Cat species have always attracted the attention of humanity from ancient times to this time. In addition, although the mystery of cats has always remained alive for humanity, which sees small cats and big cats such as lions and tigers, which we are accustomed to seeing, some thoughts have settled in our minds over time. As an example, when we look at today, we see that there is a perception that the big cat is dangerous.
However, the rusty spotted cat type that we will talk about in our content goes beyond the ordinary and shows that the important thing is not just the size. This species, which is even smaller than the cats in our homes, is in the wildcat class. So what puts him in the wild animal category despite his pretty cute looks?
Let’s start with where they live:
The rusty cat is only seen in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Initially, these cats were thought to live mostly in wet and forested areas. But it was later revealed that they also live in bamboo forests, dry forests and rocky places. So they are not very close to us.
In addition, they are not seen in the depths of the forests, but rather in the edge/edge parts. Their number is thought to be less than 10,000.
Let’s talk a little bit about your body:
These cats, which have a small and relatively weak body, can only reach up to 40 centimeters in body length. The length of their tails is 20 centimeters at this point. These cats, which have a rust-like tail and a brown body color that shifts to gray, have black stripes running along their heads on their faces.
Take an egg in one hand. The offspring of this species, whose weight is on average 1 and a half kilograms, is lighter than that egg when it is born:
It takes 28 to 32 days for the puppies to start exploring their surroundings, which open their eyes after an average 67-day gestation period. After about 40 days, they also gain the cat agility and climbing skills that we are accustomed to.
Mostly, after a total of 60 days, they start to wander on their own. Finally, let’s say that between 1 and 3 puppies can be born during birth.
Look at the sweetness of this, how wild is that?
Let’s explain it right away. This species prefers to live alone. Instead of the depths of the forests, as we said, it continues its life in the extreme parts. Rusty cat species, which is a master hunter, can sneak up on its prey with the advantage of its size. For this reason, although it attempts to hunt large prey, its main meal is small mammals and birds.
How does it attack large prey? You may have thought. At this point, they prefer to jump from tree branches to their prey, as they cannot do much damage from below. Since they are already light, it is obvious that they will not have problems both in climbing and staying on the branches.
So why is this species endangered?
Unfortunately, the biggest threat to the species is human activities. Many reasons endanger the species, such as the decrease in forest areas, the hunting of cats that are thought to be leopard cubs. Apart from this, farm animals are also attacked from time to time and the public responds to this, causing a decrease in the number of these cats.
Although hunting is prohibited in the countries where they live, it cannot be said that they are very comfortable due to the destruction of their natural areas.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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