Marbled Cat
Pardofelis marmorata
C. Lee
Description
The marbled cat was once thought to be a close relative of the clouded leopard (genera Neofelis) because of many morphological similarities. However, genetic analyses indicate that it is more closely related to the Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) and the Borneo bay cat (Catopuma badia).
Currently, two subspecies of the marbled cat are suggested:
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Pardofelis marmorata marmorata on Borneo, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula south of the Isthmus of Kra and southern Thailand and
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Pardofelis marmorata longicaudata in Nepal to Assam, Bangladesh, South-East Asia North of the Isthmus of Kra
Recent genetic analyses indicate possible distinction between the Indochinese and the Sundaic marbled cat populations at a species level. However, further research is needed to clarify if there are two distinct species and possible a new subspecies on Borneo as individuals from Borneo show browner pelage patterns than the ones from Sumatra.
Marbled cats and clouded leopards are similar in appearance as both species bear a distinctive, irregular blotched pattern on their coats. The background colour of the marbled cat is brown-grey to red-brown. The flanks and back are patterned with large irregularly shaped brown to red blotches which are outlined in black. One observation of two individuals at a salt lick in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand reported that one of the individuals exhibited a reddish-brown colour with a very vague blotched pattern, while the blotched pattern on the other individual was very distinct. The large blotches fade to small dark spots on the legs, tail and up to the crown. The underside and proximal aspect of the inner leg are a pale buff colour. Two black stripes stretch from the inner corner of the eye back over the crown and down the neck. Melanism has been reported for the species in Sumatra: a melanistic individual and a typically pigmented individual were recorded together in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The pelt of a melanistic individual was collected from an unknown location in Sumatra. All samples are catalogued at the Museum Zoology Bogor on Java, Indonesia.
The marbled cat is about the same weight as a large domestic cat but gives the impression of being more slender and elongated. The marbled cat has a more rounded head than most other felids with a broad face and also rounded ears that have white bars on the back. Its pupils are large and brown. The tail is extremely long, nearly as long as the total head and body length, and very bushy. While walking, the marbled cat holds its tail stretched out horizontally and does not drag it on the ground. The foot structure, relatively short legs and the long tail imply arboreal adaptations of this small cat.
Weight
2 - 5 kg
Body Length
45 - 62 cm
Tail Length
36 - 55 cm
Longevity
upto 12 years
Litter Size
1 - 2 kittens
B. Cranke
Status and Distribution
The marbled cat was first photographed in the wild at the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, in 1994 as camera trap use in the field became more prevalent.
The marbled cat is classified as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. However, status and distribution of the marbled cat are poorly studied and population trends are unknown. In Nepal the marbled cat is considered data deficient and in China as Critically Endangered. There is some indication that the species may be relatively rare in comparison to other sympatric felids. A study in Sumatra’s Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park found that the photo-capture rate for marbled cats (Pardofelis marmorata) was lower than that of Sunda clouded leopards (Neofelis diardi), Asiatic golden cats (Catopuma temminckii), and Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae). In the Sabangu peat-swamp forest of Kalimantan, the photo-capture rate for marbled cats was also lower than that of the Sunda clouded leopard, the leopard cat and the flat-headed cat. Over 5,423 trap nights (476 days) were required in the study site before the first photograph of a marbled cat was recorded. In Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area in Lao PDR, the occupancy rate for the marbled cat was estimated at 11% in comparison to the occupancy rate of the Asiatic golden cat which was estimated at 42%. In Jarangau Forest Reserve on Peninsular Malaysia, the marbled cat had the lowest number of detections of any of the six felid species recorded. However, there is quite a high encounter rate in Cambodia. The density of marbled cats in the primary, lowland Danum Valley Conservation Area was 19.57 and in the primary upland, Tawau Hills Park 7.1 individuals per 100 km². In the selectively logged, lowland Tabin Wildlife Reserve a density of 10.45 individuals per 100 km² was estimated. In Dampa tiger Reserve, Mizoram, India, a density of 5.03 individuals per 100 km2 was estimated for the marbled cat. Density of marbled cats was estimated at 8.75 per 100 km2 in Hitmanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, north-western Myanmar and at 3.8 individuals per 100 km²in Nam Et – Phou Louey National Protected Area, Laos.
The marbled cat is found from Nepal, Bhutan and north-eastern India to parts of Indochina. It also occurs in Malaysia and on Sumatra and Borneo. In Sabah, the marbled cat has been recorded in Danum Valley Conservation Area, Palum Tambun Watershed Reserve, Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, Malua Forest Reserve, Tabin wildlife Reserve, Deramakot Forest Reserve and Tangkulap Forest Reserve. In India, the marbled cat seems to be restricted to the eastern Himalayan foothills, and to be associated with moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forest habitats. A specimen of a marbled cat has been recorded from China in the Yunnan province in the 1970s and it may be present in the Guangxi province. In Lao PDR it was not detected in camera trap surveys in Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area, and it was only detected at 4% of camera sites in Nam Kading National Protected Area. Although the marbled cat has a relatively wide geographical distribution, its range is highly fragmented.
