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The Fishing Cat can be located in northern India, Sri Lanka, across
Burma, the Thai peninsular and down to Sumatra and Java. The fishing cat
is a basically a fisherman and is never found far from water - however
the fishing cat shows a preference to slow moving or static water sources,
swamp margins and wetlands over faster moving river or stream edges.
It is a little larger than the Leopard which it resembles. The fishing cat has a slightly larger head in relation to body size and a relatively shorter tail - the body is generally stocky and the legs shorter. The fur coloration is predominantly grey brown with smaller, less pronounced dark brown or black spotted markings. The Fishing Cat eats by taking fish with its paws from the waters edge and more radically by diving into the water to catch the fish with its jaws. Naturally the fishing cat is a strong swimmer. Not all of the fishing cats prey is water based and its prey on dry land include rodents, young deer and small wild pig. Studies show the Fishing cat also eats grass. The fishing cat is threatened principally by loss of its wetlands habitat as well as by pollution and pesticide poisoning - hunting and trapping for its fur. It is therefore under critical threat. Cat Photo used with permission Wildlife On Easy Street |