10 Facts about Fishing Cats

Facts about Fishing Cats present the information about a medium-sized wild cat.  IUCN has enlisted it Vulnerable since 2016. It has the biological name of Prionailurus viverrinus. This wild cat is spotted in Southeast Asia and South Asia. Over the last decade, the population of fishing cats is severely declined because the wetlands are extensively destroyed. Let us check other interesting facts about fishing cats:

Facts about Fishing Cats 1: the habitat

Fishing cats live in a wide variety of habitats such as mangroves, swamps, lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands.

Facts about Fishing Cats 2: the importance of fishing cats

Fishing cats are important animals in West Bengal. They are considered as the state animal.

Facts about Fishing Cats 3: the physical appearance

The fur color of fishing cats are ranging from olive-grey to ashy-grey. It has coarse texture. The flanks and sides feature the oval or roundish-shaped spots. The shoulder features the darker stripes.

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Facts about Fishing Cats 4: the face and head

The cheeks of fishing cats have two stripes. Above the eyes, you will spot four stripes between the ears. They also have rounded and short ears. It has elongated face.

Facts about Fishing Cats 5: other physical characteristics

It has a short tail. The white color is spotted at the underside. Two rows of spots are seen around the throat.

Facts about Fishing Cats 6: the body size

The fishing cats have the muscular and stocky body. The size is twice bigger than that of a domestic cat.

Facts about Fishing Cats 7: the body length

The tail has the length of 7.9 to 11.8 inches or 20 to 30 cm. The head to body is measured at 22 to 31 inches or 57 to 78 cm.

Facts about Fishing Cats 8: the weight

Fishing cats have the weight of 11 to 35 lb or 5 to 16 kilogram. One of the main characteristics of a fishing cat is the webbed feet.

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Facts about Fishing Cats 9: distribution

Fishing cats are mostly spotted in Asia. It is mostly concentrated in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, eastern India, and the Himalayan foothills of Nepal and India.  The presence of fishing cat is also documented in the coast of Thailand.

Facts about Fishing Cats 10: threat

Fishing cats were threatened according to reports in newspaper of Bangladesh. In January 2010 until March 2013, 30 fishing cats were killed by the villagers.

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