The Cat Survival Trust

The Fishing Cat

Felis (Prionailurus) viverrina Bennett


Photo: Terry Moore

Contents

 
 
  • Description
  • Distribution
  • Diet
  • Behaviour
  • Reproduction
  • Conservation Status
  • Captive Breeding and Fishing Cats in Captivity
  • Further Reading

    • Other names

    		  
    French:chat pêcheur
    German:Fischkatze
    Spanish:gato pescador

    Description

    A robust, powerful animal, the fishing cat has short rather coarse fur. Two layers make up the pelt, a short dense impermeable layer and a longer coat of guard hairs. It is a grizzled grey, often tinged with olive brown. The fur is marked with dark round spots which run in longitudinal rows. On the face are white stripes running from the eyes to the crown of the head, and there are six to eight dark lines running from the forehead over the crown and along the neck. Contrasting white spots mark the backs of the short, rounded black ears. The head is thick and broad and the muzzle is somewhat elongate. Vestigial anterior upper premolars are present. 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.
    It has often been thought that fishing cats have webbed feet. This is not so, there is a partial membrane between the toes but no more than in other wild or domestic cats. The cutaneous sheaths do not fully cover the claws, particularly in the hind feet but they do fully retract.
    The fishing cat has long been known as Felis viverrina, Wozencraft (1993) in his latest — and controversial — review of cat taxonomy, separates it, together with the Leopard Cat (bengalensis), the Flat-headed Cat (planiceps) and the rusty-spotted cat (rubiginosus) into another genus, Prionailurus.
    Two subspecies of fishing cat are described:
    P. v. viverrinus India, south east Asia and Sumatra
    P. v. risophores Java and Bali

    Principal Dimensions

     OverallMalesFemales
    Head and body lengths (cm)65-100  
    Height at shoulder (cm)25-33 
    Tail lengths (cm)38-41 
    Weight (Kg)6-1511-156-7

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    Distribution and Habitats

    Fishing cats live in a variety of watery habitats, mangrove swamps, marshy thickets and reed beds, up to an altitude of 1,500 metres. They seem to prefer areas where there is substantial thick cover near open water, especially in the dry season. Geographically they are found discontinuously distributed throughout southern Asia, from Malaysia, parts of Indonesia (Sumatra and Java), and Sri Lanka to the Himalayan foothills of Nepal.
    The map is based on information in the Wild Cats Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan published by the IUCN/SSC Cat Speialist Group in 1996. See our Books page for more details.
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    Diet

    Fishing cats frequently enter water to take fish, frogs, crabs and even molluscs. They also prey on snakes, birds and small mammals. They are said to have taken calves, goats and dogs and will scavenge the carcasses of larger animals. A fishing cat is known to have killed a leopard (The Cat that likes water. Animals: The Independent Zoo Review. 1 (6), 1991, p. 3).
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    Behaviour

    Fishing cats have been observed to dive head first into water and swim underwater to grab fish with their mouths (Breeden 1989). Reports confirm an ability to attract fish to them by gently tapping the surface of the water. This appears to create ripples as if an insect had landed on the water. A fish will investigate, and the fishing cat will pounce.
    It has been reported that several individuals are tolerant of each other in captivity, however they will fight and the resident male at The Cat Survival Trust came with a reputation for killing any female to which he was introduced.
    Males are said to aid in the rearing of young in captivity.
    Largely nocturnal, they will also climb trees to dive into water.
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    Reproduction

    Two to three kittens are born after a gestation period of 63 days. They weigh 92 to 172 grammes at birth and suckle until they are six months old although they will eat meat by 60 days. They reach adult size at about eight and a half months. If one litter is unsuccessful (e.g. if the kittens die) the female is able to produce another in the same year.
    Fishing Cats have been known to live for more than fifteen years in captivity.
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    Conservation Status

    Fishing cats are persecuted because they will live close to human dwellings and steal chickens and are reputed to devastate local fisheries. Wright (1984) describes trapped fishing cats which are sold in markets. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species lists the fishing cat on Appendix II which strictly regulates international commerce.
    Insufficient information is available to assess the status of fishing cat populations but Roberts (1984) regards fishing cats as being on the verge of extinction in Pakistan. They have a very limited distribution there, and suffer from considerable persecution. Roberts reports that they are shot and trapped whenever possible. Even though their fur is coarse, fur coats are still made and sold. Legal protection is extremely difficult to enforce. The range of the species is such, that conservation of the fishing cat in the future is optimistic, even though it is locally threatened.
    The IUCN Red List has the fishing cat as Near Threatened. (Cat News 23, 1995, p. 21)
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    Captive Breeding and Fishing Cats in Captivity

    Studbook Keeper

    Lynda Roberts
    Riverbanks Zoological Park
    500 Wildlife Parkway
    Columbia
    South Carolina 29202-1060, USA
    A captive breeding programme needs to have regard to keeping separate the various subspecies, while at the same time avoiding the dangers of inbreeding.
    This is achieved by the maintenance of a studbook which is used to select suitable breeding partners for captive animals. Such studbooks are maintained on a voluntary basis by dedicated individuals or teams at various zoos around the world.

    Zoos which have fishing cats


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    Latest update: 4th December, 1999

    © September 1996 The Cat Survival Trust, The Centre, Codicote Road, Welwyn, AL6 9TU, England.
    Telephone: +44 (0)1438 716873Fax: +44 (0)1438 717535
    email: cattrust@aol.com