About Asiatic Golden Cat:
- It is a medium sized cat with relatively long legs.
- Other names:They are known as the “fire cat” in Thailand and Burma, and as the “rock cat” in parts of China.
- Appearance: Their fur ranges in color from cinnamon to various shades of brown, and also gray and black (melanistic).
- They are solitary and territorial. Once considered nocturnal, a radio-tracking study showed them to be diurnal and crepuscular.
- These are polygynous (mating with multiple females) with no breeding season.
- Habitat: This cat is known to occur across a wide range of habitats, including dry deciduous forests, subtropical evergreen forests, tropical rainforests, temperate and sub-alpine forests, and at elevations ranging from 0 m to 3,738 m.
- Distribution: The species occurs in Southeast Asia, from Nepal and Tibet to Southern China, Sumatra and India.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN: Near threatened
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule 1
- Threats: Habitat destruction that follows deforestation, as well as a decreasing numbers of ungulate prey. Another major threat is the illegal wildlife trade.