Habitat
The marbled cat is forest dependent and appears to be mainly associated with moist and mixed deciduous-evergreen tropical forests. It seems to have a preference for remote moist forests and primary forests. In Sumatra, analyses from a camera trap study indicate that the marbled cat was most likely to inhabit areas further from the forest edge and at moderate elevations. In Lao PDR, the species was most often associated with montane evergreen forest above 1,000 m. In Kalimantan, the species has been recorded from the Sabangau peat-swamp forest. In Borneo, it was recorded in Dipterocarp forests, sandy beaches with Casuarina trees and in grasslands of remote swampy mangrove areas. There have also been observations of the species in secondary forests, cleared areas or agricultural plantations, and at lower elevations. In Sabah, Borneo, a marbled cat was observed in an isolated forest that had been logged six years previously. On Sumatra, the species has been recorded by camera traps located in very small fragments of remnant forest within a landscape of coffee plantations, as well as in lowland secondary and primary forests. Marbled cats seem to be highly associated with areas of increased tree/canopy cover including agroforestry land, forest plantations and selectively logged forest. Species occupancy has been predicted for Kerinci Seblat landscape. There are indications that marbled cats avoid human dominated, highly disturbed habitat types.
The marbled cat has been recorded from sea level up to an elevation of 3,000 m. In the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area in Lao PDR, the species was recorded at altitudes ranging from 1,043 to 1,913 m. In the Eaglenest Widlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India, the marbled cat was recorded up to 2,690 m. In Nepal it was recorded up to 2,750 m and in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan, up to 3,810 m.
B. Cranke
Ecology and Behaviour
The ecology and behaviour of the marbled cat is poorly understood. It was originally thought to be primarily crepuscular and nocturnal. A radio collared individual in Thailand was mainly active at night, and several observations in Kalimantan were in the late evening. However, camera trap studies on Sumatra and Borneo, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, India and Lao PDR indicate that the marbled cat may is primarily diurnal. In Endau Rompin Landscape, Johor, Malaysia, for example, the marbled cat seemed to be diurnal and in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan, to be active at day and night.
The marbled cat is thought to be a forest-dependent species and is known as a very good climber, able to climb down a tree headfirst. It is referred to as the Old-World margay for its arboreal activity. The marbled cat was thought to spend most of its time in the trees, accounting for the rarity of sightings. An individual was observed at night resting on a tree branch 25 m above the ground in the Deramakot Forest Reserve in Borneo. It subsequently climbed among the branches and descended the tree face first to escape the spotlight. However, there have now been numerous camera trap photographs of the species on the ground, together with several sightings. In 2008, a primate researcher observed an adult individual resting on the ground under a fruiting tree. The individual remained resting at a distance of 1.2 m from the observer for over an hour before calmly moving off. Two individuals were observed visiting a salt lick in Thailand, and one individual was observed sitting in the middle of a road during a night survey in Deramakot Forest Reserve on Borneo. This implies that the species may not be as arboreal as previously thought. Thus, although the marbled cat shows arboreal tendencies, it possibly spends time on the ground.
A radio-tagged female in the Phu Khieu National Park of Thailand had an estimated home range of 5.3 km². However, she was only tracked for a month before becoming undetectable. The species is thought to be relatively solitary, but two individuals were observed traveling together at a salt lick in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand. Two individuals were also photographed traveling together in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park on Sumatra and in the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area in Laos. It is unknown whether these records constitute mated pairs, or siblings.
Gestation lasts for 81 days. Age at sexual maturity is approximately 21 months.
Main Threats
The main threat to the marbled cat is deforestation. South-east Asia has one of the highest and fastest deforestation rates mainly due to logging and forest conversion for human settlements, agriculture, oil palm, coffee, rubber and other plantations. The marbled cat seems to be sensitive to changes and disruptions caused by humans. It is not commonly found in close proximity to human settlements; although on Sumatra and in the eastern Himalaya, villagers outside of national parks indicate that the species very occasionally preys on poultry. The species has also been photographed in agricultural landscapes. The marbled cat is not frequently recorded in the wildlife trade but its fur, meat and bones have high value and it is hunted in some areas. In the Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, India, surveys of local villagers indicated that the marbled cat was one of the wildlife species commonly hunted for either subsistence, commercial purposes, or medicine. In some areas in India, it is also hunted by some tribal groups for meat and for socio-cultural rituals. Indiscriminate snaring is a large problem and is thought to be occurring throughout much of the marbled cat’s range.
The meat and skin of the marbled cat is used for medicinal purposes by the Dayak Seberuang in Tempunak village, Borneo, Indonesia. The species is used by the tribe Dayak Jelai Hulu Embulu Lima in Mekar Utama village, Kalimantan, and the Kanayant Dayak tribes in Temahar village, Borneo, Indonesia. The species is also hunted and traded in North Zamari Key Biodiversity Area, Myanmar.
Conservation Effort and Protection Status
The marbled cat is included in CITES Appendix I and protected over parts of its range. Hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (Yunnan only), India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand. Hunting is regulated in Lao PDR and Singapore. In Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah), the species is fully protected.
More investigations and research is needed to understand the marbled cat’s ecology, distribution and status. An important aspect to study would be its tolerance for secondary or disturbed forests over the long-term.
M. Pittet
Prey
There have been no diet studies conducted for marbled cats. They are thought to feed on birds, tree squirrels, fruit bats, rodents (such as rats and mice), and presumably also on insects, fish, reptiles (e.g. lizards) and amphibians (e.g. frogs). There have also been several documented instances of marbled cats preying on primate species. The stomach of a deceased individual in Thailand contained the remains of a small rat, and the species has also been observed stalking birds in trees. In Sumatra, the marbled cat has been reported to occasionally prey on poultry.