Reproduction and development
Studies have been made in captivity:
- duration of pregnancy: 66 – 82 days
- weight of newborns: 61 – 85 grams
- kitten opens eyes
for first time: 12 days old - kitten eats solid food
for first time: 59 days old - kitten eating meat: 121 days old
- cat reaches sexual maturity 21 – 22 months of age
- death: about 12 years of age
Marbled Cat Range – Threats and Conservation
The Red List is the primary source. This cat lives in forests. Forests are being cut down. The threat is apparent. The marbled cat is not only cat threatened in this way. The Sumatran tiger, clouded leopard and margay come to mind immediately. There are more. There is a lot of deforestation in Asia where a number of small wild cats are found. A little more than 10% of the forest in Asia has been cut down in ten years (1.2-1.3% per year on this basis). One current (at 2009) reason for deforestation is to plant oil palm for diesel replacement, which makes a mockery of the green credentials of the concept of burning oil palm rather then diesel (see Wildcat Habitats). Total population size is estimated to be 10,000 mature individuals. Despite this it is killed for its skin (human decoration), meat (food?) and bones (medicine, I expect). The marbled cat is killed by people because it kills their poultry probably because it has to. For these reasons the Red List classification is Vulnerable:
Within the marbled cat range, paper protection comes from a CITES Appendix I listing. Species so listed are the most endangered among CITES and they are threatened with extinction and “CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial” (CITES).
There are reserves within the marbled cat range that are intended to protect and further protection (more paper protection I suspect due to lack of enforcement) comes in the form of hunting bans in the following countries:
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- China (Yunnan only)
- India
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Myanmar (trade in animal parts in this country takes place openly I allege)
- Nepal
- Thailand
From Marbled Cat Range to Wild Cat Species
Marbled Cat Range – Source other than stated:
- Wild Cats Of The World (Sunquists)
- top photo: Marbled cat – Wikimedia commons Johan Embréus (Embreus (talk))
thanks for the information
Fantastic. Marbled cats are pretty secretive and I’d be wonderful if she could get a photo. I know that is almost impossible but it would be nice for the record. Thanks for sharing your experience on PoC.
Hello,
My mother just been to her country home and sighted a Wild Cat, and the description, which she gave me over phone seems to be a Marbled Cat. Its lives on the coconut palm trees and only comes down for some time and again climbs up another coconut palm tree.