and dense vegetation; alpine habitat at 3,000–3,300m in Annapurna
Gestation period
Nearly two months
Size
Head and body 59–76cm; shoulder about 36cm
Weight
2–16kg
The jungle cat is closely related to the domestic cat, with long limbs, a short tail and large pointed ears 4.5 to 8cm long, reddish brown on the back and tipped with a small tuft of black hairs. The coat is sandy brown, reddish or grey, and the head and body are typically 59 to 76cm long, weighing anywhere from 2 to 16kg (Wikipedia, general species account).
In Nepal it was recorded in alpine habitat at 3,000 to 3,300m in the Annapurna Conservation Area between 2014 and 2016. Its main prey is rodents, birds, squirrels, frogs, lizards and small snakes. Gestation lasts nearly two months. Nationally Least Concern (Nepal National Red List 2011).
Quick answers
- What does the Jungle Cat eat?
- Rodents, birds, squirrels, frogs, lizards, small snakes and insects
- What habitat does the Jungle Cat live in?
- Scrub, grassland, wetland and dense vegetation; alpine habitat at 3,000–3,300m in Annapurna
- How long is the gestation period of the Jungle Cat?
- Nearly two months
- How big is the Jungle Cat?
- Head and body 59–76cm; shoulder about 36cm
- How much does the Jungle Cat weigh?
- 2–16kg