|
The jungle cat is found across a wide geographic area, ranging from Egypt,
the Middle East, Parts of Southern Asia through to western China. In the
west of its range, contrary to its name, the jungle cat is found mostly in
open grasslands, and marshy ground close to rivers-here the cat is alternatively
known as the Swamp Cat or Reed Cat. Further east, through into India South
East Asia, the species inhabits a greater rang of habitats which, as well
as marsh and swampland on forest margins, also includes tropical deciduous
and evergreen forest. However, the jungle cat is not found in the denser
tropical rain forests as its name might suggest. The jungle cat is not a particularly
shy creature and can be often found close to human habitation, hunting
in crop fields and plantations for small rodents, In India, it has been reported
to inhabit disused buildings on the edge of human settlements.
The Jungle cat can be distinguished from other wild cat species within
its range by its long legs and uniform coat color, which ranges from sandy
yellow to reddish brown. On closer examination, the adult jungle cat
can be seen to have faint stripes on the legs and tail, which is tipped
with black. On the head the nose and chin areas are often white, the rather
large ears tipped with darker fur and in certain sub-species faint "tear
stripes" are noticeable beneath the eyes. As kittens, jungle cats
are heavily spotted but these juvenile markings are generally lost at about
six months of age.
The jungle cat is generally larger than the African and Asian Wildcats,
measuring up to 19 to 29 inches, with a tail of approximately one third of
its body length again. The largest adult males can reach up to 37 lbs.
Throughout its range, the jungle cat is mostly crepuscular in hunting but
regionally it is known to be more active during daylight hours. Although
mainly terrestrial in its hunting the jungle cat can climb well and has also
been observed diving into water to catch fish.
The reproductive season varies regionally and mating is often accompanied
by distinctive, bark like vocalisations from the male. The litter size is
generally large, usually consisting of 3 to 6 young and are born after a
gestation period of approximately 65 days. The kittens are quite large at
birth (136g) and have a daily weight gain of approximately 22g per day.
Jungle cat kittens are weaned at about 15 weeks and are independent at approximately
8-10 months, they reach sexual maturity at around 18 months.
|
|
