Wild cats refer to both big and small cats that live in the wild. Among the world’s total species of wild cats, over 80% are small wild cats. Particularly, there are 31 species of small wild cats in the world. They have different physical features and geographic locations. They can be found in Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Central America and Europe.
Among all the species of small wild cats, only three can be found in Sri Lanka. They are the Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), the Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), and the Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus). All these 3 species are nationally threatened, but none of them are endemic to the island. These hidden hunters are defying all the odds and surviving solitarily in the wild.
Since these cats are usually nocturnal and elusive in nature, they remain mysterious and hardly seen in the wild. In this post, we will show you all the details and interesting facts about these rare small wild cats in Sri Lanka.
1. Fishing Cat (හදුන් දිවියා)
The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is called Handun Diviya in Sinhala. They live throughout Southeast Asia, from Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, China, and the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra as well as South Asia including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, they have a wide distribution and live throughout the country including heavily populated suburbs of the capital city of Colombo.
Fishing cats are the biggest among all small wild cats in Sri Lanka, weighing between 7 – 16 kg. Often, they are twice the size of a grownup domestic cat. It has a striking coloration with an olive grey coat adorned with black irregular spots, fading to white underneath. The backs of its ears are black with a central white spot. They have solid black stripes on the top of the head and neck as well as two prominent black stripes on each cheek.
As their name suggests, fishing cats mainly hunt and feed on fish. Also, they have a wide range of food options including rats, small reptiles such as lizards, birds, and small mammals. It has also been known to feed on livestock and steal poultry.
Another unique feature of fishing cats is their sharp claws which are partially visible even when retracted. These claws help them to capture their prey. It is powerful enough to take large prey, such as baby goats, calves, and dogs.
How Fishing Cats Swim?
Fishing cats have mastered the art of hunting underwater. While the domestic cats don’t like water, fishing cats are expert swimmers. Thus, they prefer wetland habitats such as swamps, marshes, reed beds, and mangroves. To enhance their swimming ability, they have slightly webbed feet. It helps them to swim for long distances underwater easily.
The cat attracts fish by lightly tapping the water’s surface with its paw, mimicking insect movements. Then, it dives into the water to catch the fish. It can also use its webbed paws to scoop fish, frogs, and other prey out of the water. Sometimes, they swim underwater to prey on ducks and other aquatic birds.
The fishing cat has a double layer of fur so that when they are in the water, they do not get wet down to the skin. There is a layer of short hair next to the skin. This is so dense that water cannot penetrate it. This helps them to stay warm even in the water.
2. Jungle Cat (කැලෑ බළලා/වල් බළලා)
The Jungle Cats (Felis chaus) are more closely related to house cats and are included in the same genus Felis. It is the largest member of all Felis species and has a wide distribution throughout the world including Egypt, around the Caspian Sea in Russia, Afghanistan, Burma, Thailand, southeast China, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
The jungle cat is lighter than the fishing cat and they have an average weight of 8 kg when grown up. They live amongst the long grass and scrubland of the dry zone jungles. Generally, they look like a large domestic cat with a slightly shorter tail and longer legs. However, they rarely come to the open areas and are difficult to witness in the wild.
The jungle cat has uniform reddish-brown or grey fur without spots. There are faint brown stripes on the face and legs. Their ears are tipped with dark brown to black hair. It is solitary in nature and hunts both in the daytime and night.
How Jungle Cats hunt?
The jungle cat’s hunting technique is stalking and pouncing. They have large, tufted ears which allow them to hear the movements of rodents in the grass and pounce. They feed on any creature they can overpower. Their food mainly includes small mammals such as rats, mice, and hares. They also climb the trees as well as jump into the water and catch fish.
One interesting feature of jungle cats is they can jump high in the air to catch birds such as jungle fowls and other large birds. They will even kill and eat baby deer, snakes, and frogs. They are usually active in the daytime and have a den to go to rest.
3. Rusty Spotted Cat (කොළ දිවියා)
Rusty Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is the smallest wild cat in the world. They can be found only in India and Sri Lanka. Especially, they are renowned for their petite size, with adults typically weighing between 1 to 1.6 kg. They measure about 35 to 48 cm in body length, with a short tail of around 18 to 30 cm. To clarify, it is similar to the size of a 6-month-old domestic cat.
Their distribution ranges from the mountains to the coastal areas in both wet and dry lands. Although they are widely distributed on the island, it isn’t easy to witness them. Due to their tiny size and elusive behavior, they are rarely spotted in the wild. Definitely, they are masters of stealth and camouflage, which helps them avoid predators and hunt effectively.
The rusty-spotted cat is named after the rusty spots that adorn their fur, which varies in color from grayish-brown to pale reddish-gray. The base fur is usually grey in color and these rusty spots form into solid stripes along the back and on the top of the head. The underparts of the body, chest, and chin are white. Generally, their coat pattern resembles a leopard.
How Rusty Spotted Cats hunt?
The rusty spotted cat is a nocturnal hunter with excellent night vision, sensitive ears, and an acute sense of smell to hunt in the night. They feed mainly on rodents, small birds, insects, frogs, and small lizards as well as domestic fowl. Especially, they spend a fair amount of their time in trees and shrubs. However, due to their extremely shy behavior, not much else is known about them in the wild.
How to protect Wild Cats
These cats face a severe threat from habitat loss and fragmentation, as human activities make a huge impact on their territories. Thus, their life is becoming more and more challenging. As a result, they are classified as Near Threatened by IUCN and our extreme protection is essential to save them for future generations. Moreover, conducting protective measures and spreading awareness is quite helpful to save their lives.
For example, when the main road intersects their natural habitats of forested area with a nearby river or wetland, they try to cross the road at night and easily become roadkill due to accidents. Thus, road signs along with information boards are displayed to educate the public. Driving slowly in these areas helps to save these wild cats. Certainly, our united effort is essential for creating a harmonious coexistence between humans and wild cats.
To sum up, these are the 3 species of small wild cats in Sri Lanka. Their mysterious and charming presence in the wild continues to capture the attention of wildlife enthusiasts. However, they have mastered the art of camouflage and it isn’t easy to witness them in the wild. If you love to see these amazing felines, you should contact a night walk tour operator with an expert nature guide to find them. If you manage to witness them, the encounter will give you an everlasting unforgettable experience!
Source Small Cat Advocacy & Research. Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Facebook and Twitter. All the copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
