Jungle cat, swamp cat, reed cat
Possibly the only cat that barks, male jungle cats will also defend their kittens.
F.c.affinis, F.c.chaus, F.c.fulvidina, F.c.kelaarita, F.c.kutas, F.c.nilotica.
Jungle cats live for about 14 years.
Body length: 56-94cm, Tail length: 20-31cm, Shoulder height: 40-50cm, Weight: male: 6.1kg, female: 4.2kg.
Jungle cats have a slender build with long legs and a relatively short tail. They have sandy to red/brown or grey fur and the tip of the tail is black. Males may have faintly striped tail and legs. The nose and chin are sometimes white, and they have large ears with black tufts. The cubs are born spotted.
Jungle cats are found in areas of Egypt, the Middle East, Southern Asia and western China.
In western areas, jungle cats are mostly found in open grassland or near rivers. In eastern areas, they are found on marshland, near forests. They are not found in dense tropical rainforests.
Jungle cats mainly hunt rodents and other small mammals, but they will also take birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. They may occasionally eat wild pig, chital deer and fish.
Jungle cats hunt both day and night. They often climb trees, and will also dive for fish.
Males in captivity are protective of kittens. Family groups of a male, female and kittens have been observed in the wild.
The jungle cat mating season varies. Males often make a barking sound during the mating season. After a gestation period of about 66 days, females give birth to 1-6 kittens.
Jungle cats are not listed by the IUCN but are on CITES: Appendix II. They are threatened by loss of habitat as their wetland territory is diminishing.