Not to be confused with the fisher (animal), a mustelid sometimes called a "fisher cat"; nor the Van cat, a landrace of domestic cat nicknamed the "swimming cat".
The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. It has a deep yellowish-grey fur with black lines and spots. Adults have a head-to-body length of 57 to 78 cm (22 to 31 in), with a 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) long tail. Males are larger than females, weighing 8 to 17 kg (18 to 37 lb), while females average 5 to 9 kg (11 to 20 lb). It lives mostly in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps and mangroves where it preys mostly on fish. Other prey items include birds, insects, small rodents, molluscs, reptiles including snakes, amphibians and carrion of cattle. The fishing cat is thought to be primarily nocturnal. It is a good swimmer and can swim long distances, even underwater.
The fishing cat has been listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2016, as the global population is thought to have declined by about 30% in the past three fishing cat generations during the period 2010–2015. The destruction of wetlands and killing by local people are the major threats throughout its range. It is the state animal of West Bengal.
Taxonomy
Felis viverrinus was proposed by Edward Turner Bennett in 1833, who described a cat skin sent from India by Josiah Marshall Heath.[2] The genus name Prionailurus was proposed by Nikolai Severtzov in 1858 for spotted wild cats native to Asia.[3] A subspecies Felis viverrinus rhizophoreus was proposed in 1936 by Henri Jacob Victor Sody, who described a specimen from the north coast of West Java that had a slightly shorter skull than fishing cat specimens from Thailand.[4] There is evidence that the nominate taxon and the Javan fishing cat are distinguishable by skull morphometrics.[5]
The fishing cat has a deep yellowish-grey fur with black lines and spots. Two stripes are on the cheeks, and two are above the eyes running to the neck with broken lines on the forehead. It has two rows of spots around the throat. The spots on the shoulder are longitudinal, and those on the sides, limbs and tail are roundish.[2] The background colour of its fur varies between individuals from yellowish tawny to ashy grey, and the size of the stripes ranges from narrow to broad. The fur on the belly is lighter than on the back and sides. The short and rounded ears are set low on the head, and the back of the ears bear a white spot. The tail is short, less than half the length of head and body, and with a few black rings at the end.[9] The short dense layered fur is thought to be an aquatic adaptation providing a water barrier and thermal insulation, while another layer of protruding long guard hairs provides its pattern and glossy sheen.[10]
The fishing cat is the largest cat of the Prionailurus.[9] It is stocky and muscular with a head-to-body length ranging from 57 to 78 cm (22 to 31 in), a tail length of 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) and medium to short legs. Females weigh 5 to 9 kg (11 to 20 lb) and males 8 to 17 kg (18 to 37 lb), showing pronounced sexual dimorphism.[11][12] Its skull is elongated, with a basal length of 123–153 mm (4.8–6.0 in) and a post-orbital width of 27–31 mm (1.1–1.2 in).[9] Its tongue is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and has large, cylindrical papillae near the front.[13]
Fishing cat paws are partly webbed, and the claws are incompletely sheathed, only becoming partially covered when fully retracted.[9] It is about twice the size of a domestic cat.[11]
The fishing cat lives among dense vegetation near water and is thought to be primarily nocturnal. It is known to be a proficient long-distance and underwater swimmer. Adult males and females without dependent young are solitary. Females have been reported to range over areas of 4 to 6 km2 (1.5 to 2.3 sq mi), while males range over 16 to 22 km2 (6.2 to 8.5 sq mi). It has been observed resting in thick grassy habitats, often near a water body but sometimes far away from them. Adults have been recorded to vocalise "chuckling" sounds.[11]
It marks its home range using cheek-rubbing, head rubbing, chin rubbing, neck rubbing and urine-spraying to leave scent marks; it also sharpens its claws and displays flehmen.[40] The pungent smell of fishing cat urine markings is due to 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol, a breakdown product of felinine.[41]
Fishing cat feces collected in India's Keoladeo National Park revealed that fish comprises about three-quarter of its diet, with the remainder consisting of birds, small rodents and insects; molluscs, reptiles, amphibians, carrion of cattle and grass supplement its diet.[42] Its main prey in the Godavari River delta is fish, including flathead grey mullet, green chromide and Mozambique tilapia, which comprised three fifths of its diet, whereas rodents and crabs made up the remainder of the diet. The diet make-up remained relatively constant throughout the year.[43] Fishing cats have been observed while hunting along the edges of watercourses, grabbing prey from the water, and sometimes diving into the water to catch prey further from the banks.[11][44] It prefers hunting in shallow water and spends about half the time lying in wait for prey to approach.[45]
