Red cat
Prionailurus rubiginosus
Red cat
APPEARANCE
The red cat is the smallest of all cats found in India and is about half the size of the domestic cat. The coat of the red cat is short and soft.It is fawn-gray in color with a blush tint. The coat has a pattern of horizontal stripes on the limbs and chest, The head is rounded and the eyes are relatively large with a white border. Each cheek is marked with two dark stripes, and four dark stripes extend from the top of the eyes back through the head to the neck. The back and sides are marked with reddish-brown spots that go into lines. The underparts of the body are white. The ears are rounded and small. Its tail is half the length of the body with a pattern of faint dark rings. The soles of the paws are black.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
The species was thought to occur only in the southern part of India, but reports are now known from all over the country. In Sri Lanka, the red kitten has been observed in the dry lowlands, central and sub-montane humid zones of the island.
It inhabits moist and dry forests, tropical thorn forests, scrub, grasslands and rocky areas.
BEHAVIOUR
The red cat leads a nocturnal lifestyle. During the day it hides in dense thickets. It is described as very active and agile and as a good climber.
FOOD
The diet of the red cat is not sufficiently documented. Its main prey is small mammals such as rodents and birds. It also eats insects, lizards, frogs, sometimes bats and poultry.
MAIN THREATS
The main threats to rusty cats are habitat loss and deforestation, particularly due to the spread of large-scale agriculture, and the conversion of habitats to urban areas, industrial development and mining.
