Geographic Range
Catopuma badia is endemic to the island of Borneo. (Nowak, 1991)
- Other Geographic Terms
- island endemic
Habitat
Catopuma badia inhabits dense primary forests and area of rocky limestone. Catopuma badia has also been seen in highland areas and near rivers. (The World Conservation Union, 1996)
Physical Description
Catopuma badia occurs in two different colors, chestnust red, which is more common, and gray. Catopuma badia has dark colored, rounded ears, and a whitish stripe that runs down the ventral side of the body. Catopuma badia weighs between three and five kilograms, and is between 530 and 700 mm in length. (Sunquist et al. 1994)
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- bilateral symmetry
Reproduction
- Key Reproductive Features
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- Parental Investment
- altricial
Behavior
Some data suggest that Catopuma badia is nocturnal and hunts at night from the ground. (Cannon)
Communication and Perception
Food Habits
The foods of this species include small rodents and birds, carrion, and even monkeys. While this cat is very small and rare, Catopuma badia can be extremely vicious, and it attack animals much bigger than itself. (Postanowicz, 2001)
- Primary Diet
-
carnivore
- eats terrestrial vertebrates
- Animal Foods
- birds
- mammals
- carrion
Conservation Status
Catopuma badia is very rare, and little is known about it. Catopuma badia is protected in all environments where it is thought to be located (Rang, 2000).
Other Comments
Catopuma badia is a very rare species of Felidae. The entire knowledge of Catopuma badia is based on only 7 specimens. The first six were collected between 1855 and 1928. The seventh specimen was collected in 1992 (Nowak, 1991). Recently, there have been a few sightings of Catopuma badia .
Catopuma badia is most closely related to the Asian golden Cat. This relation is based on both appearance and molecular evidence (Rang).
Catopuma badia has a distinct feature in its dentition. The first upper pre-molar is smaller than normal, has a short, rounded head, and only one root (The World Conservation Union, 2001).
Additional Links
Contributors
Adrienne Davis (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Kate Teeter (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- island endemic
-
animals that live only on an island or set of islands.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- solitary
-
lives alone
- carrion
-
flesh of dead animals.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Cannon, P. "Bay Cat" (On-line). Accessed November 15, 2001 at http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/~pcannon/cats/baycat.html .
Nowak, R. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World V.1 . Baltimore: John Hopkin's University Press.
Postanowicz, R. "Bay Cat (*Felis badia*), Lioncrusher" (On-line). Accessed November 15,2001 at http://www.lioncrusher.com/felidae/bay_cat.htm .
Rang, J. "Bay Cat (*Catopuma badia*), CyberZoomobile" (On-line). Accessed November 15, 2001 at http://www.primenet.com/~brendel/baycat.html .
Sunquist, M., C. Leh, F. Suquist, D. Hills, R. Rajaratnam. 1994. Rediscovery of the Bornean Bay Cat. Oryx , 28(1): 67-70.
The World Conservation Union, 1996. "Bornean Bay Cat (*Catopuma badia*)" (On-line). Accessed November 13, 2001 at http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/badia01.htm .