Leopard Cat

14-05-2024

Leopard Cat

Why in the news?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Recently a leopard cat has been spotted in Maharashtra’s Pench Tiger Reserve for the first time.

About Leopard Cat:

• Leopard cat, with the scientific name Prionailurus bengalensis, belongs to the family Felidae, and is noted for its leopard-like colouring.

Distribution:

• These cats are the most widely distributed Asian small cats.
• Leopard cat is the most widespread species after the jungle cat in India due to its “adaptive flexibility”, and is restricted to North East India, northern Himalayan states, West Bengal, Odisha, and pockets of Western Ghats.
• Their range extends from the Amur region in the Russian Far East over the Korean Peninsula, China, Indochina, the Indian Subcontinent, to the West in northern Pakistan, and to the south in the Philippines and the Sunda Islands of Indonesia.

Habitat:

• Leopard Cats are found in agriculturally used areas but prefer forested habitats.
• These cats live in tropical evergreen rainforests and plantations at sea level, in subtropical deciduous and coniferous forests in the foothills of the Himalayas at altitudes above 1000 m.

Features:

• They vary widely in size and appearance across their range. The colouration ranges from pale tawny, to yellow, red or gray above, with the underparts white and spotted.
• There are usually four black stripes running down the forehead to the nape, breaking up into short bands and elongate spots on the shoulders. They are solitary, nocturnal carnivores.

Conservation Status:

IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Key Facts about Pench Tiger Reserve:

• The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra which gets its name from the Pench river is spread over 740 sq km.
• It is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura hills in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh and continues in Nagpur district in Maharashtra as a separate Sanctuary.

• It is named after the Pench River,which flows from north to south through the Reserve. It comprises the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, the Pench Mowgli Sanctuary, and a buffer.
• The area of the Pench Tiger Reserve and the surrounding area is the real story area of Rudyard Kipling's famous "The Jungle Book".
• The Reserve shows corridor connectivity with the Melghat Tiger Reserve to the west, Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve to the southeast, Pench Tiger Reserve (MP) to the north, and Kanha Tiger Reserve (MP) to the northeast
• Vegetation: The undulating topography supports a mosaic of vegetation ranging from a moist, sheltered valley to an open, dry deciduous forest.
• Flora: The reserve boasts a diverse range of flora, including teak, saag, mahua, and various grasses and shrubs.
• Fauna:The area is especially famous for large herds of Chital, Sambar, Nilgai, Gaur (Indian Bison), and wild boar.

      ○The key predator is the tiger, followed by the leopard, wild dogs,  and wolf.

      ○There are over 325 species of resident and migratory birds, including the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Osprey, Grey Headed Fishing Eagle, White Eyed Buzzard, etc.

                                Source: The Print

Consider the following statements regarding the Leopard Cat:

1.It is a species of forest-dwelling cat, of the family Felidae.

2.It is listed as Endangered under the IUCN Red List.

3.They are solitary, nocturnal carnivores.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A.Only one

B.Only two

C.All three

D.None

Answer B