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Prionailurus bengalensis (Sak)
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Listed in CITES Appendix II
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- English Name :
Leopard Cat
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- Habitat :
Valleys in high altitude and lowland forests with pampas grass all over Korea (excluding Jejudo). Also found in suburbs.
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- Shape Characteristics :
Leopard cats are slightly smaller or similar in size to a domestic cat with a length of 50~58cm, and they look very similar to a domestic cat. The backs of their ears are bright brown but look white.
They have two white stripes from their nose to forehead.
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- Ecological Characteristics :
They’re usually nocturnal, but are also sometimes seen during the daytime. Their population has been dropping sharply since the mid 1950’s.
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- Prey :
Small mammals, birds, insects, etc…
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- Unique Characteristics :
Leopard cats are the ancestors of domestic cats, but it was found that the wild cats of Libya were domesticated and not the ones in Korea. Although cats hate water, leopard cats are good swimmers.