Chinese desert cat, Chinese steppe cat
The Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti ), also known as Chinese desert cat and Chinese steppe cat, is a small wild cat endemic to western China that has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2002, as the effective population size may be fewer than 10,000 mature breeding individuals.
It was provisionally classified as a wildcat subspecies with the name F. silvestris bieti in 2007.It is recognised as a valid species since 2017, as it is morphologically distinct from wildcats.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Chinese mountain cat is a small wild cat native to western China. It has sand-colored fur with dark guard hairs. Faint dark horizontal stripes on the face and legs are hardly visible. Its ears have black tips. It has a relatively broad skull and long hair growing between the pads of its feet. It is whitish on the belly, and its legs and tail bear black rings. The tip of the tail is black.
Chinese mountain cat is found in China and lives on the north-eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. It was recorded only in eastern Qinghai and north-western Sichuan. It inhabits high-elevation steppe grassland, alpine meadow, alpine shrubland, and coniferous forest edges.
Chinese mountain cats are solitary and prefer to live on their own. They are active at night and during the day sleep in sheltered burrows. Their burrows are usually located between the rocks or under boulders or it may be abandoned burrows of other animals such as marmots or badgers. Burrows inhabited by females are deeper and more protected than burrows of males, which have only one entrance. Chinese mountain cats hunt using their acute hearing; they listen for the movements of rodents through their underground tunnels and then dig them out.
Chinese mountain cats are carnivores and feed on pikas, various rodents, reptiles, and birds.
Chinese mountain cats have a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system in which both the males and the females have multiple partners. The breeding season takes place between January and March. After the gestation period of 60-75 days, females give birth to 2-4 kittens in a secluded burrow where they are safe from predators. The young are born blind and helpless. They grow quickly and become independent at age of 7 to 8 months. Reproductive maturity is usually reached between 8 and 12 months of age.
The Chinese mountain cat is a rare animal and is in the top five most vulnerable cats in the world. It is threatened mainly due to the organized poisoning of pikas; the poison used diminishes prey species and also kills cats. Chinese mountain cats are also hunted for their fur which is used to create traditional hats.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Chinese mountain cat is fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.