Fishing Cat | Wildlife

The fishing cat is about twice the size of a large house cat, with a head and body length of about 70 cm (28"). Males weigh as much as 16 kg (35 lb). Its short, coarse fur is mouse gray or olive brown and covered with small black spots. The underside of the body is white, and there are two dark "collars" on the throat.  On its face, back, and neck the spots merge into short streaks or lines. The short tail is marked with 5 or 6 black rings and a black tip. 

The fishing cat is strongly associated with wetlands. It is typically found in swamps and marshy areas, oxbow lakes, reed beds, tidal creeks and mangrove areas. It has been recorded at elevations up to 1800 m (5900') in the Indian Himalayas.

Fishing cats are relatively small cats with adult female weights ranging from 5-9 kg and males ranging from about 8 to 14 kg. They have grey/brown fur with unique combinations of stripes and spots. Fishing cat paws have significant webbing in between their toes--presumably an adaptation to the muddy, wet habitats they prefer.

The fishing cat has a limited and discontinuous distribution in Asia. It is very rare in the Indus Valley of Pakistan, and there may be scattered populations in coastal areas of Kerala in southwest India and Sri Lanka. Its main distribution is in the Himalayan foothill region of India and Nepal, and then south through Bangladesh, Myanmar, and northern Thailand to Vietnam. It is also found in Sumatra and Java, Indonesia.

 Fishing Cat

 Fishing Cat

 Fishing Cat

 Fishing Cat

Fishing Cat