Bay Cat

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Bay Cat[1]
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Pardofelis
Species: P. badia
Binomial name
Pardofelis badia

The Bay Cat (Pardofelis badia, other genus names in use are Felis, Profelis, Catopuma or Badiofelis) is also known as Bornean Cat, Bornean Red Cat or Bornean Bay Cat, since it is endemic to the island of Borneo.

There is not much known about the Bay Cat due to its rarity. Until 1998, live specimens of this species had not even been caught on camera.

Contents

[edit] Appearance

The Bay Cat's fur is usually reddish brown, but there is also a grey colour variant. While molecular analyses reveal it to be related to the Asian Golden Cat, it has a different skull structure and is much smaller. The Bay Cat has a length of 55 cm (22 in), plus a 35 cm (14 in) tail. The weight is only about 2.3 to 4.5 kg (5 to 10 lbs).

[edit] Diet

This wild cat hunts at night for birds and rodents, and allegedly for monkeys.

[edit] Habitat

The Bay Cat is a dweller of dense rainforests and rocky outcroppings. Almost all the historical and recent records are from close proximity to water bodies such as rivers and mangroves, suggesting that the bay cat may be closely associated with such habitat. It has been found in Kalimantan (Borneo), Sabah and Sarawak[3].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 542. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 
  2. ^ Cat Specialist Group (2002). Catopuma badia. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is endangered
  3. ^ J.Mohd-Azlan and J.Sanderson, Geographic distribution and conservation status of the bay cat Catopuma badia, a Bornean endemic, Oryx Vol 41 No 3 July 2007