![]() ![]() Reports of fishing cats are sporadic and, in a few cases, unreliable. But camera traps have confirmed their presence in some parts of their range, including some protected areas in India, along the coast of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The northern part of its range extends to the Himalayan foothills, which runs south to Sri Lanka and Thailand. The western reaches of its range extend into Pakistan, cutting east to Cambodia. The fishing cat's natural range is unknown, but it is currently found across South and Southeast Asia. Long guard hairs protrude from this coat, giving the fishing cat its unique pattern. A compact, dense layer of fur right against the cat’s skin is composed of tightly packed strands of hair, which prevents water from reaching the cat’s skin, keeping it warm in chilly waters. This facilitates the capture of prey, especially while underwater.Īnother unique adaptation for their semiaquatic lives is the structure of their fur. Unlike many cats, fishing cats readily swim. Their front toes are partially webbed and their claws protrude slightly even when retracted. This cat is powerfully built with short limbs and a stocky body. Its low-set, muscular tail is shorter than a domestic cat's and ringed with six or seven incomplete dark bands, distinguishing it from the leopard cat. The fur on its underside is longer and spotted. Its lips, chin, belly and throat are white with gray spots. The fishing cat's nose is pink or deep-brick in color. When viewed from the front, they have a distinctive white spot in the center. The ears are short and round, and the back of the ears are black. Its cheeks have white highlights and black marks, and its eyes are ringed with white fur. Six to eight black lines run from the cat's forehead to its neck, breaking up into shorter bars and spots on its shoulders. The fishing cat's coat is a camouflaged gray-brown with distinctive black spots and stripes.
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