Small Cat Focus Species
Small cats are keystone species that provide crucial ecosystem services such as pest and disease control. Their conservation is linked to the maintenance and restoration of the natural large ecosystems and big cat conservation. 15 wild cat species are native to India and among them 11 species are being covered through this project. Each project landscape is focusing on one of the endangered species that inhabits the topography.
Clouded Leopard
Scientific Name: Neofelis nebulosa
WPA,1972: Schedule I, IUCN: Vulnerable
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The Clouded Leopard is a medium-sized felid with distinct pale-yellow to brown, cloud-shaped patches on its coat. It has an exceptionally long thick tail with black ring markings. The tail can be as long as the body and is used for balancing. They have the longest canines in comparison to other felid species. In India, they occur widely in the northeastern region, up to an elevation of 3,500 meters.
They predominantly inhabit dense, evergreen forests. Solitary and nocturnal by habit, they have adapted to both arboreal and terrestrial life. Studies on the species biology in the wild are limited owing to their nocturnal habit and elusive nature. However, what is known is that the species usually breed from December to March. The gestation period is about 90 days with a litter of one to five cubs. Parental care is provided by the females. The coat of cubs matures at around six months and they disperse after around 10 months. They are predominantly carnivores with a diverse prey base.
Habitat loss and poaching are the main threats to this species. The species has been recorded from the Pakke-Eaglenest Project Landscape.
Fishing Cat
Scientific Name: Prionailurus viverrinus
The scientific name ‘viverrinus’ comes from their civet-like appearance.
WPA,1972: Schedule I, IUCN: Vulnerable
The Fishing cat is a small wild cat with a stocky build. They are found in isolated populations in Southeast Asia (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Southern China, Java, and Sumatra). They primarily inhabit wetland areas, swamps, and marshy areas around oxbow lakes, reed beds, tidal creeks, and mangrove forests. Fishing cats are nocturnal and hunt alone, they are strong swimmers and can cover large distances in the water while pursuing prey.
The mating system is polygynous i.e. one male mating with multiple females. Communication is by chittering (during courtship) guttural growls, hisses, and a low demanding meow. They are primarily piscivores but also feed on frogs, water insects, crabs, snakes, crayfish, rodents, and birds.
Habitat loss (Wetland loss) is the predominant threat to the species' survival. This species has been recorded from all three project landscapes.
Caracal
Scientific Name: Caracal caracal
WPA, 1972: Schedule I, IUCN: Least Concern
The most striking feature of the Caracal is the presence of long, narrow, black-tufted ears. Its body color ranges from tawny-grey to reddish-brown. They have distinct black stripes that run from their eye to their nose. In India, it is distributed patchily across the arid regions of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Locally, the species is critically endangered despite the global assessment being that of Least Concern.
Caracals are solitary animals, forming pairs only during courtship and rearing of young ones. They are polygynandrous with no well-defined mating season. However, studies suggest that the activity peaks during August-December. The gestation period is 10-11 weeks with the litter usually of 3 kittens.
Primarily nocturnal, they hunt for prey at night. Although terrestrial, they are skilled climbers and have good hearing and sight. Communication is through a variety of acoustic signalling such as growls, hisses, meows, and spits.
Habitat loss and fragmentation is the primary threat to the species. It occurs in the project landscape of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
