Geographic Range
Flat-headed cat (
Prionailurus planiceps
) sporadically occur throughout the southern Malay Peninsula (Malaysia and extreme
southern Thailand), Sumatra, and Borneo.
Habitat
Flat-headed cats occupy lowland tropical forests and freshwater habitats. Specimens
have been collected in disturbed primary and secondary forests, along rivers and streams,
and in flooded areas. In Malaysia, they also live in oil palm plantations, and in
Sumatra, they have been sighted in secondary lowland forest.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- forest
- Other Habitat Features
- agricultural
- riparian
Physical Description
Flat-headed cats are small, about the size of a
domestic cat
. The tail is short, measuring only a quarter to a third of the head and body length.
They have small, rounded ears that set widely apart and lower than the apex of the
skull. They have long
fur
that is thick and soft. The pelage is reddish brown on top of the head, dark brown
on the dorsum, and mottled white on the venter. Individual hairs have white, buff,
or gray tips, giving them a grizzled appearance. The face is paler than the body
and the muzzle, chin, and chest are white. Their eyelids and the inner side of each
eye are whitish but do not form a complete eye-ring, and two dark stripes run along
each side of the head, one from the corner of the eye to below the ear and the other
from below the eye to below the ear. The lower vibrissae are completely white, whereas
the upper vibrissae are black at the base and white at the tips. The head is distinctly
elongated and flattened relative to other
cats
. Hair between the ears is quite short; this, combined with the low setting of the
ears, gives the cat a flat-headed appearance. The legs are short relative to other
cats, and the feet are long and narrow. The claws, as in the fishing cat and the
cheetah, cannot be fully retracted. The nasals are short and narrow, placing the eyes
farther forward and closer together than those of other cats. A long and narrow rostrum,
nearly parallel tooth rows and well developed first and second upper premolars all
specialize the cat for seizing and gripping slippery prey with the anterior portion
of its mouth. Meanwhile, the sagittal crest is well developed and the zygomatic arches
are robust, indicating great biting power. Flat-headed cats are sexually dimorphic,
as males are slightly larger than females. Male head-and-body length ranges from 42
to 50 cm, tail length from 13 to 20 cm, and weight from 1.5 to 2.75 kg; female head-and-body
length ranges from 33 to 37 cm, tail length from 15 to 17cm, and weight averages 1.5
kg.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- male larger
Reproduction
As flat-headed cats are extremely rare and elusive, information about their mating
system is not available.
Only limited information is available on the general reproductive behavior of flat-headed
cats. Gestation lasts for approximately 56 days; however, this estimate was based
on a single individual. More information is available on other, more common
Prionailurus
species. For exmple,
fishing cats
have no fixed breeding season, though mating is most common between January and February.
Leopard cats
mate at any time of year in the southern part of their range, where they overlap
with flat-headed cats. Both closely related species produce 2 to 4 kittens after
a gestation period of 60 to 70 days.
Fishing cats
begin weaning at 2 months and are completely weaned by 6 months, and sexual maturity
is reached by 15 months. The
leopard cat
begins weaning at 1 month and reaches sexual maturity by 18 months.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
Information on parental care in flat-headed cats is lacking. However, like all mammals,
mothers nurse cubs until weaning is complete. Young are likely altricial, as with
most other
felids
. Other
Prionailurus
species care for their offspring in secluded dens until they are able to accompany
her on foraging trips. Once young learn to hunt, they disperse shortly thereafter.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
No information is available on the lifespan of
Prionailurus planiceps
in the wild, though a single captive specimen reportedly lived for 14 years.
Behavior
According to anecdotal historical accounts, flat-headed cats are nocturnal. However,
a captive adult female was observed to be crepuscular. In captivity, individuals are
fond of water and play in pools or tubs for hours. Flat-headed cats are presumed to
be solitary, similar to other
felids
.
- Key Behaviors
- terricolous
- nocturnal
- crepuscular
- motile
- solitary
Home Range
Flat-headed cats are very rare and elusive, and information regarding its home range
is lacking. However, males of closely related
fishing cats
maintain home ranges of 16 to 22 square kilometers, while females range over 4 to
6 square kilometers.
Communication and Perception
The position of the eyes, farther forward on the head and closer together than those
of other cats, maximizes binocular vision, optimizing flat-headed cats for finding
and catching food in water. Like other
felids
, flat-headed cats probably maintain territories by scent-marking. In captivity,
both males and females spray urine in a manner that is unusual among
felids
. Most cats point their rear ends at a tree or bush, raise their tails to an upward
position, and spray. Flat-headed cats raise their tails to half-mast, crouch with
their hind legs, and walk forward while leaving a trail of urine. The calls of a flat-headed
cat cubs are often compared to the vibration made by pulling a thumb along the teeth
of a comb, though these vocalizations were also reported to resemble those of the
domestic cat. Adults purr and produce other short-range vocalizations. The vocalizations
of flat-headed cats have yet to be thoroughly investigated.
