Photos (c) Art Wolfe www.artwolfe.com
 

Rusty Spotted Cat - Prionailurus rubiginosus

Weight: 6-9 lbs
Head/Body: 17 in
Tail: 7 in
Subspecies: 2

The rusty-spotted cat is a small cat with small round ears and a short tail. Its soft, short coat is gray with a reddish tinge on top and a pale underside. There are reddish spots scattered randomly over its body and reddish stripes on its head. Its face has distinctive white and dark markings. The soles of its feet are black.

The rusty-spotted cat may be found in the forests, scrub, dried river- beds and drainage systems of India and Sri Lanka, where it hunts by night, from the ground, and seeks small mammals and birds.