Rusty-spotted cat

The Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is indigenous to the following places: South of India- Jammu, Gujarat, Kashmir and Sri Lanka, but as of late, Central India joined the list. There are two kinds of populations, the first kind in Southern India while the second kind is the Sri Lankan type. The latter moves in the thick tropical forests at high altitudes, while at Central India, they could be seen on dry grass grounds and forests (open).

Rusty-spotted Cats are among the smallest wild cats. The tail itself is around 50% of the overall body length. Its name is derived from its appearance of course, rust colored spots traversing the upper parts of the body. The underside are light though, and a couple of dark lines run along the head of this cat. Some people say that the Rusty-spotted Cat is a "washed out" variant of its cousin, the Leopard cat, but that I suppose, this is just a matter of opinion.

A Rusty-spotted Cat's gestation season is close to 70 days, pups are born in April, usually one to two.

Most of the time, the Rusty-spotted Cat is nocturnal, contented to rest in hollow logs during the day hours. Experts strongly believe that they are above-average climbers, and they leave urine elements within their established "turf'.

Their diet consists mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. They could also go after frogs, right after a rainfall.

Picture of the Rusty Spotted Cat by Alessio Marruccik, licensed under GFDL