A small wild cat of mainland Asia and some nearby islands. It has dark body spots, with coat colour and pattern varying by region.
The ear backs are black with a white central spot. Dark stripes mark the forehead and cheeks.
In rural central Taiwan, researchers followed seven leopard cats from 2019 to 2021 and studied where they rested by day and moved at night. Daytime resting sites were often in natural vegetation with visibility below two metres, and shrubs, reeds and stones were common there. Vegetation patches containing resting sites were larger than randomly selected patches, and the cats reused the same patches.
Cats along the river often used riverine woods, while those in the mountain farming area used forests and riverbeds, showing differences between local settings. Natural forests and riversides were also used at night. Orchards and roads were less often selected as resting places, especially during the day. Even in a farmed landscape, these cats rested among vegetation that provided cover.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern (LC) · Global
The IUCN Red List classifies the Mainland Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) as Least Concern (LC) globally. The assessment date is 29 December 2021; an amended version of the 2022 assessment was published in 2023. Its listed population trend is Stable. The IUCN Cat Specialist Group profile notes that population information is limited in many parts of the range and separately lists the national categories of Vulnerable in Nepal and Near Threatened in Bangladesh. This global assessment covers the Mainland Leopard Cat, excluding the Sunda Leopard Cat (Prionailurus javanensis).