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Jungle cat

Jungle cat
FelisChausMunsiari1.jpg
Indian jungle cat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. chaus
Binomial name
Felis chaus
Schreber, 1777
Subspecies

See text

Map of the Eastern Hemisphere showing highlighted range covering portions of southern Asia
Jungle cat range
Synonyms

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The jungle cat (Felis chaus), also called reed cat or swamp cat, is a medium-sized cat native to the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia to southern China. It is a member of the genus Felis and was first described by Johann Anton Güldenstädt in 1776. Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber gave the jungle cat its present binomial name and is therefore generally considered as binomial authority. 10 subspecies are recognised at present.

The jungle cat is a large, long-legged cat; it stands nearly 36 cm (14 in) at shoulder and weighs 2–16 kg (4.4–35.3 lb). Its sandy, reddish brown or grey coat is uniformly coloured and without spots; melanistic and albino individuals are also known. Moults occur biannually.

Typically diurnal, the jungle cat hunts throughout the day. Solitary in nature, jungle cats do not interact appreciably except in the mating season. The only prominent interaction is the mother-kitten bond. Territories are maintained by urine spraying and scent marking. The cat is primarily a carnivore, and prefers small mammals (gerbils, hares and rodents) and birds. It hunts by stalking its prey, followed by a sprint or a leap; the sharp ears help in pinpointing the location of prey. Both sexes become sexually mature by the time they are a year old; females enter oestrus from January to March. Mating behaviour is similar to that in the domestic cat; the male pursues the female in oestrus, seizes her by the nape of her neck and mounts her. Gestation lasts nearly two months. Births take place between December and June, though this might vary geographically. Kittens begin to catch their own prey at around six months and leave the mother after eight or nine months.


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Wikipedia

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