Profelis aurata
African golden cat

African golden cats are found throughout much of equatorial Africa. They range from Senegal southward to northern Angola, and inland through the Congo Basin as far east as Kenya.

(The Cat Survival Trust 1996)

Primary habitat is the moist tropical rainforest of equatorial Africa. They are most common at altitudes below 3600m. However, P. aurata can also be found in tropical dry forests and savannah grasslands and are able to survive in the secondary growth that occurs in logged areas. This has allowed it to adapt to human disturbances.

(Alderton 1993, Garman 1997, IUCN 1996)

Profelis aurata is medium-sized, about twice the size of a domestic cat. Body length ranges between 600 and 1016 mm, tail length from 160 to 460 mm, and shoulder height from 380 to 510 mm, they have relatively long legs and large paws. Males are usually larger than females. Coloration can be variable depending on location, with two common color phases: golden/reddish brown to slate/silvery grey. There have been examples of melanistic forms.

Typically the chest, abdomen, and throat are lighter or white, and there are small white patches above the eyes. The ears, which are small and rounded, are darkly colored. The long tail has a distinctive dark central line, occasionally with dark bands, and ends with a brown or black tip.

The coat is usually spotted, but the pattern varies with location. Two subspecies have been recognised. P. a. aurata occurs from the Congo to Uganda and is characterized by spots only on the lower flank or belly, P. a. celidogaster occurs in the western portion of the species' range and may have spots all over or on the back, neck, and flanks.

(Alderton, 1993, Garman 1997, The Cat Survival Trust 1996)

P. aurata tends to be secretive and has rarely been observed in the wild. Consequently the behavior of African golden cats is not well understood. They are primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, resting in tree branches during the day. However, some diurnal activity has been reported in parts of the range. While they are generally solitary, they possess a wide range of vocalizations that suggest some social interactions.

(Guggisberg 1975, IUCN 1996, Garman 1997)

P. aurata is carnivorous, preying on rodents, tree hyraxes, birds, small antelope such as duikers, and small monkeys. While they hunt primarily on the ground, African golden cats are good climbers and are capable of hunting in trees. There are reports of predation on domestic poultry and livestock, but there is disagreement over how frequently this occurs.

(IUCN 1996, Garman 1997)

African golden cats are known to prey on local domestic livestock and poultry, but the frequency of this behavior is debated and may depend on the location in the cat's range.

(Garman 1997)

P. aurata is not hunted extensively, in part due to its rarity and shyness. Hunting has been banned in twelve countries. However, certain pygmy tribes value the tail as a talisman for success in elephant hunting and skins may be used in traditional tribal clothing. These tribes do not usually trade the skins and hunting does not seem to pose a major threat to survival.

(Alderton 1993, Guggisberg 1975, Cyber Zoomobile)

The lack of information about the biology and ecology of P. aurata makes it difficult to accurately assess its situation. Because of the destruction of its primary habitat it is considered at risk, but more data is required.

(Garman 1997, IUCN 1996)

Although P. aurata has a striking similarity to Asian golden cats, Felis temmincki, it is now believed that the two are not closely related, and they have recently been designated to different genera. The resemblance between the two species is probably due to convergent evolution in similar habitats.

(IUCN 1996)