- Other Communication Modes
- pheromones
- scent marks
Food Habits
Flat-headed cats have been seen on mud-banks and along rivers, where they were probably
hunting for frogs, fish, or crustaceans. Stomach content analysis shows a primary
diet of fish. Flat-headed cats can submerge their head up to 12 centimeters under
water to seize prey, and in studies with captive individuals, they preyed upon live
frogs but ignored sparrows placed in their cages. Individuals often 'wash' objects
in water, similar to
raccoons
. When offered food, captive individuals pounce on it while snarling, and always carry
it at least 2 meters away from where it was presented -- a behavior that may keep
fish and frogs from escaping back into the water. Furthermore, captive adult animals
were observed groping along the bottom of a pool with their forepaws spread wide,
also like
raccoons
. A mouse in a bathtub excited captive cats more than a mouse on dry land, as the
cats stood either in the water or next to the tub and attempted to fish out the mouse
with their mouth or paws. In captivity, adult flat-headed cats kill rats and mice
with a bite to the nape but quickly toss the rodent between bites, repeating the action
again and again.
- Animal Foods
- mammals
- amphibians
- fish
Predation
No information regarding potential predators of Prionailurus planiceps is available. Their nocturnal behavior and coloration likely helps reduce risk of predation.
Ecosystem Roles
Because flat-headed cats are so rare, their role as a predator likely has little impact
on the population dynamics of prey species. Its behavioral and morphological adaptations,
as well as the niche that it fills, render it similar to a semi-aquatic mustelid,
unique among cats. Flat headed-cats are host to
flatworms
and
roundworms
.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
TThere are no known positive effects of flat-headed cats on humans. Skins were frequently
observed hanging in longhouses in Sarawak, Malaysia, but these are of doubtful economic
importance.
- Positive Impacts
- body parts are source of valuable material
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of flat-headed cats on humans. Animals have been
captured in traps set out to protect poultry, and an individual was reported to have
been shot while chasing chickens; however, fowl is not the preferred prey item of
this species, and these observations are debated in the literature.
Conservation Status
Flat-headed cats are classified as "endangered" on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened
Species. Although little is known of this species, its patchy distribution appears
to be closely tied to watercourses, and riparian habitats, which are often the first
to come under human development or exploitation. They may be more adaptable than its
morphological specializations would indicate, as suggested by reports of increased
sightings near Malaysian oil palm plantations and in secondary lowland Sumatran forests;
however, these claims have been disputed. A recent distribution model predicted that
over 70% of its historically suitable habitat has been transformed to unsuitable habitat,
likely due to anthropogenic influences.
Additional Links
Contributors
Mairin Balisi (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, John Berini (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
- 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.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- agricultural
-
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
- riparian
-
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
- 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.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- 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
- crepuscular
-
active at dawn and dusk
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- solitary
-
lives alone
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- pheromones
-
chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species
- scent marks
-
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- piscivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fish
References
Bezuijen, M. 2000. The occurrence of the flat-headed cat Prionailurus planiceps in south-east Sumatra. Oryx , 34/3: 222-226.
Cameron, T. 1928. On Some Parasites of the Rusty Tiger Cat (Felis planiceps). Journal of Helminthology , 6/2: 87-98.
Lekagul, B., J. McNeely. 1988. Mammals of Thailand . Bangkok: Association for the Conservation of Wildlife.
Leyhausen, P. 1979. Cat Behavior: the Predatory and Social Behavior of Domestic and Wild Cats . New York: Garland STPM Press.
Muul, I., B. Lim. 1970. Ecological and morphological observations of Felis planiceps . Journal of Mammalogy , 51/4: 806-808.
Nowell, K., P. Jackson. 1996. "Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan" (On-line pdf). IUCN - Species Survival Commission (SSC) Species Action Plans. Accessed April 17, 2011 at http://carnivoractionplans1.free.fr/wildcats.pdf .
Payne, J., C. Francis. 1994. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo . Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia: Sabah Society.
Peters, G., B. Tonkin-Leyhausen. 1999. Evolution of acoustic communication signals of mammals: friendly close-range vocalizations in Felidae (Carnivora). Journal of Mammalian Evolution , 6/2: 129-159.
Sunquist, M., F. Sunquist. 2002. Wild Cats of the World . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Wilting, A., A. Cord, A. Hearn, D. Hesse, A. Mohamed, C. Traeholdt, S. Cheyne, S. Sunarto, M. Jayasilan, J. Ross, A. Shapiro, A. Sebastian, S. Dech, C. Breitenmoser, J. Sanderson, J. Duckworth, H. Hofer. 2010. Modelling the species distribution of flat-headed cats ( Prionailurus planiceps ), an endangered South-East Asian small felid. PLoS ONE , 5/3: 1-18.
Wilting, A., A. Hearn, J. Sanderson, J. Ross, S. Sunarto. 2010. "Prionailurus planiceps" (On-line). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accessed April 17, 2011 at http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/18148/0 .
1996. "CSG Species Accounts: Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps)" (On-line). IUCN / Species Survival Commission (SSC) Cat Specialist Group (CSG). Accessed April 17, 2011 at http://www.catsg.org/catsgportal/cat-website/catfolk/plani-01.htm .
2010. "Prionailurus planiceps" (On-line). ARKive. Accessed April 17, 2011 at http://www.arkive.org/flat-headed-cat/prionailurus-planiceps/ .