Reproduction and development
Wild fishing cats most likely mate during January and February; most kittens in the wild were observed in March and April.[11] However, fishing cats may mate as late as June.[14] In captivity, the gestation period lasts 63–70 days; females give birth to an average of two to three kittens; the litter size can be as small as one to as large as four.[40][14] Kittens weigh around 170 g (6.0 oz) at birth and are able to actively move around by the age of one month. They begin to play in water and to take solid food when about two months old, but are not fully weaned until six months old. They reach full adult size when about eight and a half months old, acquire their adult canine teeth by 11 months and are sexually mature when approximately 15 months old. They live up to 10 years in captivity.[11] The generation length of the fishing cat is five years.[1]
Since 2016, the fishing cat is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, as the global population is thought to have declined by around 30% in the years 2010–2015; the destruction of wetlands and killings by local people are major threats to the fishing cat.[1]
The destruction of wetlands includes increased pollution or conversion for agricultural use and human settlements. The conversion of mangrove forests to commercial aquaculture ponds is a major threat in Andhra Pradesh, and in some places fishing cats are killed. Over-exploitation of local fish stocks and retaliatory killing by local people are also significant threats. The fishing cat's habitat in India is predominantly marshlands, which are subject to agricultural usage under the country's laws, resulting in human–wildlife conflict. Coastal wetlands are an important habitat for the fishing cat in Thailand and Cambodia, however, estimates predict that only 6% of wetlands remain undisturbed.[1]
In West Bengal's Howrah district, 27 dead fishing cats were recorded between April 2010 and May 2011, and in Sagar Island, the fishing cat was possibly extirpated by local people for reasons unknown.[22] Deaths are more frequent in the dry season, when people use wetlands more frequently.[1] At least 30 fishing cats were killed by local people in Bangladesh between January 2010 and March 2013.[28] They are often killed because they are mistaken as tiger cubs.[52] In Thailand, 31% of radio-collared fishing cats were killed by local people between 2012 and 2015.[53] Fish farmers in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve have killed fishing cats in retaliation for perceived loss of fish.[54]Roadkills are a major mortality factor in Odisha.[24] The fishing cat is possibly extinct in coastal Kerala, but it is doubtful whether it ever occurred there at all.[55]
Conservation
The fishing cat is included on CITES Appendix II and protected by national legislation over most of its range. Hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Hunting regulations apply in Laos. In Bhutan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, it is not protected outside protected areas, and no information is known about its legal protections in Cambodia.[14] It is the state animal of the Indian state of West Bengal.[56] Its survival depends on protection of wetlands, prevention of indiscriminate trapping, snaring and poisoning.[1]
In areas where habitat degradation is a major concern, such as coastal Andhra Pradesh, NGOs are working to slow habitat conversion in collaboration with local villagers. Part of this work involves creating alternative livelihood programs that allow villagers to earn money without damaging natural habitats.[57][58] A Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance provides an umbrella for the cooperation of national fishing cat conservation groups, which began with the establishment of India's in 2010.[56]
^Sody, H. J. V. (1936). "Seventeen generic, specific and subspecific names for Dutch East Indian mammals". Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië. 96: 42−55.
^ abWerdelin, L.; Yamaguchi, N.; Johnson, W. E. & O'Brien, S. J. (2010). "Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae)". In Macdonald, D. W. & Loveridge, A. J. (eds.). Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 59–82. ISBN978-0-19-923445-5. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
^ abcdPocock, R. I. (1939). "Prionailurus". The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Vol. Mammalia. Vol. 1. Primates and Carnivora. London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd. pp. 266–284.
