Pardofelis marmorata
marbled cat

Marbled cats have been recorded in Nepal and Sikkim through northern Burma to Thailand, Indochina, Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo.

Little information exists on marbled cats. Marbled cats are most often observed in tropical forests. Most records of occurrence of this cat are attributed to single observations and its distribution may be wider than currently recognized.

Marbled cats have often been compared to the clouded leopard. Their coat patterns are strikingly similar. They are somewhat larger than domestic cats. The fur is full and soft with widely variable markings. The base color is brownish yellow and the coat is covered in large blotches which are paler in their centers and outlined in black. Large broken blotches occur on the flanks and blackish lines occur on the head, neck and back. These patterns tend to be smaller than in the clouded leopard and they merge together resembling marble (hence the name marbled cat). Interrupted bands run from the corner of each eye over the head. The ears are short and rounded and are black with grey bars marking them. There is a white or buff spot on the back of each ear. The chin and upper lip are also white or buff in color. The tail is spotted and tipped with black, and about three quaters of the body length. The tail is long, reflecting the arboreal habits of this species. As in clouded leopards, marbled cats have webbed toes and double clawsheaths, enabling them to completely retract their claws. Head and body length ranges from 45cm to 61cm. the height at shoulder average is 28cm and the tail length is 35cm to 55cm.

The skull is high and rounded and wide across the zygomata. The eye socket is surrounded by a complete bony ring. This is unusual within the felids. The occipital area is wide with low crests and the sagittal crest is quite small. The anterior upper pre-molar is absent or vestigial.

Very little is known of the behavior of the marbled cat. It is thought to be nocturnal and arboreal. Being nocturnal and arboreal would help explain its relative obscurity.

Marbled cats are carnivorous. The diet consists primarily of birds, but also includes squirrels, rats and other small rodents, lizards, insects, and frogs. Marbled cats hunt mostly in trees. In Borneo they may be more terrestrial and forage on the ground.

There are no known negative impacts of the marbled cats on humans.

There are only a few zoos in the world which have marbled cats. In the few zoos in which they are found, they benefit the zoos economically by being a rare attraction.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the marbled cat as intermediate. This is because it is known to be seriously threatened but not by how much due to lack of population estimates. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has listed the marbled cat in Appendix I. This means that all international commerce of the marbled cat is prohibited.

Marbled cats are extemely vulnerable to the loss of tropical forest in southeast Asia.