Pictures and facts about the Fishing cat

Fishing cat

Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae
Subfamily : Felinae
Species : Prionailurus viverrinus

Unlike popular belief, not all cats dislike water. The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), not to be confused with the Fisher, is a strongly-built cat, having short feet and a big head. Fishing Cats have a olive-gray pelage with black spots. The back has a pronounced white center spot. Akin to the flat headed cat, the claws are shortened, yet the Fishing Cat has less established teeth. They can be found in mangrove swamps, creeks, oxbow lakes and reed beds of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra), Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia), Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The gestation of the Fishing Cat is around 60+ days, the female Fishing Cats gives birth to one to four kittens. They eyes of the young open after the sixteenth day. Weaning is about 4 to 6 months old, and this young would attain adult size when it is around 9 months of age. At the tenth month, it would be independent from the parents.

Longevity of this cat in captivity is about 12 years on average. It is believed that they are loners, but there were observations that the male Fishing Cat is sometimes helping with the rearing of the newborns.

Most of what they eat are just fish (surprisingly), and they can catch them in a number of ways. They mimic insects by lightly tapping the water, so fish think there are insects on the water, attracting them. They can either swim and rush after it, or they could scoop it out using the paws. They could also go after mollusks, crustaceans, snakes and frogs. Next to that, they are know to include civets, wild pigs, dogs, goats, poultry and rodents in their diet.

The Fishing cat is listed as vulnerable, they are threatened by hunting and habitat loss. Wetland areas have been cleared by humans to make room for farmland and road, also pollution from industries make Fishing cats sick. But there is hope, fishing cats appear to adapt well to suburban habitats.

Interesting fact: The Fishing Cat can use its short tail as a rudder while swimming.

Picture of the Fishing cat by Opencage, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5

Facts about the fishing cat

Fishing Cat Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus (1833) The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized Indonesia.

Fishing cats are another feline that contradicts the belief that cats don’t like water.

Larger than a domestic cat, the fishing cat is robustly built with a big, broad head, and a short tail.

The Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is distributed throughout the wetlands of Southeast Asia extending from Pakistan through Malaysia.

The fishing cats are on display in Brookfield Zoo's dimly lit Fragile Kingdom.

Animal Description: The Fishing Cat is truly suited for life near the water. (Full text)

On the other hand, the Fishing Cat is rather clumsy when climbing trees. (Full text)

The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized cat of Asia. (Full text)

About the size of a basset hound, the body of the fishing cat is notably deep chested, and the relatively short tail is unusually thick and muscular near the base. (Full text)

Conservation Status Fishing cats are persecuted because they will live close to human dwellings and steal chickens and are reputed to devastate local fisheries. (Full text)

Fishing Cats Fishing cats are small cats native to south and southeast (Full text)

Therefore, fishing cats are what we call an indicator species; their presence may indicate the ecosystem is (Full text)

The Fishing Cat is to be found in a range that spreads form northern India, Sri Lanka, across Burma, the Thai peninsular and down to Sumatra and Java, where records show the cat populations to be in critical decline. (Full text)

The coat of the fishing cat is pale gray to deep brownish gray and marked with dark spots and streaks. (Full text)

Fishing cats are native to south and southeast Asia, in countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Java---Kalu’s name comes from a river in Sri Lanka! (Full text)

Description: The fishing cat is a medium sized “small” cat with a stocky build, short legs and tail, and a round but elongated face. (Full text)

Looks & Appearance: The fishing cat is a stocky and powerfully built cat with (Full text)

Fishing cats are at home among the watery habitats from India through Southeast Asia. (Full text)

Anglers who are fishing cats are nailing the carp, which are spawning now. (Full text)

viverrinus Binomial name Prionailurus viverrinus (Bennett, 1833) The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized cat of Asia. (Full text)

Fishing cats are found in marshy thickets, mangrove swamps, and along densely vegetated creek areas in Sri Lanka, throughout Peninsular India up to Pakistan and Kashmir; Indochina and South China, Sumatra and Java. (Full text)

The fishing cat is the largest among the members of its sub-genus. (Full text)

Fishing Cats are difficult to observe in the wild but have been seen hanging over rivers and streams hovering on tree branches or rock formations ready and waiting to take a fish as "catch of the day". (Full text)

The fishing cat, (Prionailurus viverrinus), is a heavily-bodied cat (Full text)