^"Fishing Cat". The International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada. 2012. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
^Yadav, S.K.; Lamichhane, B.R.; Subedi, N.; Dhakal, M.; Thapa, R.K.; Poudyal, L. & Dahal, B.R. (2018). "Fishing Cat camera trapped in Babai Valley of Bardia National Park, Nepal". Cat News (67): 31–33.
^Sadhu, A. & Reddy, G. V. (2013). "First evidence of Fishing Cat in the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India". Cat News (58): 36–37.
^Prerna, S.; Raj, B.; Sharma, V.; Seshamani, G. & Satayanarayan, K. (2016). "First record of Fishing Cat in Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Agra, India". Cat News (63): 19–20.
^Das, S. K.; Saha, R.; Mukherjee, S.; Danda, A. A. & Borah, J. (2017). "First estimates of fishing cat abundance and density in Lothian WS, Sundarbans, India". Cat News (66): 25−27.
^ abPalei, S.H.; Das, P.U.; Debata, S. (2018). "The vulnerable fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus in Odisha, eastern India: status and conservation implications". Zoology and Ecology. 28 (2): 69–74. Bibcode:2018ZooEc..28...69S. doi:10.1080/21658005.2018.1468646.
^Malla, G. (2016). "Ecology and conservation of Fishing Cat in Godavari mangroves of Andhra Pradesh"(PDF). In A. Appel; J. W. Duckworth (eds.). Proceedings of the First International Fishing Cat Conservation Symposium, 25–29 November 2015, Nepal. Bad Marienberg, Germany and Saltford, Bristol, United Kingdom: Fishing Cat Working Group. pp. 48–50. Archived from the original(PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
^Kantimahanti, M. (2016). "Community-based Fishing Cat conservation in the Eastern Ghats of South India"(PDF). In A. Appel; J. W. Duckworth (eds.). Proceedings of the First International Fishing Cat Conservation Symposium, 25–29 November 2015, Nepal. Bad Marienberg, Germany and Saltford, Bristol, United Kingdom: Fishing Cat Working Group. pp. 51–54. Archived from the original(PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
^ abChowdhury, S. U.; Chowdhury, A. R.; Ahmed S. & Muzaffar, S. B. (2015). "Human-fishing cat conflicts and conservation needs of fishing cats in Bangladesh". Cat News (62): 4–7.
^Kittle, A.M. & Watson, A.C. (2018). "Small wildcats of Sri Lanka – some recent records". Cat News (68): 9–12.
^Jayasekara, D. & Mahaulpatha, W.A.D. (2022). "Modeling the habitat suitability for sympatric small and medium sized felids and investigating the spatiotemporal niche overlapping in Maduru Oya National Park, Sri Lanka". Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity. 6 (1): 31–56. doi:10.22120/jwb.2022.542338.1378 (inactive 2024-11-12).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
^Thaung R. & Herranz Muñoz, V. (2016). "Identifying priority sites and conservation actions for Fishing Cat in Cambodia"(PDF). In A. Appel & J. W. Duckworth (eds.). Proceedings of the First International Fishing Cat Conservation Symposium, 25–29 November 2015, Nepal. Bad Marienberg, Germany and Saltford, Bristol, United Kingdom: Fishing Cat Working Group. pp. 37–40. Archived from the original(PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
^Das, S.; Manna, S.; Chowdhury, S. P.; Sarkar, M. P. (2023). "Sulfur-Markers, from urine of Fishing Cat: the putative pheromonal compounds of water-loving, vulnerable State Animal of West Bengal". Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 76 (4): 448–452. Bibcode:2023PZooS..76..448D. doi:10.1007/s12595-023-00503-3.
^Kik, M.J.L.; van der Hage, M.H.; Greydanus-van der Putten, S.W.M. (1997). "Chlamydiosis in a Fishing Cat (Felis viverrina)". Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 28 (2): 212–214. JSTOR20095645. PMID9279414.